By Renee Martinez, Founder of Raising Boys World
Family camping outings are a great way to go on an adventure and not break the bank. Whether you choose to stay in a tent, camper, cabin, yurt, state park, or rough it with no plumbing, you’ll be sure to create lasting memories with your family.
I LOVED camping with my family! I have very fond memories of getting marshmallows stuck in my hair from s’mores gone bad, leaving my sneakers to dry out by the fire only to find that they melted, picking flowers for mom and a nice rash from poison ivy too… sounds like a fun time you’d like to share with your family, right? Honestly, I do have wonderful memories of camping.
Going on a family camping adventure can be a breeze if, like any other trip, you take some initial time to plan and organize. Try to get your children involved with making decisions as to where you’ll go or what accommodation you will stay in. Having each child choose an activity that they want to do while camping will get them excited about the trip, and perhaps even encourage them to help you prepare without too much whining.
If it’s your first time camping (and you know you want to camp more in the future), it’s extra important to pull it off without any major problems or you will never go camping with your family again. You may want your first trip to be in a place with running water, bathrooms and showers.
Plan which activities you want to do, and make sure to bring the proper equipment. Don’t forget rainy day activities, in case you’re stuck in the tent/cabin/yurt for a few hours. Bring scissors and paper, as well as a camera and/or video camera. Have the kids make a scrapbook of the trip. It’ll be fun creative “downtime” and souvenirs from your adventure.
Practice setting up your tent. You may even want to let the kiddos play in it for a bit. Or better yet, why not camp in your backyard for a night before your adventure. This way you can plan for sleeping details and the kids will get excited about the trip. Or if it goes badly… you can change your mind all together and plan a back-up vacation involving a hotel before the kids get too into the idea of camping.
Make a checklist. Just to make sure you remember everything you need.
Bring a flashlight for every family member and a battery operated (bring plenty of batteries) lantern for each tent, if possible. NO propane lanterns in the tents! Glow sticks are fun too.
Bug repellent, sunscreen, large plastic bags and extra towels are a must.
Plan a menu so you know what you’re eating. Make it easy. And bring lots of water.
Teach your children about safety and how to respect nature. Don’t forget to bring a first aid kit, you never know when you might need one. Be sure to show the kids what poison ivy and poison oak looks like! Having a child with an itchy rash is bad enough when you are in the comfort of your own home, trust me when I tell you that you don’t want any rashes while staying in a tent.
Most importantly, have fun!
About the Author: Renee Martinez is the mother of 4 boys, the founder of RaisingBoysWorld.com, www.socialmediabizsummit.com, and the president of RubyMarCom (www.rubymarcom.com), a boutique marketing communications company. Her business blog (www.lisac95.sg-host.com), provides resources on everything marketing and social media related for her active audience.
Renee is an adjunct professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY where she teaches social media marketing in the business school. Find Renee on Twitter at @reneemmartinez.
Photo of the tent by “geojanitor“, found on Flickr
