Many parents, like myself, have romanticized memories of great family camping adventures in our own childhoods, but that was a long time ago and the little details about what made those trips so fun, escapes us now. If you are one of the millions of moms or dads who is considering a family camping vacation this spring or summer, one of the issues you might be curious about is how to make camping fun and interesting to your kids.

Fortunately, these worries are more about our own insecurities and less about our children’s ability to enjoy being outdoors, as a family. Kids love the outdoors – maybe in a different way than us adults, but it’s still a genuine and honest love. One of my childhood memories is the first time I saw a banana slug in one of the redwood forests. The great, majestic old trees were of little interest to me, but those huge yellow slugs were like aliens from another planet!

My kids were just as excited as I was, at their age, when they spotted this banana slug in Oregon’s Coast Range mountains

Memories like this, from my childhood, help me to slow down and let my kids exercise their own curiosities when we are camping. If they want to stop and skip rocks across a stream, or poke a mud puddle with a stick for twenty minutes, well, our hike to the falls or the rock formation might just have to wait.

Where to Go Camping
When we, as parents, think about camping, we usually have grand visions of the great parks like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, or the Great Smoky Mountains. These are certainly awe-inspiring destinations, but your kids will probably be just as happy in your local county or state park and they will be even happier with less time spent in the car and more time spent at the campsite.

If you are new to camping, you might be surprised to find out that your city or county may manage campgrounds. These are usually great places to take the family camping, because many other people don’t know about them, either. This makes it much easier to reserve a campsite during the busy summer months, when more popular destinations are already full. You can find out if your city or county offers campgrounds by visiting the parks and recreation section of their website.

A tent site in one of California’s many state beach campgrounds

State parks are also great family camping destinations. Many of these parks are located near outdoor recreational attractions, such as lakes, which can provide your family with additional opportunities for fun and adventure. Many state parks also offer entertainment attractions, such as music and Junior Ranger programs, throughout the summer months. You can find out more about the state parks in your area by searching on your state’s name, along with the keywords ‘state parks’.

Gear You Will Need
If you are new to camping, the last thing that you want to do is to run out and spend a lot of money on camping gear. One of the benefits of family camping during these tough economic times is that it is an inexpensive vacation. Also, if you do not have a lot of experience camping as a family it is difficult to figure out exactly what kind of gear will work best for you.

A much better alternative, and one that is offered by many reputable outdoor gear stores throughout the country, is renting your camping gear. Renting gear not only makes sense from a budgetary standpoint, it’s also a great way to tryout different types of gear before you invest in purchasing for the long term.

You will need a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and a camping stove. It makes sense to purchase gear that you can also use for other family activities, such as an ice chest and camping chairs. When renting gear, plan to practice setting up the tent and trying out the stove at home – both to ensure you understand how everything goes together, and to check that none of the parts are missing.

Things to Do
Hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, or roasting marshmallows around the campfire – there are a lot of fun family activities that you can look forward to, on your family camping vacation. The campground’s web page will give you some specific ideas, based on the specific activities available. They will also provide a calendar of family events, like Junior Ranger programs, if available.

Card games are an easy and fun picnic table activity

When camping with kids you can never have too many games, for those down times when everyone is relaxing at the campsite. Our kids love to play Uno® and those memory card-matching games, which are easy to pack and can be played on a picnic table. Soccer balls, Frisbees® and an inexpensive horseshoe set or ring-toss game can also keep the kids busy, around the campsite.

‘F’ is for ferns!

Venturing away from the campground usually means hiking, which can sometimes be challenging with kids. One way to add interest to a hike is to make a game out of it. Start with the letter ‘A’ and challenge your kids to spot something that begins with that letter. After they see something, go to the next letter, and so on. The alphabet scavenger hunt is also a great way to fill up a family camping scrapbook, if you take a picture of each object that your kids discover. Plan on lots of breaks and bring along plenty of trail snacks and drinks.

Have Fun
Camping with kids can be as much fun for the parents, as it is for the kids. There are few things more satisfying than watching your kids explore and experience nature. This is where memories are made; catching their first fish, seeing their first wild animals, learning to skip a rock across the water – the things they’ll brag to all their friends about, when they get back to school.

Roy Scribner helps parents experience the great outdoors with their kids at CampingBlogger.net. He is a Travel Daddy to three children, ranging in ages from five to nine. You can follow him on Twitter at @campingblogger.

Do you have any camping with kids questions or a favorite camping location/activity you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Camping & Outdoor Pursuits

• Roar & Snore Campout the San Diego Wild Animal Park

• The Travel Mama’s Top 3 Hidden Gem Destinations

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