List of camping gear?

[AcademyRoad]

What is on your list of much needed/appreciated gear when you are camping with young children?

[Spappy]

My kids are all about bubbles, chalk, and glow sticks. My daughter (age 5) has a nice sized magnifying glass she uses when she goes on "safari".
We have some of the basic yard games like bean bag toss, etc. We keep a treasure box for scavenger hunts and frequently just go on walks. Honestly, I'll do anything to help them "unplug" from the TV, dvd, etc.

Good luck!!
Spap

[NancyLong]

Tent, sleeping bags, pillows, flashlights, jacket, wet wipes etc.

[anaro]

I have a 6 yr old, started camping in the tt when she was 3. We designated some toys, books and puzzles for the tt and not to be used at home. This way they stayed fresh and stayed in the tt for every trip. We had a bike seat, then a bike attachment that hooked her bike to ours (or you could use a bike trailer). We have a small portable soccer net and ball, kid sized basketball, corn hole, bucket and shovels, and bubbles. We also have some floats and her swim vest (coast guard approved). We keep puzzles, coloring books and movies as well as an umbrella and rain boots for rainy days.

For traveling the portable DVD player has been a godsend. We survived a day and a half in the truck going to Disney with it. For your really little one you might want to set a pack and play up for sleeping. We also always have smores stuff and good metal roasting sticks. We spend most of the time gpu g on walks, bike rides,At the playground or doing campground activities. We prefer rv resorts for that reason as they usually have a decent playground, pool (or lake/beach), and activities directed for the kids. When I was young, my mom just told us to go play and not come back until lunch or dinner. You will quickly find how one person camps is far different from another. Find what works for you.

[TXcampingfamily]

Glow sticks are fun. If we camped near water our boys loved having a bait bucket and net. Bikes are a must. Really anything the kids love to play with at home are great for camping. That's the benefit of having a camper!

[michigansandzil]

Playdoh is a must. I get a new pack each season. Bubbles are fun. Making frisbees out of glowsticks at night is a blast. My kids also like nets to catch crayfish, minnows, etc. We also use a lot of cheap flashlights or headlamps. And walkie talkies are convenient and fun for everyone.

[loulou57]

We also have walkie talkies for when the grandkids come, they are not to leave the site without one.

They like a magnifying glass, binoculars, camera, a journal, a small plastic bin for treasures they find. Books on birds, insects, wildlife and vegetation. Our kids and grandkids love to identify everything.

I also prefer sheets to sleeping bags on all the beds. I carry an extra set of sheets for each bed. They wash easier. With kids one of them is sure to either have an accident or have an upset tummy at some point. I also put a mattress protective pad on their beds.

Teach your kids early how to start a fire, how to use the stove and BBQ, how to shut off propane tanks. If you start early teaching them about your RV they will learn better to respect it, how each appliance works etc. Even how to deal with the nasty tank. You never know how their help will be valuable, even life saving. Each child will be different so to say an age would be inappropriate but as soon as you feel they are ready.

[Camper_Mama_Bea]

We have a 6 year old boy, will be 7 by the time camping season starts, and a 2.5 year old girl. 6 yr old has been camping since 2 months old, the 2/5 year old since 3 weeks old. I keep the 5er stocked with a second set of all basics. our son loves building, digging, and anything with wheels so the toys are reflective. Last year our daughter did whatever her brother did. We always have a bin of books in that gets loaded at the beginning of the season and stays in the trailer. If your kids are more into sports then you will want to bring some basic sports gear for them. Our son's best buddy always bring his baseball bag, he loves baseball and can always find someone to play with him.
bikes always come, for the little one whatever wheeled toy she would use at home. a few trips we took the cozy-coop.
if we have hook-ups then the DVDs, but unless it is inclement weather the TV doesn't get turned on, they get up, get dressed, and go outside to play.
we have traveled with the Thomas take-along trains and had tracks all over the camper. we now travel with some legos.
one of our outside storage bins is just for toys, it is doesn't fit in there is doesn't come. it is full of buckets, small shovels, small trucks, bats, balls. the beginning of the season it gets emptied what they kids haven't played with or don't want to play with anymore comes out, then they get to add something new, if there is space.
bikes are great. our little one was in a kiddy bike seat at 10 months old. I found the smallest kid bike helmet that fit her head, and off we went. when our son turned 5 we got him a trail-a-bike. it is great, then we can go for longer rides and don't have to worry about him tiring out. the one this we as parents did, we started wearing helmets. decided if we were going to win the argument with the kids we would do it best by example.
we also have a canoe, when our son turned 6 he got a kiddy kayak. so now on smaller lakes he paddles on his own.
as for the inside of the trailer. I prefer to use sheets and blankets on their bunks. easier to wash when beds need to be changed. they have both been on bunks since the beginning. we have corner bunks with a small opening so we put safety gates across the openings.
a baby monitor was a must for several years. then we could join friends at a campfire and keep an ear on the kids in the trailer.
also walkie-talkies are now always with us. our son can take one and go off on his bike. if there is an issue he can call us, or if it is time to eat we can call him.

[DutchmenSport]

3, 6, 5, TT or 5er: Bicycles, tricycles, scooters, or those motorized battery operated cars the kids can drive. Anything with wheels.

Take some length of rope, a bucket, some wooden clothes pens, small shovel or beach sand shovel kit, and turn the kids loose.

I mention all the above, because safety is important, as is personal hygiene. In all your planning, plan on skinned knees, smashed hands, bumped heads, tears, blood and snot. Be prepared.

Kids will eat simple, especially when camping. And kids love to do the Smores, marshmallows, hot dogs on a stick stuff. Cereal in the morning, quick foods, because they will not want to wait for a cooked breakfast before they take of and play. Preparing meals with the kids when camping is a great learning experience also, and is doing dishes, running trash to the dumpster, and helping with all the things you do to set camp and break camp. Keep them involved, use the experience as a teaching experience as well as entertainment. Keep them involved with everything you're doing so they have some ownership in the experience. Also, give them choices: should we hike trail #1 or trail #3. No, we are not climbing trees right now! (you get the idea). Teach them to work together (on their level), everything from starting a campfire to washing dishes. Make them responsible for fixing up their own bed. Why not teach them early. We did with ours. By the time they were 6, they were doing their own laundry. We folded, but they got it in the machine and to the dryer.

You don't need to take a whole lot of stuff for the kids. Let them bring along their favorite toys (within reason, remember space is limited) and when they want to play with those toys, let them.

Transportation, make sure you are transporting the kids safely, whatever avenue you use. Don't short change or cheat anything there. Car seats or booster seats required with seat belts ... do it ... don't make exceptions, no matter how much they complain.

One of the best things you can do is get each kid their own sleeping bag instead of blankets and sheets and comforters. They roll up clean, easy for the kids to be responsible for and each one has their own. This saves a LOT of problems. Keep your home blankets at home!

Depending upon your individual tastes, it's always fun to get walkie-talkies for each member of the family, all on the same signal. It helps you communicate with the kids, kind of keep track of them, and severs as a safety feature also. They might be a little pricy when you get one for each family member, but get the type people use on their motor boats, marine style, which is water resistant and very durable. Not only will the kids have fun with each other, but you'll have fun with them too.

If you have a girl, let her bring her favorite doll, or favorite toy, or whatever it is. If you have a boy, let him bring his hand held video game.

Bring DVD's for the kids (that means having a television and a DVD player), but most newer campers have them installed already.

Hope this helps. Only you know your kids and what they really need, but when packing and planning, keep each of these ideas in mind for each member of the family.

Sorry for the long rant, I'm having flash back memories with my own 2 kids, boy and girl, camping as a family from the time they were born to about 16 years of age.

[old_guy]

when our kids were little we took the toy box with us and they took the toys out of it and played in the box

[Terryallan]

Honestly. When our boy was little, We had toy cars in the camper. He built roads in the dirt, and was perfectly happy. When our Daughter was little. She had a tea set, and was very happy.
Now that we have Grand babies. They are happy with little shovels, sand / dirt molds, and a few dolls.

In truth. You really don't have to carry a lot of stuff to entertain them. Left alone for a few minutes. Their imagination kicks in, and they begin to entertain themselves, AND learn things. You, or me working to entertain them, Only stifles their learning process.

But for the 6 year old. A bike is good.

[byrdr1]

Beer or what ever you drink!
No really you will need about what you will need a home but less of it.
You will need enough stuff to keep them happy, feed and sleeping. the length of the trip or stay will determine how stuff you will need.
Our daughter and SIL takes our 2 year GS with them and us to camp. they have their own camper. BUT they take toys, pack&play, his food, diapers, and lots of clothes. MORE clothes than I would take. BUT we have in our camper a pack&play and some toys. the rest they bring if we need to keep him overnight. Same as we have at our house.
randy

[AcademyRoad]

ddndoug wrote:
Things that they can do outside, depending on age....

I'm sure there is much more that we bring along that I just can't think of right now. What are the kids ages?

Doug

6, 3.5, and 9 months

[ddndoug]

Things that they can do outside, depending on age....

Bicycles, scooters, balls to play catch with, or start a kick-ball game. Butterfly nets and/or binoculars, fishing gear. Cheap LED flashlights that you don't mind losing (you can usually find a pack of ten for around $10-15), kids love to have their own flashlights at night. Glowsticks, another thing that they ablsoutely love.

For safety, we require our daughter to wear a whistle incase her and her friends are out exploring and find themselves in any kind of trouble.

DVDs or video tapes for rainy afternoons. Lots of bug repellent and sunscreen. Flip-flops for the shower house double as sandels around the campsite.

I'm sure there is much more that we bring along that I just can't think of right now. What are the kids ages?

Doug

[HHfundays]

We found having our own little port-a-potty a huge help with little ones when we were tent camping! Often they had to go and couldn't wait to get to the bath house.