Kids Camping Essentials: Ultimate Guide for Fun and Safety (2024)

So, you have decided that a camping trip is in the books for you and the family this spring, summer, or fall. The next step? The planning process and making sure you have everything you need to make the trip a success! Whether it is your first camping trip or 500th, this guide to kids camping essentials will help ensure that your next camping adventure is both fun and safe for the entire family! 

After spending many nights under the stars, we at The Navigating Mom can honestly say that it is one of the best ways to get close to nature! From the actual experience of sleeping in a tent to the plethora of outdoor activities you can choose to engage in during your camping trip, a family camping trip has something to offer each member of your family! 

This kids camping essentials guide will ensure that you don’t miss a step in the planning process, from choosing the perfect destination, making sure everything at home is prepared for your absence, streamlining the process into a single packing list, and planning a fun filled and exciting itinerary! 

And, as always, we place a strong emphasis on doing it ethically! Camping is a great opportunity for sustainable travel practices and the leave no trace principles! Have no worries, we will help you plan and carry out your camping trip as environmentally friendly as possible! 

Kids Camping Essentials: Safety Tips 

Safety is always a top consideration when traveling with kids, whether it be outdoors in nature or roaming around a big city. While your safety list may be completely different depending on the situation, it is essential to establish some guidelines to ensure that every member of the family stays safe!

Set Up Some Ground Rules to Protect Everyone

When heading out for your family camping trip, one of the first and most important kids camping essentials is to establish ground rules for safety! If it is your first camping trip together as a family and you have young children in an unfamiliar environment, you will want to establish boundaries and limits. You don’t want your little wandering off and getting lost in the woods, or wandering into a lake if you are near water. 

Ground rules may specify the campsite boundaries, fire safety, water safety, wildlife safety, stranger danger, hiking safety, and how to respond in an emergency situation.

The Buddy System 

The buddy system is a good rule of thumb when camping with kids. If leaving the immediate campsite area, make sure every member of your family understands that they should have someone with them. For younger children, it may be appropriate to have an adult with them when leaving. Older children that are mature enough to leave the campsite without an adult should be instructed to bring a friend or older sibling. Only you know your child and what’s appropriate for them. 

Going for a walk around the campground loops can be fun and seem relatively harmless (and in most cases absolutely is), but having a buddy can prevent your children from getting lost or injured. If this does occur, there will be a second person to go for help.

Water Safety

Water safety is an extremely important topic when camping and should be included when discussing kids camping essentials. Teaching your kids to swim at a young age can be very beneficial and ensure their safety in an emergency situation, but whether your child can or can’t swim, you will want to teach them about water safety for your camping trip. 

Since many campgrounds have lakes and pools, you will want to make sure that you set boundaries for your children about going into water. Children, especially those that can’t swim, should be instructed not to enter water without an adult present. When they are in the water, set guidelines about how far they can go (e.g. up to the knees). You should also teach your child about what to do if an emergency situation occurs. The buddy system should apply to swimming too.

Plant Safety 

Plant safety is another important safety topic, especially for the curious little camper in your party! You will want to be sure to teach your child about not eating random berries found in the woods and avoiding specific plants like poison ivy. While this may not be life threatening, an itchy rash is not the way you want to spend your family camping trip!

Before heading out to your destination, do some research and find out what harmful plants are native to that area and how you should protect yourself and your family from them, including how to identify them, harmful effects, and what to do if you come into contact with them.

Kids Camping Essentials: Before the Trip

Practice Camping at Home 

If this is your first camping trip, doing a practice run at home may be very beneficial (and tons of fun)! As a kid, I remember many nights spent sleeping in a tent in the backyard, and they are some of the best childhood memories I have! Doing a “practice run” will give your children the experience of camping with the comforts of home nearby and will help them prepare for the big trip! 

Set up the tent in the backyard, start a fire, roast some marshmallows, and curl up to the sound of birds and grasshoppers chirping. This practice run will also help you identify any essential items you won’t want to forget when away from home. 

Get the Kids Involved With Planning

Something that we encourage for any type of travel with kids is getting them involved with plans and prep for the trip as early as possible! Whether you have a toddler or pre-teen, getting them involved will get them pumped up for the trip! From planning the trip, including picking the destination and creating the itinerary, to packing up the luggage, having a say in the trip plans will make it that much more exciting and real for them! 

My daughter is a huge fan of packing and getting ready to hit the road! Let your kids participate in packing their luggage and explain to them what each piece of camping equipment is for. Since camping requires a very unique and different set of supplies, explaining what you are packing and why can help prepare them for their camping adventure! This is a great teaching opportunity! 

You can also let your child pick out their own luggage set, if you don’t have one already, to make the packing stage even more fun!

Pick the Right Campsite 

The possibilities for a family camping trip are endless! You can choose to visit one of the many jaw dropping national parks in the U.S. and beyond, choose a state park that oftentimes is just as scenic as national parks, choose a private campground or site, or head out on a backpacker or back country camping trip! And while we are focusing on tent camping in this post, RV camping should not be excluded if that type of camping fits your family’s wants and needs! 

Before heading out on your big camping trip, make sure that you have done your research and chosen the best camping location for you and your family! Find a site that contains all the amenities you want, whether this be a fully functioning bathroom and shower, or a remote site that offers none of these (we think either is great!). 

Some things you may want to consider include access to family friendly hiking trails, access to lakes/streams/pools, access to bathrooms/showers, access to activities such as kayaking, skiing, and biking trails, playgrounds, proximity to other campers, the type of sites available (RV/Tents/Cabins), and proximity to stores. 

You can even find some unique camping experiences across the U.S. and beyond, such as camping in a vintage bus, a vintage railroad cart, or for a completely different experience, try out a glamping site!

Do Some Research and Figure Out What Activities You Want to Do 

When camping, there are so many great opportunities to explore and enjoy the great outdoors! From hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, and bird watching to simply sitting around the campfire and relaxing, there are endless opportunities to build family memories! How much or how little you want to do is completely up to you and should fit your family’s travel style! 

Camping can be a completely spontaneous trip, or you can make a plan to make the most of your time! We’ve done both, and both have their good and bad sides! With kids, everything is always more complicated, so having some sort of plan will be beneficial. Before choosing a destination, be sure to explore all the activities in the area. 

If it’s a national or state park you are visiting, check out the park’s website for family friendly hiking trails nearby. Do some research into the park’s swimming areas or nearby swimming opportunities. If you are interested in the surrounding area, check out what fun outdoor activities, indoor activities, historic activities, and whatever else you may be interested in are located within driving distance. 

Be Prepared for the Unexpected 

Another one of the kids camping essentials, always have a plan for the unexpected! It is not uncommon for something to come up and try to throttle your plans, especially when children are involved. Have a back up plan in case something goes wrong. 

If it is your first camping trip, you may not be able to predict how your child will react. Be prepared to respond to negative reactions from your child, such as them deciding they don’t want to sleep in the tent and want to go home. Be prepared to help soothe their fears and save your camping trip! 

You will also want to be prepared for any natural events, such as heavy rain, unexpected snow, or thunderstorms. While these things might not impact your ability to camp, be prepared with a back up plan in case they do! I still remember as a child having to pack up and ditch camp in the middle of the night with my father because of heavy rains. 

Always have a plan for emergencies, especially if going back country camping or backpacking. Make sure that every family member, even the young ones, know what to do if an emergency occurs.  

Bring a first aid kit in case of an unexpected injury or illness. Having things like peroxide, band aids, and calamine lotion on hand may save you a lot of trouble, and discomfort! 

Make a Meal Plan 

Planning and preparing meals can be more complicated when camping. The available cooking tools and utensils are limited and much less elaborate than what you may have at home. Planning out your meals and ensuring you have both the ingredients you need and the tools you need to cook them will make mealtime much smoother. 

If you are backpacking and will have even less access to cooking tools, you may need to do even more research and planning to ensure you have something the kids will eat! 

Make Sure Things Are All Set At Home

As you are getting ready for your big camping trip, you will want to make sure things are all set at home. If you have pets, you will want to find someone to pet sit (unless you are bringing them with you of course). You may want to consider a house sitter, depending on how long you will be gone. If traveling out of state or the country, you will want to notify your bank/credit card companies that you will be traveling. You will also want to consider holding your mail at the local post office while you are away. Making sure you have made all the necessary preparations for your home while you are away will make your camping trip less stressful and more fun!

Kids Camping Essentials: The Packing Process

Pack Food the Kids Will Eat 

Dealing with a picky eater is a struggle, whether at home or traveling. Having a meal plan prepared can help ensure that you have planned meals your child will eat and that you have everything you need. The worst is getting to your campsite, getting all set up, and then realizing you don’t have what you need to start your fire and prepare your meals!

And don’t forget the snacks! Bring plenty of healthy snacks the kids will eat, and don’t forget the water! You will want to make sure you have full tummies and stay hydrated, especially if heading out for a week of hiking and other energy consuming outdoor activities! 

Pack Layers

Another one of the most important kids camping essentials, always be sure to bring layers! Even if your camping trip is in the middle of summer when you expect only warm weather, having layers and cold weather clothing may come in handy, especially if you are spending the week in the mountains. Weather can be unpredictable at higher elevations, and it is always better to be prepared than to be sorry! 

Pack a Favorite Toy 

Packing a favorite toy can give your child the familiarity of home. If it’s your first family camping trip, your child will be experiencing many new sights and senses, so having something that reminds them of home may be helpful. It will also give them something to do if they get bored-although the chances of that happening are very low!  

Bring Something to Make the Experience Extra Special

While not exactly one of the kids camping essentials, adding some solar powered lights, glow sticks, or individual equipment like flashlights can make the experience even more exciting for your little one! Get them all hyped up with the anticipation of a party when the sun goes down to make their experience under the stars even more exciting! Bring glow sticks with a wireless speaker and have a dance party, or line the outside of the tent with some solar-powered lights and savor the experience of sitting around the campfire with family. 

Packing List

Camping will likely require more equipment than you may normally take with you while traveling. Because camping will often times end up with you having less access to resources (especially if back country camping), you will want to make sure you are bringing everything you will need!

You can start with our camping list, but be sure to adjust it for your own family’s wants and needs. You may not need all of these items, and there may be some items that you need that aren’t on our list. It is designed to be used as a guide and starting point for you.

Kids Camping Essentials: During the Trip 

Get Your Child Involved with Setting Up 

Allowing your child to help set up the tent or other parts of the campsite will get them involved and keep them interested. Not only can getting them involved make the experience more fun, it will also make it more educational! Teach your child how to set up a tent, start a fire, use a flashlight, etc. Don’t forget to focus on sustainable travel regardless of your destination!

Chore List for kids while camping: 

• Help set up the tent
• Fill up water bottles (try to use reusable bottles)
• Roll Out Sleeping Bags 
• Help with Starting the fire
• Collect sticks and twigs 
• Set the table
• Help with cooking a meal (use your judgement to determine if they are ready for this)
• For some fun-identify plant and wild life species

Kids Camping Essentials: Make the Most of Nature 

Camping is all about getting close to nature and making memories with your family. So, why not make the most of what’s around you while taking every opportunity to teach your child about nature?

Stargazing/Constellations 

Just because the sun goes down, doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Take advantage of the dark skies and stunning views that often come with camping. Grab a blanket, lay out in the grass, and see how many of the constellations you can find! Can you or your child find any other shapes in the stars! 

Insects 

Observing insects can be a fun and entertaining part of any family camping trip. Teach your children from a young age to respect nature and its various forms of wildlife, rather than fearing it. I am one of those “never hurt an ant” people and enforce this with my daughter on a regular basis.

When camping, hiking, and enjoying any other outdoor activities, our goal is to do no harm. Observe insects and other forms of wildlife from a distance. Take the opportunity to teach your child about insects, how they benefit us and the natural environment, and why they should be respected. 

Rocks

Each destination has its own unique rock forms and looking at the unique features is always a fun activity for us! In an effort to conserve and respect nature, we have committed to the leave no trace principles and do not remove any rocks or other natural items from any parks we visit, but have found taking photos and creating scrapbooks to be a great and safer alternative! 

Plants

A camping trip is a perfect opportunity to introduce your child to plants, both safe and unsafe. You will want to teach them to avoid the unsafe ones, like poison ivy, an important life skill. You can also introduce them to safe plants and plants that are believed to have some healing powers and benefits. 

Wildlife 

Wildlife is always a top priority and highlight of our camping and national park trips. Observing wildlife from a distance in their natural habitat is a favorite of ours. From bird watching in state parks to viewing the bison of Yellowstone National Park, moose of the Grand Tetons, and black bears of the Great Smoky Mountains, wildlife viewing is a great family activity, great photo op, and great opportunity for making the most of your time in nature. Always be sure to follow park guidelines for viewing wildlife, for their safety and yours! 

***We have committed ourselves to participating in only ethical animal experiences. Wildlife is meant to roam free, and is not meant for our entertainment. We respect your beliefs, but we do not promote any experiences that involve the captivity and unethical treatment of animals.*** 

Try To Stick To Your Regular Bedtime Routine 

If you have young children and are heading out for your first camping trip, sticking to your home bedtime routine may be helpful for reducing any stress or breakdowns for your child. If you normally read a bedtime story, be sure to bring your child’s favorite story and read it before bedtime. Try to keep the time as consistent as possible, especially for younger kids. It may also be helpful to bring your child’s favorite blanket, pillow, and stuffed animal. You can also consider maintaining a normal napping schedule and taking rest periods throughout the day.

If your child is more flexible, then by all means make the most of the trip and stay up late roasting marshmallows and singing songs around the campfire. These are some of our best camping memories! 

Make Your Camping Trip Eco-Friendly

There are several simple actions that you can take when camping to keep your trip eco-friendly:

• Bring reusable dishes, silverware, and water bottles. Limit the use of plastic and paper dishes and water bottles.
• Be sure to follow all guidelines for wildlife viewing and respect that you are in their home, not the other way around.
• Purchase and use biodegradable and eco-friendly soap products and personal hygiene products.
• Maintain a distance of at least 200 ft. from water sources when washing dishes/other items.
• Carry out any trash that you bring in with you.
• Ensure proper food storage to avoid unwanted animal encounters and contributing to wildlife becoming dependent on human food.
• Purchase and use eco-friendly gear and clothing from companies committed to sustainable travel.
• Camp only in designated areas.
• Stay on trails and paths to avoid erosion and damage to the environment.
• Follow all guidelines and practice safe fire building practices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

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