Camping with your children can be an amazing experience.
Fresh air, good exercise and family quality time all add up to an experience neither of you will ever forget.
It’s understandable, however, that you might be slightly nervous before you take your children camping for the first time. You are used to it as an adult but how will they deal with it? Will they be safe? Will they enjoy themselves?
If you worried about any of these things, check out our how-to guide on how to prepare to take your children camping for the first time below.
If you’re already used to the experience, let us know your expert tips in the comments, we’d love to hear your input!
Do Your Research
Do your research on the place you want to camp before you take your children.
If you are thinking of a camping spot or certain camping facilities, check if they are child-friendly first.
Some places do not welcome children and some do not have the facilities that your children will need while they are there.
Check all of this out in advance before your trip and save yourself any last-minute stress when you get there.
Do a Trial Run
It can be hard to know what to expect when you are planning to take your children camping for the first time and so doing a trial run with them is a great way to combat this.
You can try doing a trial run somewhere very local or you can even do it in your own backyard.
This will get your children used to the equipment you have and it will highlight to you whether there will be anything else you need to bring with you.
You can see how well they cope with sleeping outside and you can sharpen their skills when it comes to things like pitching tents and making camping food.
You will feel much more at ease going on a proper trip with them after you have had a successful camping trial. If it takes a couple of goes to get it right, that’s ok.
Pack Well
Try and strike the balance between packing too much and packing too little.
Packing too much will make your bags heavier and your trip more cumbersome.
Packing too little could bring up some difficulties when you don’t have the equipment you need or you don’t have spares when accidents arise.
Your camping trial will be a great way to engage with some trial and error here.
Keep Them Warm and Dry
When thinking about what to bring with you, remember that the most important thing for children is to keep them warm and dry.
Even if you don’t think it will be cold weather, you need to prepare for the change in temperature at night time and at altitude.
Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes, a warm tent, bases layers, hot water bottles, thermal flasks, and anything else that will keep you warm with you.
Make sure you also have waterproof items and towels, so your children can stay dry.
Bring a First Aid Kit
It might seem obvious but it is easier to forget than you might think.
Bring a good first aid kit with you.
Make sure you have everything you need for any kind of eventuality.
Make sure you also have the regular medications your children take at home with you.
Always prepare for any surprise in camping, especially when children are involved.