How to Camp With Toddlers (The Secrets No One Will Tell You)
Confession: I did not grow up camping. I love a good trendy resort and poolside margarita and comfy bathrobes. Think THE ACE HOTEL in PALM SPRINGS. That’s my vibe.
But now here I am. Shouting from the rooftops that I not only LOVE CAMPING but I LOVE CAMPING WITH LITTLE KIDS. 2 years ago we purchased a vintage camper (1966 shasta) that we call BIRDIE. When we got it I could not only see all the work we needed to do to make it epic but also all the memories we would make as a young family. The idea of taking our 2 toddlers (currently ages 4.5 and 18 months) camping sounded absurd. We did a few weekend trips and dreamed of epic cross country trips showing our boys all the National Parks and wonders of the USA that my husband has visited growing up. But when? My husband works in film and cranks out a 60 hour work week. CUE A PANDEMIC.
Since March we have spent more time on the road as a family than we have been home. I LOVED IT. Life was simple, my kids played outside, we had more time to connect and have eaten more s’mores than I would like to admit. That’s what camping is all about right? I want to share a few of my tricks and tips in hopes that you will take this unprecedented time (or after) and just go for it! Maybe your family needs a change of pace, something to look forward to, wanting an idea to all lean in on together and try something new?
MY TIPS & TRICKS
RENT A CAMPER:
Outdoorsy.com is a great place to start. People safely rent you their RV’s and there are a ton to choose from. Be as comfortable as you want, choose your trip duration and something that sleeps everyone in your family easily. If an RV isn’t your jam you can totally use these tips for tent camping, cabins etc.
WHERE TO STAY:
We book most of our campsites on recreation.gov or reservecalifornia.com. We prefer state and national parks versus RV parks but availability can be hard to come by. I’ll tell you why. State and national park campgrounds are much cheaper ($15-$30 per night). Some are first come, first serve but fill up really quickly. We have learned that cancellations happen ALL THE TIME. We have camped in some of the most sought after national parks in their prime spots because of cancellations days before. (Reservecalifornia releases their cancellation sites at 8am from what we know. Recreation.gov throughout the day). We have learned that the websites are not always completely update date. Channel circa 1985 and CALL THEM. We have gotten several “just cancelled” camping spots from this. It sounds silly but works! RV parks usually have more openings, nicer facilities, showers, laundry, guaranteed hook ups etc but run around $80-$95 a night. If you know you want to travel this fall. Book your sites now. The best ones can fill up 6 months advance. Campgrounds are mostly functioning as usual during COVID-19 but their updated info will be on their websites or a call away. National parks do have limited capacity due to COVID-19 and some have different rules for visitors versus the past.
TRAVEL DURING COVID:
Did I feel that we could socially distance while doing 2 cross country road trips while camping? Yes, way more than living in LOS ANGELES if you want my honest opinion. Depends where you go of course but most places we visited we were able to fully enjoy the outdoors and wore mask in common areas. Everyone is taking precautions. You can get a camper with a bathroom to avoid gas station trips and unnecessary touching of places and things. Packing your own food makes less stops and less germs spread around. Everyone’s decision for their family is different but we felt as if the parks and campgrounds were very responsible in doing their part. We chose to hike trails that were not busy, we went at off peak times and made sure to mostly be in open air areas away from other families.
HANDS FREE MAMA:
Embrace the idea that your kids are more important than your phone. That sounds crazy right? But sometimes when are continually looking at our phones it can send the wrong message. Use being in the outdoors as your excuse to push pause. Kids look to us to be the calm in their storms or uncertainty, they look for gratification, encouragement. When you begin to notice all the invitations to connect that your kids throw at you it’s so much easier to explore with them. Ask them open ended questions, observe with them, be curious.
BEFORE YOU GO:
I’m sure you know this but kids love to know what to expect. Show them you tube videos of the places you plan to visit, learn new vocabulary of animals and places they will see. Make a calendar that helps them know where you will be staying, what state you are in etc. Ask for their input- my 4.5 year old always suggests an ice cream shop when we ask what he wants to do or see on a camping trip. I’m always down for ice cream so why not let his ideas be seen, heard and accounted for. To you it’s something small, but it makes them feel like little people and not just a kid. Your kids might want to pick out a few favorite toys, cups and forks or anything that makes the camper feel like home. We went very minimal but also took the items that would make our life easiest.
WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY:
Sometimes we have our trip planned out and reservations for every night. Usually we have a loose guide and fill in the gaps. My husband is the driver on road trips so I become the researcher. Pinterest is my best friend. I also search hashtags of where we are going. Make sure to check out my IG for a ton of easy national parks with kids ideas and pins! @Brittany_poppins or @coloramala.
Always have primary plans, secondary plans and time fillers in your mind. I go into the day with low expectations and a slow big big breakfast start. Kids have full tummies and we are ready for adventure. One big adventure a day may be all your kids can handle. Have nap time, and hang at the campsite time. And that’s fine! Other days they may be ready for another little adventure by 4pm if everyone is rested. If you have reasonable expectations but awesome travel pinboards you can’t loose! There is genuinely so much to see across the US. From the biggest ball of twine, to visiting Superman’s birth place of metropolis, IL. Most things we did were free or very low cost. Plan your stops around the cities with something to do. If you are in a small town, find a creek where you can throw sticks. Have a camper movie night while watching the iPad and making jiffy pop. We have heard of many road trip planning apps that people love. They allow you to choose your stops, shows you what’s around there and what makes sense with your route.
SLEEP:
You can keep the same bedtime/nap times routines even though you are in a different place. Bring their stuffy, bring their favorite pillow, throw a few books in the camper. All of this can feel familiar and lead to easier bedtime even though you are on the road. My kids missed their fair share of naps. I believe in teaching kids flexibility. Yes more than once someone was overly tired. That’s life and we move forward. That’s what drinking by the campfire is for am I right parents? Most nights our kids went to bed before us and we enjoyed some adult time by the fire. This didn’t work out every night but as a general rule I suggest it. Especially if you are going to travel for over a week. Downtime is needed, parent communication without the kids is needed and a little fun for mom and dad and an extra s’more is ok too. After all, you are the one paying for the trip! You were thinking it, don’t lie!
MAKE MEMORIES:
Keep the routine but make the exception. Give the kids special experiences. Let them stay up “late” and see the stars. Let them have 2 s’mores because VACATION. This year has been a doozy. We all deserve a little breathe of fresh air (pun intended). Every night by bedtime we were all exhausted. We tried to have a ritual of listing the best part of our day and the not so great. It felt like summer camp. It was another fun memory that I hope my boys will associate with the special times we spent together.
SAFETY:
If you lock your house when you leave or are sleeping then lock your camper. We have never had any issues with anyone bothering our things but of course that’s different with every trip. We have had several conversations with our kids (especially the 4.5 year old) about strangers. We can be friendly, wave hello, say good morning, chat about their camper set up or whatever but we DO NOT KNOW THEM. A good conversation about what is ok and what is not ok is probably a good idea. Kids can feel brave in the outdoors and you want to make sure you are passing on your judgement to them. We watched our kids closely and were clear about the boundaries of our campsite. At night we would get them head lamps that were for kids, glow stick necklaces or similar so it was easy to find them. Calmed my worrying mama heart a little to be able to easily spot them. Good communication with your partner helps as well. If one of you is taking the kids to do an activity make sure to clearly tell the other parent. If you are taking one child and leaving the other clearly tell the other parent. Common sense but if you’re like me reminders on the obvious never hurt.
FOOD:
Keep a bit of formality about dinner time. Same rules that apply at home apply while camping. If you insist they sit while eating then they sit while eating while camping as well. Give them a colorful plate. I found that my kids were famished when we were camping from playing non stop. From 5-6pm everyday I would offer a veggie plate, or a new healthy food offered in a unique way. Since dinner over a campfire may take longer to cook this helped everyone make it to dinner time while filing their bellies with possibly new and healthy foods. There are so many camping meals that you can prep ahead of time. That was our saving grace. Chop and marinate all day and easy peesy when we got hangry. I prefer fruit and put it in containers in the cooler for all of us. That way we were snacking on the healthy goodies just like at home and not relying on prepackaged junk snacks all day. We planned meals ahead of time 2-3 days at a time, had a snack box for longer days in the car and picnic lunches. Restaurants were not open during this time so honestly we picnicked our way across the country. There’s something so “little house on the prairie” about that that I loved so much.
PACKING:
The problem with camping with young kids is they get dirty when camping. Outfits normally can’t be reworn like they can at home. So get creative. I sometimes use ziplock bags and presort their outfits by day. Our rule was kids are not allowed out of the camper without their clothes for the day. Saving the pjs from getting dirty. Grab the clothes bag I had presorted and bam everyone is dressed. Now, Where’s the coffee? RV parks have laundry facilities that we used more than once (about every 1.5 weeks). I packed easy clothes for mama that wouldn’t show dust, dirt or the remnants of a sticky marshmallow. Easy slide on shoes for all is a plus too. My rule is: one week before my trip I start paying attention to everything I use in my house. Especially for the kids, if it’s not used or it’s not needed for the elements while camping it doesn’t get packed. It’s a good reminder that most things are NOT a necessity! I recommend going to target or dollar tree and getting a hand full of kitchen necessities for your camper. A few plastic cups, plates, etc or go disposable. If your kids use kids sized plates, forks, sippy cups and such at home make sure you have those. Making life easy while camping is the real trick.
My biggest take away after experiences so many amazing things with my little family and now admitting I love camping is to DONT BE IN A RUSH. We have enough rush at home. Slow down. Enjoy your time more and ease the stress. Our time with our kids is already going by so quickly. Especially while making memories remember to give yourself an extra dose of patience. Some kids when excited have a hard time listening. Kids want to please you. They want to have fun. A crazy activity filled calendar or rushed mama feeling is waiting for you at home. Don’t let it join you on your trip. There is something about being outside, in the still ness that brings gratefulness. We have so much to be grateful for. Life isn’t easy right now. If you’ve been wanting to escape and really connect as a family I encourage you to go camping. Whatever that means to you! If you can’t physically go camping, make a campsite in your living room. Roast marshmallows on the stove, tell toddler spooky stories, go outside and look at the stars. Have fun friends.
XO, Brittany AKA “Crafty Mom”
