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What to Pack for Your Camping Trip with the Kids

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My family and I went on our first big camping trip of the year last weekend and boy was it a blast! We hiked, we kayaked, we swam, we played cards, we caught bugs, we got sunburns, mosquito bites and it was just so much fun! We literally came straight home from our trip and started scheduling our next couple camping trips. We camped about 3 hours from home and it was so great to have done the entire trip with no major snafus at all. I believe it was because we put a lot of focus on prepping for the trip in advance and we followed our packing checklist to a T. We were not going to forget anything this trip (can you tell that i have done that before?).

If you are planning a family camping trip, make sure that you prepare a checklist for all of your must-haves and bring along all of the stuff that makes camping fun with the kiddos:

  • Camping checklist. Prepping for vacation is hectic and busy and it is way too easy for things to get overlooked. Create a camping checklist for yourself (or find fun ones on Etsy that you can print out) and have it ready and filled out in advance of your trip.
  • Camping Basics. We all know that we need to bring along our tents, coolers, camp chairs, etc. This is a given, but still put them on your list because they can still be forgotten. Don’t ask me how I know this.
  • Camping Must-Haves. Reserve America has a great list of camping must-haves for all of your trips. It’s also a good site to go to for reserving campsites.
  • Lots of food. Plan your camping meals in advance and buy your food BEFORE you head out on your trip. The closer you get to your destination, the more expensive your shopping trip will be.

Now for the kids:

  • Overnight bags. Make sure the kiddos have their own stuff packed up. Just make sure that you supervise that packing or you will end up with 12 pair of pants and nothing else...yet another of my fun camping experiences. We have a great selection of super fun overnight bags to choose from:
  • Bug Catching Toys. My children, along with their cousin spent hours catching and studying bugs during our camping trip. They had a blast and they had so much fun showing them off and setting them free later on. These bug-catching toys are awesome:
    • butterfly net - gently capture all sorts of flying wonders and delight in nature's beauty before setting it free!
    • bug hotel - think of your bug hotel as a rest -stop for the ladybugs, lightning bugs, and caterpillars that you find during the day!
  • Water toys. Is there a swimming pond or pool at the campground you are headed to? Make sure the kids have water toys to play with.
    • stripes good time inner tube - good time tubes» are made of heavy-gauge vinyl to last through endless summers. tube measures 36" in diameter and is strong enough for adults, but great for kids too!
  • Easy, Packable games. We like to bring games like dice, Uno and other card games. It’s so much fun to sit around the picnic table and play games with the family.
  • Sleeping bags. Did you know that they make kids’ sleeping bags, now? They have several different sizes so your kiddo can have sleeping bags that grow with them.
  • Pillows. For many of us, having our own pillow helps us sleep better no matter where we are. Your kids will love to have these super fun pillow friends with them in the tent.

Camping is a great way to vacation for so many reasons:

  • It gets you back to nature.
  • It’s cheaper than typical vacations
  • It’s a great learning opportunity (new sites, sounds, bugs and animals to learn about)
  • It’s so much fun!

So that’s it my friends! Make sure you pack everything you need and prepare yourself and your family for a vacation that you won’t soon forget! I know we won’t be forgetting ours!


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