camping with little ones

My kids are 2 and 5
we don't bring electronic toys when we go camping,
All I do at the campground is watching them and let them do whatever they want (as long as it's safe and reasonable)

My 2 year old collected and played with pine-cones all day, she had over 50 in one time, she was fascinated by the new nature "toys".

My 5 year old chased squirrels, draw on the dirt with a very big stick funny faces, run non stop to every direction possible, until found and played with other kids at the campground :)
Also invented new games that didn't make sense to nobody except her, but she was happy! LOL

And at night? glowing sticks!!!! oh my, both my kids LOVE that glowing sticks from the dollar store :) they fall a sleep hugging it - LOL

There is a lifetime of things to learn about the world around us. Explore with them and teach them about it. My G-kids went with me recently and became fascinated with cicada skins that were left on trees everywhere. They collected about 20 of them and studied every feature. They decided to take them home with them in a sandwich bag.

We have a Rubbermaid box with a top that a bag of sandbox dirt goes into along with some toys. Makes a wonderful sandbox for young children. The top goes on in case of rain. A plastic tablecloth goes under the box to scoop up the sand back into the sandbox.
A plastic tarp over the table makes a tent with something on the ground under it.
We try to stay away from large toys.

When the kids were little we would go places with activities. Pools, playgrounds, kid games, candy bar bingo etc. also some places were near the beach or a water park etc. campfires were fun, they each had their little chair and when they were real little we would seatbelt them in the chair to keep them from falling in the fire.

Once it was bed time, mom and dad would get banana splits on many trips.

RVcircus wrote:
I spent a lot of time planning activities, etc. for our first trip. It turns out they just want to be kids and explore, so now I just try to give them those opportunities.

This is the best advise, for sure. I was raised camping and we always made our own fun. DH did not grow up camping, so it was quite the learning curve for him. On our first campout with the kids, he was downright agitated. He finally came over to the campfire where I was sitting with all three kids aged 2,4,& 10) and DEMANDED that they get up and go hiking. I looked up at him and said, "Can you not see that we are poking the fire with a stick?" It took him some time to recognize that camping is about relaxing and enjoying nature.

OP, I would suggest that you take 3 times as many clothes and diapers as you think you will need. Take an umbrella, too, so you don't have to be stuck inside if it rains. Take toys that don't need batteries--take things that don't take up much room, such as beanie babies, balls, books, and blocks. I like to get the kids thoroughly worn out during the day, but if they can't settle down to sleep, we would pack them into the car to "go find deer." About 2 trips through the campground and they were out like a light.

I spent a lot of time planning activities, etc. for our first trip. It turns out they just want to be kids and explore, so now I just try to give them those opportunities.

A leash if anywhere near water. A life jacket is even better. Two minutes could change your life. A five gallon bucket or a nice plastic buss tray for baths. Let em get dirty. A bus tray is so useful carrying tons of stuff into the rv or to a picnic table carrying all the stuff. Saves lots of trips. Works great for a play pool or bath tub. It works for washing dishes too. They stack easily so you can carry several. Some are extra deep so the kids love to play in those.

one day i had my (then)2 youngest boys sit for hours fishing for squirrels.

Outside is the easy part for us, its in the evenings in the trailer... the answer.. glow sticks.. haha, so simple and cheap, my kids are fascinated with them. The larger ones are fairly safe for little ones under supervision..

depending on what she likes as well, sometimes we take little figures and freeze them in water balloons filled with water.. make little 'Dinosaur eggs" and .. peel off the balloon, so you have an ice egg, let them bang on them in a container with things, break apart the ice, find a toy inside..

They will entertain themselves,.... and YOU! Just let them "go" and be kids. Self-imagination and self-discovery is the best teacher. Far too often we "give" our kids everything and they never learn to think on their own, turn out spoiled and then just demand ... 'give me' 'give me' 'give me'... Camping is about discovery! let them discover! And nothing wrong with letting them discover the kids in the next campsite either!