Any "must haves" for camping with kids?

We completed our first trip and the kids had a blast!!!

We picked up 2 small bins for each of the kids and gave them one to fill with toys/whatever else they wanted to bring. We kept the 2nd bin for each of them and surprised them with a basket when they got in the truck. Each of the baskets from us had a flash light, some glow sticks, a card game, a book, small snacks, and the younger 2 each had a small toy.

This worked out well and we didn't need to argue over what the could and couldn't bring. If it fit in the basket they were allowed to bring it. They were also pretty excited over the surprise and it kept them occupied for most of the drive.



We also brought plenty of marshmallows and we decorated the trailer for Halloween (we usually have a Halloween party at home, so this camping trip replaced that).

My favorite "must" have while camping with kids is: a different campground.

Lakeside

Someone suggested glowsticks to me and my kids love them.
I always worry way more than I need to before we go anywhere as my kids love their computer games but it's amazing how quickly they forget about that stuff.
I give my kids jobs to do, like collecting wood etc and it makes them feel important and useful, which they are.
Don't underestimate how much fun a kid can have out in the woods, take a pack of cards and some blank paper and pens or even monopoly for the evenings.
Kids paracetomol/band aids/antiseptic wipes
Books on identifying birds/tress etc
Books on buschcraft type activities, let them make a den. Also, my eldest (13) has a small knife that she uses to whittle wood and make little carvings etc
Extra clothes in case things gets wet and you can't dry them.
Let them have a go at cooking, it's a big lesson in letting them try stuff you'd normally freak out about (eg the whittling!) It can be hard to stand back and let them cook something over a fire but remember that they have a sense of danger and instincts too and don't want to get hurt as much as you don't want them too. Obviously, this depends on age too, I'm not talking about letting a 3 yr old carry a pot of boiling water.

Above all, relax, it's supposed to be fun. Things will get messy and they may go to bed with marshmallow smeared all over their faces but they'll enjoy it.

And don't forget the stories round the fire, we take it in turns to tell one :)

patience, a sense of humor, and a sense of adventure. Snacks.

Bug catchers (can be from the dollar store) & magnifying glass. Son was always finding some bug, worm, or lizard he wanted to keep around for awhile. We always released them before dark "so they could go back to their homes & families".

Water pistols for everyone. A garden trowel (also from dollar store). Cards & dominos.

Hello;
I forgot one thing nature books for kids , especially color or sticker activity books. You could have the kids find different kinds of birds and plants. I also bring the refrigerated cookie rolls and make chocolete chip cookies in the oven. We have special books that Mom reads mostly about animals , like Winnie the pooh under the lanturn light by the fire. We tell stories or play board games. I save videos for quiet time after hiking. We use TV or video sparingly. Jeanine

1. Liquor, for you.

2. Glowsticks to attach to their jackets at night just in case they wander off and then they can be used as a night light.

3. Extra SETS of clothes. My son gets into everything and there never seems to be enough clothes for him especially socks.

4. Cold Medicine or Tylenol. On our first trip daughter got sick to her stomach along with a fever. I had to drive around to find a drug store.

Hello,
Quarters and soap for the washing machine. Jiffy pop and movies for the night. Remember kids are washable , leave the he or she might get dirty at home. SO what. Part of the fun is getting dirty'
jeanine

bike rack

I built a bike rack for my truck using a similar concept as this, but I made some changes:

I put the 2x4's on the top of the bed of the truck, not inside of it. That way, I was still able to use the pickup bed for storage and the bicycles rode above the bed of the truck.

I used 2 boards that spanned the width of the truck bed. I temp. bolted it to the bed of the truck using "J" bolts with the open end catching the lip of the PU bed. I added a second 2x4 about 3 feet back that the back tires rode to. I bunjee corded the rear tires to the 2x4 to keep them from bouncing around.

I was able to carry 4 full size bicycles, but I would think that you would be able to carry 6 bicycles fairly easy by adding a 3rd board at the back of the bed of the truck. I would probably change the center board to a 2x6 with 6 bikes.

bike rack

this is basically how they sat on my truck. If this is something you're interested in, just PM and I can send you a pic of what I made

patperry2766 wrote:
campfire cones

Awesome!!!