You used to love camping and then you had a baby (or two?) and put it off to the side. Let me guess, you’re wondering when you can get back to doing what you love with a tiny human(s) in tow? It’s surprisingly easier than you might think as long as you are ok chugging some coffee every morning and not having your feet up like on adult-only trips (oh the good old days).
Table of Contents
Best Age to Start Camping with Kids
But what is the best age for camping with toddlers? We love to take toddlers camping for the first time around the two year mark. They have a slightly greater attention span, aren’t as dependent on naps, and can follow a few directions (maybe?). Under two is a great time for forest walks but an entire weekend in the woods? We were never brave enough.
(P.S. This is a guest post from Megan, Nick’s wife. Although Nick threw in his commentary on a few sections as well!)
Must Haves for Camping with Toddlers
- Sound machine or something to play music — Forest sounds are weird and strange to kids. Having a little background noise will help them fall asleep faster. We use a portable sound machine. The kids sleep with sound machines at home, so the thought is not out of the ordinary for them.
- Sunscreen, bug spray, Cortizone lotion, Kids Tylenol, Benadryl, a million band aids — A standard first aid kit is more geared towards adults. You will need to craft your own that is kid focused. We also carry an epipen. Our oldest has food allergies, and the last thing we need to find out is another allergy while out in the bush.
- Bikes, Portable Games, Legos, Lovies – Kids love nature but they also love their at-home favorite entertainment. If it rains or is freezing one day, you will need lots of entertainment to keep everyone from going crazy as you will likely be spending a majority of the day in the tent.
- Kid Sized Camping Chairs – Easily forgotten your first trip, but you’ll never forget them after that. Kids need a place to sit just like adults do.
- Wet Wipes x2 – If you’re a parent, you know why. These are also good to have in general for camping even without kids. If you stay out for an extended trip and don’t have access to a shower you will be able to take the wet wipe shower. Not as relaxing, but will get you cleaned up in a pinch. You can get smaller packs that seal fully, or you can bring your normal ones from home. Just be warned that if you leave them in your camping gear you may need to swap them out from time to time or you will have dry wipes.
- Flashlights, Glow Sticks and/or Headlights – Each of our kiddos has their own flashlight and it is basically like a camping lovey. When it gets dark, they love having a little extra light as reassurance. Lights that aren’t bright white are great for those bedtimes too. This way everyone can get to sleep, and the kids can have that comfort light.
- Water Bottles and Back Packs – We love these water bottles from HydroFlask. They are literally indestructible and after having them a few years they still look good. Also invest in a toddler sized backpack that they can pack snacks in for a nature walk. They will probably eat them all within the first 5 minutes but it’s good practice for future hikes. It would also be good for each of them to have a small booboo kit in their pack. You can have them help you put this together beforehand. They can pick out their favorite bandaids to put in there.
- Camp Cups for the Whole Family – You like having your hot drink by the fire at night? Well the kids will also really enjoy a hot chocolate. We let the kids pick out a camp mug that is unbreakable so they can feel like part of the fun sipping a warm drink on those chilly nights.
Where to go Camping with Kids
Start Small
Now you are on an off road blog so you can be sure we want you to go far and into places that are untouched BUT START SMALL. Start with a single night close to home. We camped at a family cabin for a few test runs. That way if the kids get scared or cold we could just go inside. Eventually they will make it through the night. This is when you really get to cut loose and get out of dodge.
Be Wary of Backyard Camping
Although backyard camping sounds great, don’t expect it to be an indicator of success with actual camping. We gave this a try for a night when our kids saw the neighbors setting up their tent and wanted to do the same. You’d be surprised at how many night sounds you don’t hear while you are inside. We were kept up by neighbors sitting by their fire pit (not out of the ordinary if you go to campgrounds), dogs barking to be let back in the house, people honking car horns to get friends to come out, etc. Needless to say we gave up on the backyard camping idea rather quickly. We had more success camping at the cabin as there were less of the neighborhood noises and more nature.
Jellystone and KOA Thoughts
Nick grew up doing a lot of camping at KOA campgrounds. These were always great options as you usually get a little general store, maybe a swimming pool, and bathrooms most of the time.
Here in Colorado there are a couple Jellystone campgrounds. These are themed campgrounds based around Yogi Bear. These campgrounds have all kinds of activities for kids and some even have little cabins you can rent. This is a great option if you have little kids like we do and are worried about keeping them entertained all day.
You will have easy access to these campgrounds with any car, but be warned they get PACKED. And if you are in a tent, there will be a lot of nighttime activity and noise which can be a nightmare with trying to get tiny humans to sleep.
Rivers and Lakes
Camping near rivers and lakes is Nick’s favorite. For the most part he likes to be “open camping” because there are less people and you are generally out in the middle of nowhere. Obviously this requires a vehicle capable of getting you there (don’t trust your low clearance Subaru).
This is a great way to experience the great outdoors, but will take more preparation than simply going to a campground. You will also have to pay attention to burn bans which happen frequently in Colorado in the summer months. A river can be your sound machine as well. Not to say that there aren’t campgrounds located by rivers and lakes, but in our opinion the farther you get away from civilization the better.
The last note here is to be hyper aware of your kiddos around water. We have one child who is fearless and rushing rivers are not the spot for preschooler independence.
National Parks
Another great camping option that we both did as kids is visiting the different national parks. Nick spent almost every summer camping in Yellowstone National Park as a kid. They would drive out form Portland and make a big loop. Some years hitting Glacier National Park on the way. They almost always went to Jackson Hole and saw the Grand Tetons as it is right next to Yellowstone.
It’s always fun to see the changes from year to year. He often tells us a story about being in Yellowstone one year just before the major wildfires in 1988, and going back the next year. They saw the regrowth over the next several years as they went back. Nick’s big goal lately is to fill the National Park passport with stamps from all the different parks across the country.
What Kids Should Wear Camping
Expect it to be Freezing
Camping nights are cold and kids are NOT good about staying in a sleeping bag. Without fail every time we camp, one of our kiddos will be completely out of their sleeping bag shivering halfway through the night. We invested in a few down blankets and a tent heater for this reason. We also run a heated blanket off a portable battery pack for the kids.
Swim Gear and Water Shoes
If it is nice enough out to be playing in the lake, then it’s probably sunny. Any parent knows that sunscreen is key. We go a step further with our kids and have UPF swim shirts for them. These are basically rash guards from the surfing world. These work great for keeping the sun off them.
Swim shoes, or aqua socks as we called them as a kid, are a great idea. We have some great rubber shoes that we got on the cheap at Target. The kids love them and wear them all summer. Fair warning though, get them a little big. We think having them tighter on our oldest kid’s feet was one of the reasons he broke his leg last summer. This does not diminish how good these shoes are for playing in the water at a place with potential sharp rocks or other things. Kid feet are unbelievably resilient, but you should still strive to protect them as much as possible.
Fleece is Your Friend, Cotton is Not
Cotton is the worst thing you could wear when you could potentially get wet and cold. Cotton retains water which is a bad thing when you are out in the elements. Yes it can be rung out, but will still be damp, and when the temps start dropping this will only add to the cold. I’m not saying you should ditch favorite T-shirts, but opt for a good fleece for an insulation layer.
Fleece is a great material. It won’t retain water like cotton will. If it gets wet you can ring out most of the moisture. It has insulating properties as well. Think of your favorite fleece vs a cotton hoody soaking wet. Which one do you think will dry faster? The fleece will dry 3-4 times faster than the cotton. This can make a huge difference when you are talking about kids and the cold. Remember cold can become dangerous in a hurry if you are not careful. Both our kids have the iconic North Face fleece. These are great for every day use and even better for camping. We like them so much we just keep getting the next size up and passing them down. Ironically enough, once your kids grow out of them there is a decent market to sell them.
Speaking of wet clothes, you should always keep some sort of waterproof jacket on hand for everyone. Even if it’s hot and sunny when you leave, you could be out for a few days on a trip or changing locations. You never know what the weather could do. The old saying that it’s better to have and not need then to need and not have comes to mind here.
Kid Friendly Camping Menu
I’ll start off by saying that we have the Tembo Tusk Skottle for easy cooking while we camp. If you go camping a lot it will make your life very easy. It is compact, easy to set up and can cook basically any meal you can think of. If you stick to traditional campfire meals, these tips still apply.
- Have your first night’s meal already cooked — seriously.
Choose something that you can reheat easily. Things like tacos, or fajitas are easy. You can easily heat up a quesadilla for the kids on the Skottle if they are being picky too. - Prep, prep, prep ahead of time.
Having 2 toddlers wandering around camp does not make it easy to fully prep meals. The more you do at home beforehand the better. Think cutting veggies, pre-cooked pasta, portioning out spices, really anything to make your cooking a dump on the Skottle and heat experience. - Go snack crazy but try to stay away from individual packaging
Kids love snacks, but how do you get them to eat healthy ones? We can struggle with this at home often too, but we found our kids love grapes. We cut them in half and they will HOUSE them. Find what they like and bag up small portions for them. Have them help prep them before you leave. The less trash you can bring with you in the form of tiny bags, the less trash you have to pack up. - Use it as an opportunity to try new foods
Trying new foods is scary for kids, but sometimes being out in the woods can inspire them to change their attitude. We have a rule that the kids aren’t allowed to say they don’t like something if they haven’t even taken a bite of it. Usually when we camp, they are so hungry and amped in the moment they’ll shove anything in their mouth. Win-win. - S’mores are yummy but so are Campfire Banana Boats
Who doesn’t love S’mores? We definitely do our fair share of S’mores, but we also do a healthier treat that we got from my sister-in-law. We wrap a banana cut in half the long way, smothered in almond butter (we have a peanut allergy), and sprinkled with chocolate chips up in tin foil and throw in on the fire. Can’t have a camp fire? Throw it on your cooking device.
Toddler and Kid Camping Activities
- Geocaching
Geocaching was one of our favorite activities to do before kids. It’s even more fun with kids. Have the kids carry some small trinkets in their pack to trade out when you find a cache. If you have cell service there are several apps that can get this done. If there is no cell service where you are you will need a GPS device. We have a couple different ones, we use a cheap one the Garmin eTrex10. You will need to plan ahead of time though and upload the caches to the GPS. This takes some time, but gets easier the more you do it. - Music
If your kids are like ours, they listen to music sun up to sun down. They each have a Tonies music box that we never leave the house without but any music player will do. Dance, sing, have good background music or play it at night if the forest sounds are too creepy. Bonus points if you play guitar and bring that, neither of us have a bone of music talent in us. - Bike Rides
Have your kids learned how to use a strider bike yet? If they haven’t you are missing out on endless entertainment, especially when camping. Nick is a big mountain biker and the kids started using strider bikes when they were a little over a year old. We go on MANY family bike rides and when we go camping, this doesn’t change.
Strider bikes can withstand dirt roads and rougher forest conditions pretty easily. We have tried the actual Strider brand but also the Gomo Brand. If we would buy again I might lean towards another Gomo Brand. The seat and handlebars are adjustable and the frame is a little bigger so our son was able to use it longer. - Kids Camera- You like taking pictures out in nature right? Well at least I do, but I am a photographer so it comes with the territory. Our kids have either one of our old cameras, or a kids digital camera that they can take pictures with. This makes them feel just like mommy, and gets them to be a little more observant outdoors looking for the perfect picture.
- Lakes, rivers, mud puddles, oh my!
If you are lucky enough to have camping options around lakes and rivers, the entertainment options will be endless. Yes, you will need to keep an extra close eye on your littles but the pay off with water activities is well worth it. Swimming, sand castles, and our personal favorite rock skipping could entertain our little humans for hours.
- Fishing
Fishing is also a great water activity. We purchased these Shakespeare fishing poles for our kids but don’t worry water is not necessary. Our kids practice fishing everywhere we go as long as there isn’t too much to snag the line. Wide open meadows and a fishing pole will do wonders for bored toddlers. These poles have a rubber practice fish you can tie to them. This gives them some weight to practice casting the line. - Card Games and Easily Packable Board Games
Our family favorite for kids under five is the Bingo game called “Zingo“. Think Bingo but with pictures. We all love it! Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt Cards are our other favorite. Real life pictures that have you hunt for different textures and colors. Yahtzee was what Nick played camping as a kid, but you will need to help the little ones out a bit. - Portable Lego Setup
Legos are one of those things that are entertaining no matter the setting. We have a travel case similar to this one that our kids never get sick of. You will invariably come back with fewer legos than you left with no matter how hard you try to keep track of them all. - Nature Walks
Notice I didn’t write “hike” here. As adults we hear the word hike and immediately think end destination. What waterfall are we going to see, what mountain will we climb? With kids, they don’t care about an end destination. In fact, an end destination just ruins the fun of wandering around with no agenda. Let them wander! Our kiddos surprise me every time we wander with the treasures they find and the games they make up.
Tents and Lodging
Tent Options
Before we got the iKamper we had a few different ground tents. This isn’t going to be like a couples camping trip, you want room. We had a Kelty 4 person tent for a while, then switched to a Big Agnes tent with 2 rooms. The kids loved having their own space to play and goof off. We also liked to be able to read after bedtime. This tent was great because it also had doors on both sides. This way you can put the kids to bed and you can have some adult time by the fire and not have to worry about waking the kids up by climbing over them. Big Agnes also sells a battery powered light strip to hang up in the tent. Think mini Christmas lights feel. They are a huge hit with kids. We picked up these lights for under $20 on Amazon.
iKamper
With the iKamper it is a little different. While it is big for a rooftop tent, it only has one room. Most times we all just go to bed at the same time. This may be a good argument for upgrading the iKamper to the annex. As you could still be “in the tent” but not have to go to bed with the kids. You can check out our post on the iKamper for specifics on this.
Make sure the kids go to the bathroom before climbing into a rooftop tent as it is not easy to get down for that late night potty break, even for adults. The kids generally will sleep with a small flashlight that has a red and white light. I also hang a Goal Zero LED lantern that changes color from the ceiling as a night light. It helps with having light to get into bed, then I usually change it to red light as it doesn’t mess with your eyes for sleeping. The lantern I got can be recharged with a mini USB or set out in the sun during the day as it has a solar panel on top of it.
Final Thoughts
Camping with tiny humans is a total circus clown show. Own it, accept it and try to roll with the chaos. The more you get out there and expose your kids to the routine, the more they will get used to it. But for the first trip or two pack double amounts of caffeine because you will be exhausted.