We are about to finish the summer holidays, but your children still have a few days left before starting school. In addition, there is a weekend ahead. Why not take advantage of it to go camping? It is a perfect plan for a weekend that the children will love. In addition, you do not need to go very far, or a large financial outlay.
A few days ago I was telling you about the benefits of family camping. Today I bring you a series of ideas and tips to make your camping a perfect plan and without too many complications. What are you waiting for?. Take note and enjoy!
Tips for camping with children
Look at the weather forecast
Choose days when it will not rain, be too windy or very cold or hot. This way you will have to carry less things and the organization will be much easier. However, if you are an adventurous family that is not bothered by inclement weather, great! You just have to be careful to camp in safe places and to be well equipped. But we'll talk about that in future posts.
Plan the trip in the hours of less heat and less traffic
If the trip becomes uncomfortable or takes forever, we are already starting off in a bad way. The nights and the early mornings are the quietest moments. Make sure you don't travel at a time when your child is most irritable and try to make several stops along the way to stretch your legs, see some scenery, and eat or drink something. If you are going to camp just for a weekend, it is best to choose a nearby place so that you do not lose time on the road.
Involve your children in planning the trip
Choose the place you are going to go together, find out about it, about the weather, about what to do. Make together the lists of necessary materials, plan the routes. If you let your children decide and participate in the preparations, they will feel an active part of the trip, you will be motivating them to acquire certain responsibilities and the experience will be much more attractive to them.
Choose an environment where children can play freely and have fun
There are many campsites near rivers, lakes or beaches. Others, although they do not enjoy these attractions, have swimming pools and play areas for children. Some are in nature reserves where you can see animals. There are multiple possibilities that your children are going to love.
Choose a good camping area
There are areas where you can do wild camping, but if you have little experience or are going with small children, the best is choose a campsite that has certain amenities such as basic water and electricity services, trees that provide shade, a supermarket in case we need something or a cafeteria in case we do not feel like cooking.
Share tasks
Going camping is everyone's business. Therefore, all members of the family must collaborate so that the work is distributed and does not fall on a single person. So everyone can enjoy equally and your children will develop a sense of cooperation and teamwork.
Establish basic rules of coexistence
It is not about turning the camp into a barracks, but about establishing a series of basic points for a better coexistence. For example, keep the store clean, collaborate in tasks, not disturb the neighbors or animals, take care of the environment, etc.
Be prepared so that the children can have fun and investigate the environment
The safest thing is that your children make friends at the campsite or that there are so many things to see that they do not stop all day. But it doesn't hurt Bring some things ready in case you get bored. You can take a board game, cards, binoculars, flashlights for night excursions, some cloth bags to store treasures. You can also do a treasure hunt, go on a night out, look at the stars, explore, etc.
What do you need for a family camping trip?
- Tent. They come in many types and sizes. The choice will depend on how many people you are and the use that you are going to give it. A family of three members is not the same as a large family. Or go camping in the middle of summer to a campsite than to go camping in the middle of winter or in unfavorable conditions. The best thing is that you go to a specialized store and let yourself be advised according to your needs.
- Sleeping bag. Like the tent, it will depend on the conditions of the area where you are going to camp. Most families camp in spring and summer so a light jacket will suffice, but if you are camping in winter, you will need to make sure that the jacket provides enough warmth.
- Inflatable mats or mattresses. The mats serve to insulate you from the cold of the ground and to a certain extent avoid irregularities in the terrain. Its advantage is the ease of use and transport; there are also self-inflating ones that are a little more soft. But if you want to sleep on something softer and more comfortable, inflatable mattresses are very good, although they are somewhat more bulky and require an inflator.
- Table and chairs or some blanket to eat on the floor.
- Lantern and lanterns for the interior of the store.
- Portable stove or kitchen in case you decide to cook at the campsite. However, even if you eat in the restaurant, it never hurts to have a utensil in which to heat water for a coffee or tea.
- Cookware such as plates, glasses, saucepans, cutlery.
- Portable fridge to keep food and drinks fresh.
- Cleaning stuff. Scouring pads, dishwasher, broom and dustpan, garbage bags, clothespins. Detergent. rags, kitchen paper, clothesline, etc.
- Cleaning supplies. Shampoo, gel, toothbrushes, towels, sunscreen, brush and / or comb, etc.
- A first aid kit. Essential to be able to make a cure or take any medication if there is a small accident or ailment.
- Material for electrical and mobile devices. Chargers, extension cords, batteries, solar chargers.
- Appropriate clothing to the season of the year. If you travel in spring summer, a little will suffice. A pair of changes, swimsuits, T-shirts, country shoes and some flip-flops. But if you camp in winter you will need to bring thermal shirts, jackets, hats, scarf, gloves and other warm clothes.
Perhaps reading the post you think that you have to make a lot of preparations to go camping. But I assure you that once you make the initial investment and go camping the first time, the other times will be a piece of cake. Do not hesitate, the family camping experience is worth it and it is simpler than it seems.