Letting kids have their own “zone” empowers them to explore and feel ownership of an area in your site. In addition, they can drag whatever around, make any mess, etc. without ripping your family tent apart. On a recent trip, our son and his friends referred to this area as “kid base” and we all thought that is a perfect name! Here is how we set up an amazing camping corner for the kids during our camping weekends!
Out Lightspeed Quick Shelter is the easiest thing to pop up and down. It is great for camping, but also the beach, park and sports games. We line the inside with cozy blankets the kids can picnic on and set up a small pop-up dining table for the kids to dine on. This table rolls up into a bag smaller than a camping chair so it is great for the beach, park, etc. as well. If we have a corner site or are camping where you can hang things on trees, our son LOVES his hammock. This is the easiest thing to set up and provides hours of joy, entertainment, and relaxation. You really can’t beat that corner spot on the beach! Add some battery-powered party lights and the “kid base” is complete!
ENTERTAINMENT
I love watching the kids’ imagination flourish in nature, but we do have a few games we usually pack up with us when heading out camping! In Part 3 of our Ultimate Guide to Camping with Kids, I mention glowsticks and wands as a fun things to bring along. Really anything that glows is extra fun when the sun goes down. Our son LOVES his glow football when we are camping. Light is huge with kids in the dark! Our son loves his headlamp too!
A few other things our son loves during the day are the Toss & Catch game, his Predator Card Game, binoculars for looking around, and his set of Plus Plus building blocks. These are all so easy to throw in a bag to let the kids enjoy!
No matter your child’s age, finding a book about camping or your destination to prepare them for the trip is always a fun way to increase their excitement and knowledge of the area. If your campground offers a Junior Ranger program, I highly recommend you have them participate. More on my love of the Junior Ranger programs here.
And finally, always have a first aid kit on hand when camping with kids! You will be happy to have it.
FANCY THINGS FOR CAMPING WITH KIDS
I wanted to include this fold-up table in my post because although we don’t have it, it brings back the best memories. It is so easy to transport and makes a great dining table for the kids as they get older. Right now we have them sitting on the ground, but as they grow this fold-up table is a great option!
Gathering around the campfire with kids is something they will always remember fondly. The campfire is the central gathering point of all camping experiences. Making dinner, roasting smores, and sharing stories with the people you love under the stars is priceless and what camping dreams are made of. Here are our tips for making your fireside relaxing even more comfortable!
A comfortable camping chair is essential for relaxing by the campfire with kids. There are so many cute camping chair options for kids depending on their preferences. We love these Coleman chairs because they fold up quickly, have great cupholders, storage, and even have a 4-can cooler hanging from the armrest. You don’t even have to get up! Super convenient for baby’s milk and snacks like string cheese to have within reach while you are relaxing.
Once we had a baby, I added this rocking camping chair to the mix and I am pretty excited about it! Although a little pricier, this chair has been amazing for rocking her to sleep by the fire. It will double to do the same during her brother’s baseball games. The only drawback is this chair’s cupholder is not ideal. I am looking into adding this clip-on cupholder to increase the storage on the chair. However, I still love this chair and cannot recommend it enough! Especially for those camping with babies.
A friend shared this luxury camping rocker/stargazing chair. It is definitely a luxury but looks pretty dreamy too! Stargazing is so fun to do with kids camping. Depending on where you are camping, stargazing can be incredible at night (check out my post on Joshua Tree or Borrego Springs if you are looking for a great stargazing site). If your child is into stargazing, definitely build on that interest with a stargazing set and astronomy book to help them explore more!
FIRE
No campsite is complete without a great fire (unless you are camping during a red flag warning in the famous Southern California Santa Ana winds). Make sure you purchase firewood from your campground or the local town as bringing wood into different habitats can spread disease and damage surrounding vegetation. Also, many times campground firewood is cash only, so be prepared. We love having firestarter to assure a great fire in less than desirable conditions. Don’t forget your lighter!
EXTRA FUN FOR THE CAMPFIRE WITH KIDS
Depending on the temperatures where you are camping, plan to layer your kids up! Jackets, beanies, cozy socks, and possible mittens are all great choices. We love lap blankets for everyone sitting around the fire. Our son loves wearing his headlamp to roast his marshmallows and explore the site at night. Finally, glow sticks are a huge hit with kids around the campfire. Let them create necklaces, wands, and bracelets to their heart’s content! Check out Part 2 of our guide for more info on how we do smores by the fire!
The camping kitchen is key to a successful camping trip. Knowing what to pack for your camping kitchen will lead to a successful trip! Mealtime while camping works best when meals are planned & prepped in advance, supplies are organized and food is plentiful! Waking up to hot coffee and the smell of bacon is ideal camping – searching for every utensil in a never-ending bag in the dark is not. What basics do you need to pack for your camping kitchen? Here is our list of how to pack your family-friendly camping kitchen under the stars!
KITCHEN BASICS
COOLER
You definitely need a large cooler to hold your food and beverages. There is quite a range in quality (and price) with coolers, but large is key. We love packing our cooler with frozen water bottles on the bottom (they act as “ice” and turn into extra drinking water as they defrost) and grouping small items in large bags to make finding them easier. I may group everything for the baby in one gallon Ziploc and another for our son’s meds and high-fat grab-and-go snacks. We also love having a smaller cooler to store extra ice in for beverages or to add to our main cooler as the ice melts.
FIRE
No campsite is complete without a great fire (unless you are camping during a red flag warning in the famous Southern California Santa Ana winds). Make sure you purchase firewood from your campground or the local town as bringing wood into different habitats can spread disease and damage surrounding vegetation. Also, many times campground firewood is cash only, so be prepared. We love having a firestarter to assure a great fire in less than desirable conditions. Don’t forget your lighter!
COOKING
We love our stovetop burner. It is perfect for the tea kettle in the morning. It can handle one sauté pan with eggs or bacon in the morning and makes warming sliced sausage or cooked veggies fast and easy at night. However, we have this grill on our wishlist to take our meat to the next level. Grilling steaks or burgers over the campfire is fun but this will allow more control over the temperature. Don’t forget a headlamp for your head chef!
DISHES
Dishes are never the favorite camping, but a few items can make the process much easier. First, I love bringing meats and veggies marinating in disposable bags ready for the grill. I also break eggs into mason jars for each morning to have them ready to go. These small preps at home make a big difference in the flow of the day. Another way to cut down on dishes is to use disposable dinnerware and cups. Bonus points for eco-friendly options!
However, you will have dishes and a dishpan is ideal to bring water back to your site. I love how this one is collapsible for storage and has handles in case your water spigot is a few sites away. I always have small dish soap and a sponge to tidy up after meals. A few extra kitchen towels always come in handy too.
COFFEE
Coffee is a key piece of a camping morning. We always have a large water jug that we use to fill our tea kettle. Throw it on the burner to boil and add 4 heaping Tbsp. of ground coffee to the french press. Pout in the boiling water and VOILA! In just a few minutes you have the best morning coffee waiting for you.
There is definitely something magical about camping coffee. My husband making my morning coffee is for sure part of my love language! We love sipping it from our metal camping mugs, but I am looking forward to adding these Yeti coffee mugs to our camping stash soon! This way the coffee stays warm throughout the morning. I love to drag out my coffee time! Ha!
COOKING TOOLS
First off, I highly recommend keeping all of your kitchen basics in one or two large bins that keep things clean from dirt or ash that wind blows around. Half the time I throw things in bags and immediately regret it the next morning! Throw a tablecloth down over your picnic table and set things up from there!
UTENSILS
We always bring silicone spatulas for eggs and other veggie/meat sautés. Tongs are essential for meats and salads. A great non-stick pan is key for cooking on the burner. Roasting sticks are great for roasting smores and hot dogs/sausages. If you are camping with kids, roasting marshmallows is almost guaranteed and these telescoping roasting sticks keep them a safe distance away from the fire!
If you are cooking meat, plan to have a great knife and cutting board. I love these cutting boards because they are large enough for big cuts of meat and thin enough to throw in our bag easily. They are easy to store at home too – and they fit in the dishwasher. I usually throw in a paring knife and a larger knife with covers like these. However, I just came across this set and kind of love how it is all together and can stay in the garage with the camping stuff! One less thing to think about packing. I love having a pair of scissors too. It is amazing how much we end up using them!
FOOD STORAGE
Aluminum foil is great for making pouches of veggies to grill or wrapping up leftovers. I also love to have a variety of extra Ziplocs and Tupperware for storage too. Don’t forget trash bags! You only have to camp in crazy winds once to realize how important advanced food prep and storage plans are!
DRINKS
When camping in the cold, koozies are a must! I love these HaloVino stemless wine glasses too! They are perfect for the campsite and keep your wine tasting just right. Don’t forget your wine & beer opener and cups to match your beverage of choice. An extra stash of cups is a great idea too. You will be surprised how many uses you find – between scooping sand or storing toothbrushes, extra cups are always useful!
CLEANING
Here I come with the cleaning again. Ha! I get that camping is dirty, but here are a few things that help me keep a handle on it all with kids. Baby wipes on our main table are a staple. They are so versatile between cleaning up, wiping dirt off pans and utensils, wiping hands, and even taking a morning “wipe down shower” to freshen up! A roll of paper towels is a great thing to have and in our new COVID era, sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer are just as important.
MEAL IDEAS
When you think about how to pack your camping kitchen, it is important to think about what you are going to be cooking in that kitchen! Here are a few of our tips for packing and easy, go-to meal ideas! I am excited to start getting more creative with our camping menus, but these are some basics that have been easy for us!
PACKING TIPS
Fill 3/4 and freeze smaller water bottles or 1/2 gallon milk containers to keep your cooler cold. Pack your produce washed and ready to go (sliced, diced, etc.) Put meal items in gallon Ziplocs to make grabbing them out of the cooler easier. Bring meats and veggies seasoned and marinated in bags as well – the key is to have as much as possible ready to go! Don’t forget any preferred seasonings, your oil of choice, butter, salt & pepper. Juice, milk, or other liquids can be poured into smaller jars or purchased in smaller portions to save space.
Veggie & Potato Pouches (chop, marinade, and place in foil pouches – place on side of the grill while you cook)
Bagged Salad (I love to take these out of the bag and place the lettuce and topping packages in a large rectangular container that I can use to store, shake and serve from )
Don’t forget your smore ingredients! You can purchase separately or grab a kit that has it all! I sometimes make “smore bags” for the kids with the ingredients they need already sorted into small bags to make passing them out fast! This is especially helpful on windy nights.
FANCY THINGS
When you look into what to pack for your camping kitchen, there is always a new gadget to help you out! I love checking out new camping items and throwing them on an Amazon wishlist for the holidays. Seems like everyone is asking what we want and I love having it ready to go. If you want to get extra fancy, you can set yourself up on this portable kitchen. And cook a feast on this standing grill! You can also throw one of these pop-up screened canopy tents around your dining area to ensure bug-free eating if you are camping somewhere with intense bugs!
The thought of camping with kids can feel like way too much work! Our tips for camping with kids will help you gather what you need, pack for true comfort, and plan a successful camping trip! You can even start a wishlist of gear to start accumulating over the years. Here is a list of our favorites for a family-friendly, COMFORTABLE camping weekend!
We love getting into nature and COVID-19 has only pushed us to do so more! During a recent beach camping adventure, friends wanted more info on some of our gear and setup. They kept encouraging me to write a post full of our tips for camping with kids! So, here it all is! Our ultimate guide to camping with kids. For families that are not comfortable with their camping flow, do not be discouraged! We started with a few key pieces and grew from there. We add a few things to our packing list every trip. Most importantly, comfort is key!
Please note, our tips for camping with kids are more for those families looking to camp in comfort, not families looking to carry the load in a backpack! Packing light is not my strong suit! Camping requires more than a hotel stay, but is sure to give your kids lifelong memories! Isn’t that what we really want? I can only hope my kids will look back and talk fondly about all of the fun things we shared while they were growing up.
This is Part 1 of our Ultimate Guide to Camping with Kids!
A TENT WITH THE COMFORTS OF HOME
I absolutely love our tent! At 10 x 14ft, it gives us all the additional space we need with the baby and a little more room to grow. In addition, it pops right up! No messing around with poles, or trying to connect poles where the inside wire has lost its elasticity! During our last camping trip to the beach, it did drip some marine layer dew through the roof, so I definitely want to pick up the rainfly soon for added protection in inclement weather! You can click the pictures for more details and specs about our tent!
Don’t forget a rubber mallet to hammer down your stakes, as well as a tarp to protect the bottom of your tent. We also love putting down a large mat outside of the tent to use as a doormat for shoes, toys, etc. We always have a Swiss Army Knife for whatever may come up, and it always is great to lift the stakes out of the ground when packing up.
COMFORTABLE TENT CAMPING SLEEP IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
We set up the tent to feel like a bedroom. Our air mattresses have built-in pumps that fill quickly. When you are packing up, you can reverse the pump to pull all of the air out of the mattress to make rolling them up for storage super fast. The air mattresses are extra tall which makes them super cozy.
Our sleeping bags keep us super warm down to 20 degrees and are easily pushed back into the storage bags. They also have straps that will hook to a backpack if you are doing something more adventurous. We also love a big flat sheet under our sleeping bags and a big cozy blanket over them for early morning snuggles with the kids! For baby, we are currently using our pack and play, but this toddler airbed will be in the mix before we know it! Our son used this all the time from ages 2-6 and we loved it!
OTHER COMFORTS OF HOME TO CONSIDER
I love having a small fold-up table that acts as a nightstand for phones, water, and our lantern next to our air mattress. Our lantern charges our phones through USB too which is awesome because my battery is always dying. Our son is sometimes nervous going to sleep alone in the tent, so carabiner flashlights are great for him to clip to the window zipper by his bed. I also love hanging clip lightbulbs from the center of our tent just to have a quick light I can find fast if someone needs something during the night.
A FEW WAYS TO KEEP THINGS AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE… HA!
In my quest for comfort, I love a cozy tent. Obviously clean and camping do not go hand-and-hand, but here are a few things that make it a little cozier with kids. Our pop-up hamper comes with us whenever we travel, but it was especially great to catch all of the sand from our last beach adventure. I love a big, thick blanket on the floor for added warmth and comfort when you first step in. This is also a great help when you are breaking down and can shake out most of the sand/dirt, etc before sweeping the rest up with a mini broom and dustpan. I love carabiners for hanging anything, and I always have a mini garbage bag in the tent for diapers or wipes and all of the random things that end up in the tent!
ADDED SECURITY
Some of these suggestions are not relevant depending on where you are. Some campgrounds (like our Southern California beaches) have high theft rates, so I like to do what we can to secure our belongings. We try to store expensive items in the car (our generator, our son’s medical equipment, and meds) to prevent a loss that would be difficult to remedy. We keep bikes locked or in the car as well. I love to use a small carabiner to “lock” our tent from the inside when we are sleeping. This is an especially great tip for camping with kids you are worried about wandering off to explore in the early morning hours. If necessary, you can also use suitcase locks to “lock” your tent when you are gone during the day.
We took a while to get into camping when our son was born due to Cystic Fibrosis needs. As we became more comfortable with his diagnosis and routine, we began to explore how to meet these needs out in nature. He needs to take over 17 medications every day. The medications are administered through over 40 pills, sterile saline rinses, nebulizer breathing treatments, and multiple vest therapies a day that requires electricity.
Between family vacations and family an eight-hour drive away, we have covered a lot of miles on the road with our son over the years. Whether we are visiting family, traveling for the holidays, or taking our own adventure, we have become used to long periods of time in the car together. Now we are adding our baby girl to the mix, so we get to start all over with newborn road trips. I’ve had many people ask about how our son handles the long drives, so I thought I would put this list together for all of you. Here are the following essentials I always have packed for a road trip with kids!
1. CAR TRAY
Our son’s car tray is a road trip essential and he LOVES using it. It is used for eating, doing homework, playing, watching a DVD, etc. The trays with sides are awesome to keep projects from spilling. I love when they fold up for storage in the car under the passenger seat. The pockets on the side keep things organized during the drive. There are many options for car trays, but an old cafeteria tray will work too! Don’t forget a tray on your next road trip with kids.
2. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
Keeping your child busy is essential for road trip success. This section could go on and on, but I will pick a few of our son’s favorites. These ideas also double for grab-and-go entertainment in a restaurant, event, etc where your kids need something to keep them busy. Basic coloring books fall under this category, but here are a few of our son’s more engaging favorites.
MAGNETIC PLAY TINS & BOOKS – love these because the magnets keep the pieces together – SUPER helpful when you are in the front seat and can’t reach around easy!
MAGNETIC STORY SETS – his favorite was “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site“ – ideal with stories they know and love so they can recreate stories with characters they love.
WIKI STICKS – as a teacher I loved these for making letters, math projects, finding sight words in big books, etc. I had kind of forgotten about them until we went to Nick’s in Laguna Beach and they gave them to our son with the kids menu. Our son was so engaged through the whole meal and now they are an easy tool for distraction! They never dry out and can stick to papers, tins, trays, etc. I love this travel kit! Easy to grab and throw in the car. Perfect for a road trip with kids.
TAKE APART ERASERS – my son loves these! They can fall apart and be messy, but he is so engaged with them. I actually take apart each animal and put it in a plastic easter egg. I usually have a set or two in 1/2 an egg crate ready to explore. You can get food, animals, sea life, etc. They are like mini-puzzles and keep him so engaged. I actually started using them on planes but they are great in the car too. Just annoying if they start falling on the ground, but if a piece falls, we tell our son to move on until the next stop!
MAGNETIC WOOLY WILLY – Ha! My son loves this thing. Easy to throw in and super engaging for kids!
TRAVEL ART SET – My son loves this set! Paper, markers, colored pencils, and more all fit inside this easy-to-grab (and slide between seats) case!
LACING ACTIVITIES – My son loved beads on a pipe cleaner, but lacing cards work too! Pipe cleaners hold the beads better to cut back on large spills of beads all over the car! Put the beads in a cup that will fit in the car seat cup holder and let little fingers create while working on their fine motor skills! Lacing is a win-win.
WATER WOW BOOKS – These are so awesome because all you need is water! So easy to clean up and so simple for the car. They have engaging topics for all interests!
STICKER STORY– This was a fun “go-to” activity in my Kindergarten class. Create a story from stickers. Kids can label, write a sentence or make a book with papers, markers & stickers. Always fun to see what they come up with! Just start with some high-interest stickers for your child!
Leading up to a trip, the $1 bins at Target and Michaels are always fun to check too. They tend to have thematic activities that correspond to seasons, hobbies, etc. so you can grab things that may match your trip!
3. GAMES
Games are great in the car on road trips with kids because they keep everyone happy, laughing, and engaged with each other. Our son’s favorite game – 2 TRUTHS & A LIE – has led to so many fun stories and conversations. Some of his other favorites are:
ROAD TRIP BINGO – My husband makes fun of me when I break this one out! I love it! Takes me back to riding cross country in the station wagon as a kid. Everyone needs this BINGO in their road trip entertainment arsenal.
MAD LIBS – Our son LOVES Mad Libs! Mad Libs are so easy and entertaining in the car. I especially love them now that our son is learning parts of speech. We used to say things like “something you do” for verbs, etc. Now he can play them with friends too!
I SPY TRAVEL – Our son loves I SPY and is the easiest game in the car. These cards are great, but you really don’t need any cards to play!
HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE – Highlights has tons of engaging subscriptions in their magazines! My son’s favorite is the sticker matching pages in Puzzle Buzz. I love that Highlights targets specific age groups and you can adjust your subscription as your child gets older. These are also great for road trips because you can toss the magazine once your child has worked through it!
MAGNETIC GAMES – Just like the magnetic activities above, magnets are great in the car to reduce drops! our son loves matching games and the classic Tic-Tac-Toe. These are also so easy to store in the pocket behind the driver and passenger seats.
WENDY’S KIDS MEAL TOYS – Just another thing I want to note here. We have always loved the toys that come in Wendy’s kid’s meal. They are usually games or activities for the car that require thinking, exploring, etc. vs a random keychain your child will never play with again. Just something to think about when you are deciding where to stop for food!
4. MINI TOYS
This seems like a given, but it is important to bring a few of your child’s favorite little toys along. Try to think about toys that inspire creativity. For our son, it has been small superhero action figures, Disney Pixar die-cast cars, and small lego sets. If you are doing screens on your drive, try to think about small toys you may have that correlate to the movie they may be watching on the drive. My son LOVES playing cars as he watches Cars. He loves to play shark legos as he watches Discovery Channel shark shows. It can be fun to surprise your child with a few of these along the drive too!
5. PODCASTS
We have had a lot of fun listening to entertaining Podcasts with our son on the road. He loved the comedy THIS PODCAST HAS FLEAS during a road trip a few years ago. It is great when you can find one that you all enjoy listening to. Currently, he is super into WHAT IF WORLD. If your children need to calm down, BE CALM ON AHWAY ISLAND is a great pick. Pick out a new, engaging podcast to try on a road trip with kids!
Read-along books are great for road trips with kids, but they are useful to have in the car all of the time. They can tuck in the pocket in front of your child. Disney makes cheap read-along books with CDs that go with almost every movie. Through the distance learning COVID brought all of us, we were introduced to the app Epic with tons of audiobooks to listen to. We found we had several in our library which we were able to pair together for a listening center in the car! The scholastic book orders your child’s school probably sends home are a great, cheap way to grow your book & CD collection too.
7. OPTIONAL – *SCREENS*
Uggggg, OK I am saying it. Screens. Like we have not had enough. But let’s be real and honest and we know they help in times like the car. However, I will say a few things here. When we do our big National Park trips, we DO NOT bring the iPad. I can write a novel on how I think iPad changes my son, but I will spare you. I am not going to preach here, because my son has PLENTY of screen time, but it is important to think about the role the screen will play on your trip.
For our son, knowing the iPad is in the car almost makes him obsess over it the entire trip. So for us, it is not ideal. However, we will sometimes bring his Nintendo Switch or our travel DVD player. Depending on where you are going, you may not have cell service, so a pad may not work. In addition, unless you have unlimited data, the charges can start adding up if you let your kids go wild on the pad.
Our car does not have a built-in DVD player, but a friend recommended this one and we have loved it! It is great because we can bring into hotels for our son’s breathing treatment time. Each trip, we pick a few favorite Disney movies and some corresponding toys. I love watching him enjoy movies he wouldn’t give the time of day during regular day-to-day life. Especially when they are movies he LOVED as a toddler (uhmmmm Cars, yes please!).
8. SNACKS
This kind of goes along with water in the way that you don’t want whining, “I’m hungry” as soon as you get on the road. We don’t do snacks that create a huge mess during road trips with kids (if possible). Our son love string cheese, yogurt pouches, BBQ chips, crackers, and cashews. Again, please remember our son has CF and has a need for a high-fat, high-calorie diet that is probably different than what your child needs. It is great to have a variety of snacks (for you too!) as road trip snacking tends to be heavy. When you pack your snacks, think about items that will avoid crazy spills and are easy to pass behind you. If you want to try something new and not think too much about it, these boxes are a fun way to make your road trip snack game strong!
9. WATER
This seems like a silly item to include, but it is so important. I have mentioned our need for water because our son takes over 40 pills a day as part of his fight against Cystic Fibrosis, but water is important for every child! The last thing you want to hear is whiny, “I’m thirsty” when you are on a road trip with kids! We love stainless water bottles that keep the water icy cold without condensation dripping all over our son’s car seat.
In addition, water creates no sticky spills or messes. Brightly colored, large water bottles allow your child to find their bottle in the backseat without asking for unnecessary help. Water is the only beverage (outside of our son’s high-calorie milk – CF-related need) that we have going on during road trips. No chugging sugar bomb drink, spilling sticky juice all over the backseat, and no unwrapping and poking straws while twisting my back around to reach!!
10. CLEAN UP
Not the most exciting part, but a VERY necessary part of a road trip with kid travel! Our son gets carsick, so Kids Dramamine and barf bags are a must. So simple to have with you and they can make all the difference in your day. I won’t get into how many times we have been taking the car seat apart in a gas station parking lot to clean out the mess. These barf bags have saved SO many days.
Another thing that saves the day? Wipes! As mothers, we know this. Always make sure you have plenty within arms reach on your road trip!
Also, we always have our potty from back in the potty training days. This thing has saved us several times when bathrooms were closed, totally disgusting, or just unavailable. You can always pull over and set your child up on the side of the road with this thing. This was especially helpful during the beginning of COVID closures. This potty was essential for potty training and years later is still useful in time-sensitive situations. When on a road trip with kids, make sure you have a backup plan for all things potty!
The last thing I want to note about road trips with kids is to PLAN YOUR STOPS! Check out what you can do on your route. Nothing is worse than the tensions boiling and uncomfortable kids driving. There are so many quirky stops where you can let your kids run, stretch their legs, and burn off a little energy. Planning for these moments will help make the drive better for EVERYONE in the car! Don’t let a road trip with kids hold you back from your next adventure! Anything else you would add to my list?
These are the items we make sure to pack when heading out on a National Park adventure with our (now) seven-year-old son. Some are more specific for certain places and plans, but they are all something to think about when you begin to pack based on your itinerary. This is our list of the “must-haves” for adventuring with kids in National Parks.
Our son’s backpack has been awesome over the years. It is lightweight and very durable. I can even throw it in the washing machine after a trip to clean it up. It is small enough to fit in a suitcase but large enough to fit a few of our son’s favorite things on hikes. In reality, a young child is not going to carry a heavy pack hiking, but this allows him to keep a few things he wants to have access to in an easy place to grab them. It is much better than, “can I have my _________?” over and over when hiking! Our son loves how he can connect carabiners to the outside to make access to some items even easier! He even used this as his preschool backpack too! Shout out to Uncle Raymond for this rad gift.
Just another note I feel fits here – whether you carry it or your child carries it, please make sure to always have sunscreen, bug protection, and a first aid kit in you or your child’s pack. These are so important for adventuring with kids in National Parks. You don’t need a beautiful hike ruined because you don’t have a band-aid. We all know band-aids are a magic fix to so many things!
This is such an important item for us! Almost all National Parks have stopped selling plastic water bottles and now provide fresh water filling stations through the park. You will never find my son without a water bottle or water bladder in his backpack. In addition to the importance of hydration when hiking in general, our son has Cystic Fibrosis and can dehydrate easily. In addition, he takes over 40 pills a day with meals in order to digest the food he eats, so having water to swallow the 7 pills per meal is important.
Kids love these stainless bottles because the water can stay icy cold throughout a long day. I also feel better about them laying around in the sun being stainless versus plastic. Our son always tells us the water tastes better from a Hydroflask!
We purchased this sun hat before our Summer 2019 Road Trip and it has been such a great purchase. It is not too expensive and very lightweight. It can be shoved in our son’s backpack and washed in the washing machine when we get home (ha – notice a theme here for me!). The cord allows it to be hooked onto his backpack and mesh gives him ventilation in the heat. It has UV 50+ protection and I love how the neck flap protects the back of his neck from the sun. So many kids fight sunscreen, so it is great to have an extra layer of protection when exploring National Parks with kids!
This purchase started more as a souvenir in Zion National Park to make our son feel like a “real hiker,” but we quickly realized we were glad we had it. He uses it often to feel he’s “dressed the part,” but in Zion, it stabilized him in the water and rocks of the Narrows, and in Bryce National Park it helped keep him up as we descended into the canyon. We love how it is adjustable so if he is tired of using it, we can collapse it and hook it to our backpack versus someone always having to carry it. Our son’s hiking stick was from the Zion visitor center, but I linked one that is very similar – and cheaper! Ha!
These are just fun to have. I cannot tell you how many times we have used our binoculars and been happy to have them! Between looking for California Condors in Zion National Park and looking for whales from Cabrillo National Monument our son has used them all over! He watched climbers scale El Capitan and a bear cross a meadow in Yosemite. These binoculars have offered some awesome experiences. They are small, fit in his pack and allow him to explore the park even more. When a crowd is standing around watching a bear, he felt very cool whipping out his binoculars to have an up-close view!
My dad had an old Canon Power Shot and now that everyone uses their iPhone for photos, we thought why not let our son play around with it? He is old enough to take care of it in his pack, but I linked a camera that can take a little more wear and tear from younger kids. It is fun to see the trip through their lens when you get home. Sometimes we get 15 squirrel pictures, and other times we get sweet “family selfies” that we will always cherish. How many times have your kids watched you take a picture? They want to be a part of that too!
When visiting National Parks with kids, you have to check these out! I absolutely love the Junior Ranger program at National (and CA State) parks. It is free and enriches your child’s experience in the park. They learn about the geology, history, plants, and animals in the park. The park-specific booklets double as dinner entertainment and challenge your child to look, listen and explore the park in ways they may not have done without the activities.
My son has such pride when he returns to a park ranger, takes his oath, and achieves his badge. Some parks give out a beautiful wooden badge, others have a plastic badge. My son thinks the plastic with gold trim is the cream of the crop in Junior Ranger badges. We had fun making a display for his badges from cut-off jeans, three safety pins, a stick, and some burlap twine. The stick was not from a National Park! Your Junior Ranger will learn to take nothing during visits!
The Junior Ranger Passport is a lot of fun too! It is the child version of the adult National Park Passport, with the same categories only broken down into more pictures, space for stamps, and illustrations. There is space for your “date of visit” cancellation and your child’s “Junior Ranger” cancellation. This book will be cherished for years as every visit adds to the personalization of the booklet! I cannot wait to see the stamps grow over the years! This is a * must-have* if you see your family having multiple National Park trips.
I love these little books! These are an inexpensive way for kids to get excited about your trip! Our son is seven, so they are aimed at the younger reader, but the idea is for them to have a book about the park that your child can adore. These books are great to read before we go, in the car on the way and during our visit. We make a point to check out specific things from the book (usually we are already going to most of them).
The inside cover of the books turns into a mini scrapbook from our trip. We use them to stamp his National Park Passport cancellations in, Junior Ranger stamps in, and place any stickers he may get from the rangers in the park. For $6, they are a great kick-off to your trip. Anything in the visitor center will be more expensive, so why not order ahead? I am linking the different parks here for your convenience. They have a variety of parks available at times, but current availability on Amazon is Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Great Smokey Mountains, Glacier, Everglades, Hawaii Volcanoes, and Acadia.
For some reason hanging things off my son’s pack just makes him feel like a true hiker. It is so easy to attach his binoculars or camera to his pack with a carabiner. We really love these flashlight carabiners as you never know when you may run out of daylight and they are tiny enough to always have attached to something. They are also a great light to hang from the top of your tent when you are getting things ready for bed! Carabiners are also a fun thing to purchase with kids from the National Park visitor centers as a souvenir!
This is so important!!! The wrong shoes for your child can RUIN your hike. You can plan away, pack all the right things, set out with the best of intentions and if you don’t have the right shoes everything will begin to spiral quickly. If you purchase new hiking boots for a specific trip, please make sure your child is able to wear them before the trip. Nothing is worse than a child with the wrong shoes, or shoes that are giving blisters because they have not been broken in. Our son LOVES these Merrell hiking boots for kids. They have had a lot of miles put on them and still are in great shape.
In preparation for the Narrows in Zion, I wanted to get him some water-friendly hiking shoes. Although the hiking boots are actually waterproof, I knew we may not have enough time between adventures for them to fully dry after the narrows. I found water shoes similar to these at the Merrell outlet and they worked great! I cannot recommend making sure your kids are dialed in with the right shoes before any big adventures!!
Hope this list of “must-have” items for kids in National Parks gets you started in your prep for an awesome family adventure! Always remember that a comfortable & engaged child is going to be a happy child! A happy child is sure to lead to a better experience for the entire family exploring the parks! Anything else you would add to the list?
Creating family adventures and sharing them with you!
