Camping with small children?

[MrsBasil]

I need advice please. I haven't ever camped with children.

 

We'll probably be in a tent, camping above 5000 ft, and not near a place to swim.

 

I've asked my mom and she gets a Look, talks about how nice hotels are, and suggests I go somewhere with electricity so I can take a blender and make margaritas at night after the kids go to bed. So no fond memories there I guess.....:tongue_smilie:

 

I've camped before, but what I do need to know about going with maybe kids under 4?

[BakersDozen]

I've asked my mom and she gets a Look, talks about how nice hotels are, and suggests I go somewhere with electricity so I can take a blender and make margaritas at night after the kids go to bed. So no fond memories there I guess.....

Your mom and I would get along great! :D

 

My idea of camping with young children is to get to the site, set everything up, drive home with any nursing babies) (we take two vehicles), sleep in my own bed while dh stays in the tent with dc who have to go potty at 2am, eat a leisurely breakfast at home then head back to help break camp. Sometimes I show up after lunch...sometimes it's closer to dinnertime.

 

I love camping with small children. :D

[MrsBasil]

Your mom and I would get along great! :D

 

My idea of camping with young children is to get to the site, set everything up, drive home with any nursing babies) (we take two vehicles), sleep in my own bed while dh stays in the tent with dc who have to go potty at 2am, eat a leisurely breakfast at home then head back to help break camp. Sometimes I show up after lunch...sometimes it's closer to dinnertime.

 

I love camping with small children. :D

 

:lol::lol: Oh, she'd love you. We used to camp for 4-5 days at a time.

 

You should hear her speech on sleeping on the ground.

[Rosie_0801]

It's no big deal if they are old enough not to run away. If they are still that way inclined, eat sandwiches for every meal because you can't cook while chasing them.

 

Rosie

[MrsBanjoClown]

That it is going to be a blast! I have always loved camping with my boys. They are so calm when they are out in nature, and it is so much fun to watch them. The first time we went, the boys were 3 and 1. We took a pack-n-play for the youngest to sleep in. We had our air mattress, sleeping bags, and the pack-n-play inside the tent. We walked around the area and enjoyed being together. We went fishing and sat around the campfire. It was a lot of fun!

[AK_Mom4]

We often took our kids camping when they were little. They had a great time! The best toys were some plastic buckets and shovels - yes, we were camping in the woods! They collected rocks, sticks, dug in the dirt and generally got filthy. It was lots of fun!

[regentrude]

I have tent camped with the kids as infants and toddlers, in primitive wilderness campgrounds without real bathrooms.

My kids would stay up until we went to sleep with them. So, early nights for mom, or sneaking outside quietly trying not to wake kid. Toddler and preschooler was fine; infant who cried when she woke several times each night was stressful.

We camp because we hike. Hiking all day made the kids tired and they went to sleep easier. We went at their pace, took time to explore and play, made it fun.

The campfire was a major attraction for the kids and required constant vigilance. They loved helping to care for the fire and preparing food on the fire.

We got dirty. The kids most of all. It really helps to be OK with that. Wet washcloth in a ziploc bag (or disposable wipes).

 

I found camping with kids less stressful than being stuck in a hotel room.

Situations in which I would not want to tent camp would be: kids who are afraid of the dark; toilet trained kids who have frequent potty accidents (kids in diapers - no problem).

 

Have fun, it will be a great experience for the kids.

[MrsBasil]

It's no big deal if they are old enough not to run away. If they are still that way inclined, eat sandwiches for every meal because you can't cook while chasing them.

 

Rosie

 

 

Oh, one of them can run and the other crawls faster than I thought possible. I'm hoping to find a site with a large field area. Our old usual spots have been burned or on a cliff overlooking a river. Not ideal for right now, I think.

 

As for cooking, DH will likely handle most of the meal prep. At least he did when the two of us used to camp alone.

[IsabelC]

I've been camping a few times with kids/babies and mostly it's been good. I'd say if you fancy camping, then go for it. But bear in mind the following:

 

Don't go anywhere where you can't get home or to "civilization" within a reasonable time. Once my husband got a massive infection and his ear drum ruptured, the two kids we had then were sick, and I ended up having to drive seven hours with almost constant crying to get us home from a remote location.

 

Don't expect to achieve too much. Everything takes way, way longer with little people. That place that used to take two hours to get to before kids will take five hours to reach once you factor in potty stops, eating breaks, stopping for a run around, extra potty stops because the child who swore she didn't need to go needs to go five minutes later, etc. It takes three times as long to pitch your tent with a child "helping".

 

Have backups of everything. Backup activities in case the weather is too foul to hike. Extra backup clothes in case the kids use a weeks worth of clothing in the first two days. Backup sleeping plans if you don't know whether the kids will settle down (we put Mr 9 and Ms 7 in their own tent and let Ms 3 sleep next to us in the family tent).

 

If you can possibly swing it, get an extra adult or two. Friends of ours went camping with the wife's aunt, and it made a huge difference for them to have another big person around.

[MrsBasil]

We often took our kids camping when they were little. They had a great time! The best toys were some plastic buckets and shovels - yes, we were camping in the woods! They collected rocks, sticks, dug in the dirt and generally got filthy. It was lots of fun!

 

I have tent camped with the kids as infants and toddlers, in primitive wilderness campgrounds without real bathrooms.

My kids would stay up until we went to sleep with them. So, early nights for mom, or sneaking outside quietly trying not to wake kid. Toddler and preschooler was fine; infant who cried when she woke several times each night was stressful.

We camp because we hike. Hiking all day made the kids tired and they went to sleep easier. We went at their pace, took time to explore and play, made it fun.

The campfire was a major attraction for the kids and required constant vigilance. They loved helping to care for the fire and preparing food on the fire.

We got dirty. The kids most of all. It really helps to be OK with that. Wet washcloth in a ziploc bag (or disposable wipes).

 

I found camping with kids less stressful than being stuck in a hotel room.

Situations in which I would not want to tent camp would be: kids who are afraid of the dark; toilet trained kids who have frequent potty accidents (kids in diapers - no problem).

 

Have fun, it will be a great experience for the kids.

 

Thanks!

 

Dirty and filthy I can definitely handle. My poor DH will...get used to it.

 

Hiking won't be an all day thing until the baby can walk steadily, but my three old is an avid hiker with my dad. He tackles 3-4 miles hikes right now. I know there will be trail heads, so I can likely get the kids on them for a few hours anyway.

 

I have to think about afraid of the dark. DS claims to be scared, but only when he doesn't want to go to sleep. I know I can find a small lantern to use as a nightlight. That may work?

 

Let's see, baby(9 months old) usually wakes up once a night. So that shouldn't be to much of a problem.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, this is very helpful!

[MrsBasil]

That it is going to be a blast! I have always loved camping with my boys. They are so calm when they are out in nature, and it is so much fun to watch them. The first time we went, the boys were 3 and 1. We took a pack-n-play for the youngest to sleep in. We had our air mattress, sleeping bags, and the pack-n-play inside the tent. We walked around the area and enjoyed being together. We went fishing and sat around the campfire. It was a lot of fun!

 

Sounds perfect! Thank you!

 

I've been camping a few times with kids/babies and mostly it's been good. I'd say if you fancy camping, then go for it. But bear in mind the following:

 

Don't go anywhere where you can't get home or to "civilization" within a reasonable time. Once my husband got a massive infection and his ear drum ruptured, the two kids we had then were sick, and I ended up having to drive seven hours with almost constant crying to get us home from a remote location.

 

Don't expect to achieve too much. Everything takes way, way longer with little people. That place that used to take two hours to get to before kids will take five hours to reach once you factor in potty stops, eating breaks, stopping for a run around, extra potty stops because the child who swore she didn't need to go needs to go five minutes later, etc. It takes three times as long to pitch your tent with a child "helping".

 

Have backups of everything. Backup activities in case the weather is too foul to hike. Extra backup clothes in case the kids use a weeks worth of clothing in the first two days. Backup sleeping plans if you don't know whether the kids will settle down (we put Mr 9 and Ms 7 in their own tent and let Ms 3 sleep next to us in the family tent).

 

If you can possibly swing it, get an extra adult or two. Friends of ours went camping with the wife's aunt, and it made a huge difference for them to have another big person around.

 

Good points. I'll have to look into sites, the places we used to camp were on fire for weeks so I don't know what's there and usable right now.

 

Extra adults...hmm, both DH and I have outdoorsy, busy fathers who adore their grandkids. That may be something if they can get away.

 

Loving everyone's thoughts! Thank you, it's so helpful!

[regentrude]

Hiking won't be an all day thing until the baby can walk steadily

 

Do you have a good backpack carrier? It was the most userful piece of child related equipment we ever owned and enabled us to go on extended hikes when the kids were little. We were able to carry tired little hikers until about age 3 with our model.

 

I have to think about afraid of the dark. DS claims to be scared, but only when he doesn't want to go to sleep. I know I can find a small lantern to use as a nightlight. That may work?

Can you do a trial run in the backyard? If the eyes get used to the dark, it is not pitch black and there are stars and moon- your DS might enjoy looking at the constellations. I would not use a night light in tent because it draws insects.

[MrsBasil]

Do you have a good backpack carrier? It was the most userful piece of child related equipment we ever owned and enabled us to go on extended hikes when the kids were little. We were able to carry tired little hikers until about age 3 with our model.

 

Can you do a trial run in the backyard? If the eyes get used to the dark, it is not pitch black and there are stars and moon- your DS might enjoy looking at the constellations. I would not use a night light in tent because it draws insects.

 

 

No on the back pack, just a Baby Bjorn, but I can look into getting one if DH is agreeable.

 

Great idea on a trial run and thank you for mentioning it! I forgot all about backyard campouts and DS has been asking to something special with mommy. This will be perfect.

Edited August 5, 2012 by MrsBasil
wrong word choice!

[alpidarkomama]

Sticks and dirt will keep them busy for HOURS! Leaves, bugs, birds, eating outside... we hardly have to leave the campsite. :)

[Ravin]

Afraid of the dark may be less of an issue than you think. Kids wear themselves out faster and sleep soundly when camping and being outdoors all day. Get each of them a personal lantern, a little LED one that has long battery life and preferably a lanyard so they don't lose it too easily. We also had a dim setting on our tent lantern so there was a little light if someone had to wake in the night.

 

For us cold is the biggest issue. We use a doody-bag potty in the tent so that I don't have to go to find the loo at 4AM, never mind the little ones! We brought DD's Baby Bjorn potty camping several years after she no longer used it at home, too. It was good for cold mornings and emergencies.

 

I would often get the fire going on cold mornings. Sometimes DD won't get out of bed until she knows there's a fire or oven to huddle next to or hot breakfast or cocoa waiting!

 

Can't speak to wilderness stuff much, all the camping we do is SCA related, so tends to be at large venues and we bring everything, up to and possibly including the kitchen sink.

[Sara in AZ]

My best advice is to take other adults with you. ;). We've camped quite a bit with small children, and we especially like to meet my parents or sisters and camp together. An extra set if hands makes it easier!

[lewelma]

For any toddlers, I recommend little bells sewn into elastic that they wear around their ankles. Also, long socks so that you can stuff their trousers into the socks to keep the mosquito or sand flies out.

 

I agree that an extra adult makes a world of difference!

 

Ruth in NZ

[besroma]

We often took our kids camping when they were little. They had a great time! The best toys were some plastic buckets and shovels - yes, we were camping in the woods! They collected rocks, sticks, dug in the dirt and generally got filthy. It was lots of fun!

 

:iagree: It *is* loads of fun! Everything is so new to them, they love it!

 

Just remember sunscreen and bug spray.

[Sasharowan]

The hardest part we had was bedtime. Bring stuffed animals, books, things from your regular bedtime routine and come as close as possible to it. The more you deviate, the harder it is to get them to sleep. Glow sticks on a string for evening makes it easier for you to see where they are and becomes a fun camping tradition that they still enjoy as teens. Bring things like bug nets, magnifying glasses, paper and pencils for drawing bugs, jump ropes, balls, trucks and cars, for entertainment if you want to relax around the site.

[Catherine]

Plenty of extra clothes. Hats for sun protection (the kind you can attach onto their head for little kids). Make a night campfire and sing songs and tell stories. They LOVE that.

[hollyh]

We've camped with 3 kids under 3, and with 4 kids 5 and under. :lol:

Super fun, super busy. Totally doable with the right attitude. Couple thoughts/experiences:

1. pack/n/play for young one to sleep in. We also bought a net for it from a camping store so the baby could play in there outside of the tent during the day and not get bit by bugs.

2. california baby has a bug spray w/o DEET (we use it for little ones, esp)

3. Potty seat- we bring ours with us from home and set it up at camp. Then neither of us has to walk the little ones to the bathroom. Yes, they are going in the open and people drive by and see, but I don't care. :) We put a bag in it and toss it in the trash when done.... little ones did get a few mosquito bites on their bums! LOL.

4. little flashlights for them in the tent to play with. Loads of fun.

5. expect that one of you will be cooking/cleaning while the other monitors kids.

6. hardest part is set up/tear down. We figured out that it took us 6 hours to tear down and pack up camp this past time from the time we got up - that included eating breakfast, getting dressed, etc. Basically (in our case) dh does all tear down while I keep kids at bay. Same with set up.

7. Packing- Instead of packing everyone their own bag, I pack all the kids clothes per day in one plastic grocery bag. It is so easy to just grab "Tuesday's" bag and have everything I need for all the kids. Then I have one extra bag of "extras" in case of need.

8. An extra pair of hands would be awesome, but it is not needed if you both go with the attitude that you are excited about doing this with your kids and creating these lifelong memories despite the "extra work" that it creates.

 

Have fun!