Intro to Family Camping

Will Your RV Work?

Ask yourself the following:

• Is it big enough for everyone to be comfortable?
• Where will everyone sleep?
• Where will everyone ride while driving?
• Who will be the primary driver/how will you tow it?
• Does it have all your required features – kitchen, bath, connections, etc?
• Does it have too many conveniences for you to get the ‘roughing it’ experience or do you want a more ‘glamper’ style?

Destination(s)

Consider where you’re actually going. With younger kids look for family-friendly campgrounds with amenities/activities that suit you. Private and government campgrounds will offer different prices and features, as well as first-come-first-serve and reservation options, so make sure you take into account what’s easiest for you. 

Consider:

• Lot sizes and privacy
• Hook-ups
• Amenities like showers, forests, walking paths, or lake access
• How much are you willing to pay?

Activities

Now just what are you going to do? This will probably be considered when checking out your location so consider what everyone wants to get out of your trip. When you’re at camp, make sure you do at least one thing every person asked to do while planning. 

Introducing Camping

Even just creating a fake fire pit and ‘play’ camping at home can help younger kids get used to the idea of camping. The preparation for adventure is an awesome experience of learning for you and your kids (even if by this point it’s old hat for you). But ‘practicing’ camping can introduce the concept of living in a smaller shared space together and what will be available at camp. 

Helping your kids understand what a campground is can be helpful too, especially if you don’t want to mislead them. You can walk through a local park or campground, point out fire pits, picnic tables, camping platforms, and explain the set up.

Your kids might be fascinated with how the table or sofa converts into a bed, or you can walk them through what the bathroom is like and how the kitchen is organized. Talk about who will sleep where and how you’ll have meals and the kinds of things they can and can’t bring along. 

Asking specific questions instead of broad ones can also help with planning and expectations. For example, when cleaning up after a day of play you can point out two toys that would be practical to bring (so easy to store and hard to lose crucial pieces) and ask which they would like to have with them, or during dinner, if it’s one that would be easy to prepare at camp, ask them if this would be something they’d like to eat in the RV. 

No Bull Tip! A great concept to teach your kids is Leave No Trace.

This can also be a great opportunity to start teaching them about nature, making vacation a great education opportunity. If you’re camping in a National Park there will often be lots of educational features for kids to enjoy. Encouraging your kids’ curiosity can only pay back dividends down the line!

Putting together your mini-scientist’s kit? Consider adding the following:

• Magnifying glass
• Tape measure
• Notebook and pencil(s)
• Colored pencils
• Disposable camera
• Flashlight
• Binoculars