How to Prepare for the Outdoors When You Have Small Children

While many normal activities in the world are shut down, it is the perfect time to connect with your family and expose them to the joys of camping and spending time in nature. Having a plan and a way to make sure that your kids can have fun and stay happy and warm will help you to have a successful vacation with your kids.

Plan Fun Activities

With small children especially, it’s important to keep them occupied and happy while on outings away from home. If this is their first camp out, they might not need too many things to keep them entertained since the surrounding scenery will probably be unfamiliar. Planning easy hikes, campfires, playing in the water, or doing nature walks are all easy and fun ways to have bonding time with your kids and keep them entertained.

 If your children like to help cook, you can teach them how to cook in dutch ovens or make tin foil dinners in the campfire. Starting traditions you can carry on in your family will help them to make fun memories and give your family more ideas of what you like to do, or what you don’t.

Bring Bug Repellent

Make sure to bring bug repellent to ensure that your family outing doesn’t end in mosquito bites and tears. Applying before you start setting up camp, during the night, and the next day will help you to remain relatively, if not completely, bug bite free. When finding the best bug repellent, however, make sure to find kid-safe repellent that is safe. Some mosquito repellents aren’t safe for newborns. In this case, look for repellents that are kid safe and long lasting (if possible) and try to keep your kids covered to prevent excess bites.

Bring Warm Clothes

Depending on where and when you go camping, you will need to make sure to bring layers and lots of blankets to keep your family warm the entire weekend. Temperatures in the mountains drop at night meaning that you’ll need to make sure to bring extra socks, hats, blankets, and maybe even gloves. Warm kids are happy kids when it comes to the great outdoors!

Camping is one of the best ways to introduce your kids to new things and spend quality time together without all the distractions of the world. Making sure to plan fun activities, keep your family warm, and protect yourselves from bug bites is the easiest way to have a great time.

If you’re planning on hiking with your small children, try carrying them in a Piggyback Rider!