Photo: Christiana Care / Flickr

Whether camping is something that you’ve always enjoyed or you’re unsure whether you want to try it out, your kids’ enthusiasm will mean that it’s always fun to camp with them. That doesn’t mean that the experience isn’t daunting, though, so take time to prepare for your trip to make the best of your adventure in the great outdoors.

Take it easy

For your first family camping trip, keep things simple by going to a campsite that has facilities like running water. There’s plenty of time to get more adventurous later, once you’ve got some experience. You’ll probably also want to keep it short, and give the kids a talk about some basic camping safety before you begin the trip.

Just in case

‘Prepare for the worst and hope for the best’ is a great motto to have when camping with kids. Make sure that you first aid kit is well-stocked when you camp with kids, and prepare for bad weather too: take along some playing cards and think about setting up a tarpaulin so the kids have a dry playing area outside.

What’s on the menu?

Photo: ClintJCL / Flickr

Keep food simple to reduce the amount of dishwashing you’ll have to do. Fruit and cereal bars make healthy snacks, while canned soups and anything that’s easy to barbeque will be great at mealtimes.

Check it off

Make a checklist to avoid those moments halfway through your car trip when you suddenly remember that you’ve forgotten something vitally important. What should go on the checklist? Well, everything – your camping equipment, sun protection, sleeping bags and sleeping mats, the cooking equipment and food, a first aid kit, and anything else you think you’ll need. Bring along torches for the whole family – these aren’t just useful, but lots of fun, too, and will help to turn your camping trips into the stuff memories are made of.

Tags: camping, campsite