Camping with kids can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be! With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can make family camping a dream.

Practice camping at home:

A lot of kids struggle with change, so first-time camping can often be fairly unnerving for them. To avoid this, we would recommend practicing camping at home. We aren’t saying pop the tent up in your living room (however, don’t let us stop you!), but simply make some form of the den and pop an air bed in for the little ones to sleep for the night. This can help familiarise your children with the new sleep setup, helping to reduce stress and anxiety.

Get everyone involved with the packing and setup:

Getting your little ones involved with the packing and setup is great as it creates excitement around the new adventure! Give your kids little tasks to help them get involved, as a way to help familiarize themselves with the idea. Once you arrive at the site give each child a separate task to complete and more often than not, they’ll feel excited about getting involved.

Pack lots of fun activities:

Making sure to pack enough activities to keep the kids entertained is essential for a laid-back camping trip. Older kids are easier to entertain as more often than not they will go off and make friends. Try to pick activities that still align with getting outside and enjoying nature, such as bird watching, frisbee, and scavenger hunting.

Pack easy foods that kids like:

Allow your little ones to contribute to planning the menu for your camping trip as a way to help them get excited about the adventure ahead. Ask them what snacks and drinks they would like to pack. Try and pack snacks that are ready to go, making it convenient for when the little ones suddenly decide they’re hungry.

Perfect the sleep setup:

Everyone knows nothing makes a kid moodier than a lack of sleep! Perfecting the setup with eye masks, a comfy bed, and a cosy sleeping bag is essential. This setup can be perfected when you practice camping at home.