Planning Your Family Camping Trip

Camping is a good way to spend time alone with your kids and to show them how wonderful nature can be. The simplicity of nature can be discovered by children through camping. There are so many things to be discovered: flowers, insects, birds, and small animals just to name a few. Younger kids love getting dirty and experiencing the wild life.?Kids really love the outdoors if given the chance. It gives them time to get away from all the electronics of today抯 culture. One thing I have learned is the younger children love to go exploring. Camping can be a wonderful adventure for kids and adults.

When planning your family camping trip, consider the activities your kids like: games, hiking canoeing, swimming, boating, and bicycling to name a few. Select a camping spot that has some of the activities the kids are interested in. Remember there is always a campground that will have some or all of the activities you will be seeking. Meal planning is an important part of your camping trip. Plan the meals together, kids love to choose what they want to eat. Doing all the planning as a family, keeps the kids interested and feeling like they are a part of the entire process.

When starting to pack for your trip, let the kids pack their own items. Each person should have their own sleeping bag with a duffle bag to put it in. Personal items should be packed with their sleeping bag. Encourage the kids to put their items in a certain place and always return it when finished using it. This will help them keep track of their personal belongings. In addition, this rule applies for all camping equipment and supplies. Packing all the camping supplies as a family will teach the kids where every item should be stored. Better to know where something is, than spend valuable time looking for it.

When the planning for the trip is complete and you have arrived at your campsite, make all the camping choirs a family activity, this will also help teach children the importance of team-work. Everyone can have their own jobs sitting up the campsite. The younger ones can put the stakes in the ground while the older one抯 support the tent. Everyone should pick out their spot in the tent and arrange it to meet their needs. Meal time can be a fun time. We all know kids love to help with the preparation of meals. For example, let the older ones help with the cooking on your outdoor camping stove, or portable camping grill, while the younger ones get the picnic table ready. Nothing can create a closer bond between parents and children, than by doing things together.

Although all vacations can create memories, the memories that can be created with your family during camping trips are countless and will be cherished for a life time.燘y planning exciting and enjoyable camping trips with your children while they are young will set them on a path to a lifetime of outdoor activities.

Article by Larry West