Camping with Kids
My husband’s family has been doing an annual camping trip for the past 45 years. We’ve been camping since our oldest (Awesome Kid) was eight months old, and we’ve now been on several 6 day/5-night camping trips. It makes me so happy to see our girls enjoying the outdoors as much as my husband and I do.
Last month we headed out to camp at Leo Carrillo State Beach. It was an extra special trip this year because the campsite just recently reopened after the Woolsey fire in 2018.
When we returned, I received so many questions about camping with our girls. Where do we sleep? How do we shower? What’s the best gear to bring along with us? Here, I’m sharing a few items that were helpful for a smooth and fun family vacation.
Eat
Like many (or all – LOL) kids, our girls love snacks! We made sure we were fully stocked in this area. Before the trip I went grocery shopping and made sure we had a variety of options for the kiddos that would stay fresh all week long and not get too messy. Here were some hits:
- Apples
- Animal Crackers
- Beef Jerky
- Graham Crackers…for s’mores and snacks
- Round Crackers
- Dried Fruit – Our kiddos love these mini apricot packs from Fruit Bliss
- Chips and Puffs – We are loving these individual bags from Lesser Evil Snacks
I also just recently purchased these Hydroflask Kids Water Bottles for the girls and we love them! They keep water cold for are perfect for staying hydrated while exploring the caves.
Sleep
Our youngest slept in her Pack N Play with no problems. It was nice to keep her in her own space that kept her safe and comfortable during the night. We had a pillow, blanket, and stuffie in there for her as well.
Baby Awesome is four-years-old now, so we brought along this awesome toddler cot and a toddler sleeping bag. I love how compact both items are and made things easy for traveling. She still ended up in our bed most nights, but she loved having her own sleeping bag and cot.
My husband and I slept on this Aero Bed and it is a great investment! We were lucky to have access to a generator, so we were able to “top off” the Aero Bed each night. A queen size sheet fit perfect on this mattress and we put our sleeping bags over it.
Play
There were so many activities to keep everyone busy, but a few of my favorites were surfing (for my husband and I), exploring caves, riding bikes, and teaching the girls to boogie board.
Awesome kid brought along her toddler bike and had so much fun learning to ride without training wheels! She loved having her own personalized bike on vacation. And Baby Strong had her scooter and balance bike.
One of my favorite toys is my stand up paddle board. I can’t wait to take the girls out soon!
Lounge
We enjoyed our nights sitting by the campfire and the girls loved having their own camping chair. Perfect to fold up and they have some of the cutest styles.
Another favorite was the camping lantern. Perfect portable lantern for by the campfire, but also great to use in the tent as a nightlight!
All of these items are great for camping with kids, but what made it so special was disconnecting from social media. I highly recommend trying this sometime as a reset. It’s a great way to reconnect with nature, your family, and yourself!
Have you gone camping with kids? What was most helpful from your packing list?
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