Camping with Kids: What to Bring & What to Do to Make it a Trip to Remember

Calling all adventurous parents! Imagine the sparkle in your kids' eyes as they roast marshmallows under the stars or the thrill of their first hike through towering forests. There's nothing quite like sharing the wonders of the great outdoors with the little ones. In this guide, we'll share our tips on planning an unforgettable camping adventure that will ignite their love for nature.

Planning Your Camping Trip

Camping with kids typically involves more planning and preparation. But—and let’s emphasize this—it’s 100 percent worth it.

This is not to say you can’t do a spur-of-the-moment camping trip with youngins on a whim. But that sort of spontaneity is easier to pull off if you’ve already got a few campouts with the whole family under your belt.

Choosing the Right Camping Spot

Deciding where to go camping with kids isn't just a minor detail—it’s just about the biggest factor influencing the success of the whole endeavor.

Image by ITUBB from Pixabay

As with every other element we’re discussing here, the location question depends on the age, experience, and needs of the kids involved. While we're generalizing here, it's typically best to opt for "beginner-friendly" campgrounds that are easily accessible and offer plenty of amenities—modern bathrooms (perhaps with showers), picnic tables, playgrounds, sports fields, and the like. 

Developed campgrounds abound across the U.S., ranging from private commercial RV parks and county greenspaces to state and national parks and forests. Some even offer glamping opportunities—like yurts—which might be especially well-suited for your first vacationing with little campers. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t go primitive camping with kids—far from it. Lots of parents enjoy this type of wilderness expedition with young ones. However, venturing into more remote areas—whether dispersed car camping or full-on backpacking—requires much more preparation, especially for families with infants or toddlers.

What to Consider Before Camping

As we’ve already gestured at, planning a camping trip with kids means, first and foremost, considering the age of those kids. If you’re prepared, you can most definitely take babies camping. But in many cases, parents may prefer to wait until kids are three or four years old before attempting a real campout.

A good way to test the waters ahead of a camping trip with youngsters? Pitch a tent in the backyard—or the living room—and practice the routine, keying into how your children are dealing with the camping experience and any trial-run problems you can address before trying the real thing.

It’s worth thinking about the widely referenced “3-3-3 Rule.” Relevant to any traveler, it’s all the more so for a family car-full. The idea is this: You (1) travel no more than 300 miles each day on your camping road trip; (2) get to your campsite before 3 PM in the afternoon; and (3) stay where you’re vacationing for a minimum of three days.

What does that shake out to? Minimizing time in transit, namely, which typically makes for restless kids and a whole lot of “Are we there yet?”-style complaining. You don’t really want kids new to the outdoors to associate camping with boredom, indifference, and seemingly endless hours staring out a car window. That’s not the way to introduce them to the magic.

In practice, this could mean choosing a camping location close to home—another great way to ease young ones into camping—or blocking off time for a longer trip—say, if you’re doing one of those (invariably awesome) national park-hopping vacations—so that you’re not covering as much ground in any given day.

On the subject of camping “golden rules,” don’t forget to introduce kids early on to the concept of Leave No Trace. Inspiring a new generation to tread lightly on the landscape and care about the environments we all recreate in is one of the great lessons you can provide as a parent or guardian, no question.

Some Essential Camping Gear for Kids

Along with the usual suspects—tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads or air mattresses, camp stoves, cookware, first-aid kit, bug spray, sunscreen, headlamp, lantern, etc.—your camping checklist with kids should include age-appropriate entertainment: a deck of cards, board games, musical instruments, sports equipment, and the like. It’s also a great idea to bring along field guides and other nature references, along with binoculars, a magnifying glass, and other tools for exploring the natural world.

Image by Michal Renčo from Pixabay

For younger kids especially, bring along some familiar comfort items: stuffed animals, blankets, toys, etc. These can help with feelings of anxiety or fear at the campsite (and en route).

Food & Drink

As most any longtime camper will tell you, food’s one of the foundations of a successful trip into the great outdoors.  Activities like hiking, paddling, fishing, and climbing tend to inspire a hearty appetite. Even just spending time outside, no matter what you're doing, often seems to make you hungry.

It goes without saying you’ll want kid-friendly options in the culinary department for your campout. Everybody has their own palate and dietary preferences or needs, but typical fare might include hot dogs, s’mores, fruits and veggies, granola bars, and sandwiches. Having plenty of options in the snacks department is essential.

Even kids with pitiably little interest in helping out in the kitchen at home can get excited about campfire cooking. From Mason-jar pancakes to foil-packet scrambles and campfire pizzas, you can explore a wealth of easy, crowd-pleasing campsite cooking ideas. We’ve also got an article focused on “lazy” but winning recipes for when you’re camping with large groups, say on a multi-family trip.

Of course, when it comes to easy and crowd-pleasing, it doesn’t get any better than our own Mountain House freeze-dried camping meals: delicious, nutritious, and super-quick to whip up thanks to their just-add-hot-water preparation. We’re proud to offer a huge culinary variety across our pouches, and there are lots of family-friendly Mountain House “hacks” you can employ for a little hands-on cooking fun.

Fun Activities & Entertainment

Depending on where you’re camping, there’s a good chance you’ll have ready access to the kind of all-ages outdoor recreation that can engender a lifelong passion for nature and adventure: from hiking and mountain biking to kayaking and canoeing.

Those sorts of activities can take center stage, but you’ll also want to be prepared to ward off boredom (and mischief) back at the campground. From geocaching, scavenger hunts, and card games to campfire singalongs, headlamp storytelling, and stargazing (with astronomy guides and apps to help), the possibilities are endless.

Bedtime & Comfort

Bedtime at a campout may or may not be the same as at home. For example, you might let kids stay up a little later than usual to allow for fireside fun and bonding. However, establishing a set bedtime routine on your camping trip with kids is still a good idea. Part of that routine, of course, should be making sure you’re abiding by quiet hours and other regulations in force at a particular campground: Another golden rule of camping, after all, is respecting your neighbors!

Image by ymyphoto from Pixabay

The comfort items we mentioned earlier, such as blankies and stuffed animals, are likely to come in handy at bedtime for younger children.

Think in advance about nighttime trips to the bathroom. Some kids may be able to do this themselves (armed, of course, with a flashlight or headlamp), while others may need chaperoning. Either way, show kids where the nearest campground bathroom is during the daytime. A portable camping toilet may be a good option for children who are still potty training.

Nothing’s worse—for little ones or grownups—than a miserable night at the campsite, shivering to stay warm. Make sure the kiddos have plenty of layers in addition to adequately rated sleeping bags and extra blankets in case nighttime temps get a little chilly.

You might consider enhancing the coziness of kids’ tents with strung-up lights, glowsticks, and other cheery illumination.

Smart Camping Hacks With Kids for Stress-Free Trips

Besides the articles we’ve already linked to, check out some of the other great resources we’ve got here at the Mountain House blog that’ll help you set yourself up for success when camping with kids. For example, you can learn about:

• Building a campfire
• Dealing with unpredictable weather in the great outdoors
• The 10 most important camping supplies you should be packing
• Coming up with a camping meal plan and packing list for a weekend getaway

Stay Fueled Up on a Camping Trip With Mountain House

Explore our full lineup of Mountain House camping and backpacking meals so you’re all ready for a wonderful, memory-minting campout with the whole family!