Should You Take the Kids Camping?

Kids need to camp. All kids, whether they are raised on the farm or in the city, benefit from the experience of family camping. Group camping with organizations, such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, can provide some of the same benefits, but the memory of helping Dad build a campfire can outshine even the glitter of a trip to Disney World.

And a camping vacation generally doesn’t break the bank or require years of saving to accomplish. The average cost of accommodations per night for a family of four camping is somewhere around $25. There are pricier spots, but there are also hundreds more that are considerably less. Also take into consideration that camping allows you to eat all or part of your meals at camp rather than at high-priced restaurants, and the savings grow even larger. In most cases, even if you rent equipment, camping is the best travel bargain to be found.

Camping is the perfect opportunity for your children to develop an appreciation of nature. Ever see a kid at the deer and elk exhibit at the zoo? It’s a big yawn. But let those same kids spot one grazing in the meadow beside their campground and you’ll see real excitement. And, if they spot a moose or a bear? They’ll tell the story for years. Kids today are bombarded with television shows about nature, but knowing the facts about the world around them isn’t enough. Camping takes the passivity out of learning about nature. Only by stepping into the wild themselves will children feel the awe.

Likewise, history, archeology, and paleontology are brought to life when children spend time living on the same piece of land where dinosaurs or ancient peoples once roamed. Indian paintings on a cliff wall have a much stronger impact than pictures in history books. And camping down the road from a rock wall containing thousands of dinosaur bones beats any museum trip.

Even if your family camping trip doesn’t bring you into contact with any of the above, it will bring you into closer contact with each other. While the close quarters in the car driving to the campground may be a little too much togetherness for some families, those same families will often find that a tent or trailer parked in a small campsite is just the right amount of space. There are no bedrooms for teenagers to hide out in and few closed doors that have to be yelled through. There are probably scientific studies that supply facts and statistics about the comfort derived in being close to the people you love, but why not just test the idea yourself?

Camping skills are wonderful confidence builders for kids of all ages. Learning to build a fire is a big step for eight- to twelve-year-olds. For a teenager who is doubtful about handling the challenges that adulthood will bring, the accomplishment of hiking a difficult trail may spur confidence that might not be gained in any other way. Younger children show off skills, such as jumping over rocks near camp or helping wash the dishes. It’s all about pushing their comfort zones just a little. It may be scary, but there’s something primeval about knowing that you can take care of yourself in the wild.

So how do you go about planning a family camping trip? And how do you ensure that the trip will be a success? First of all, know your family. Pick a spot close to the kinds of things your kids are interested in. Don’t drag a three-year-old who is terrified of Tyrannosaurus rex to see Dinosaur National Monument. Seek out activities that he or she will enjoy. If your kids have always harbored a love of horses, find a campground with a rental stable close by. If they love to swim, try a lakeside camp with a swim beach. Finding what suits your family is the most important key to success.

The second key is to ease into camping. Don’t plan a two-week unguided wilderness expedition if your family has never camped, and certainly don’t rush out and buy thousands of dollars of equipment for that first trip. Borrow or rent what you need, or consider trying a campground with rustic sleeping cabins or yurts for the first time out. Then, if camping suits your family, buy a few things and branch out into the woods a little farther.

How old should children be before you consider camping? There’s no easy answer. It depends a lot on your own adaptability, as much as that of the child. Many parents take infants camping; others wouldn’t dream of taking a child under the age of four or five. Again, the best advice is to take small steps. If you are determined to take a very young child, try a one-night trip close to home first.

Here are a few tips to make camping with kids all that you want it to be:

Expand comfort zones, but don’t make the trip uncomfortable. This applies to everything from the length of the trip to the food. A camping trip is not the time to try new camp foods or to break in new hiking boots. Simple things like making sure kids are warm, well fed, and comfortably dressed go a long way toward making the trip more pleasant for everyone.

Don’t forget to make the trip comfortable for Mom and Dad, too. All that companionship goes down the drain if you can’t get a good night’s sleep. Don’t leave home without a well-stocked first-aid kit, either. There will be bumps, scratches, bites, and upset stomachs, so be prepared for them.

Keep attention spans in mind. Parking a lawn chair beside the lake and waiting for the fish to bite might seem like a relaxing way to spend the day to an adult, but a busy four-year-old will be throwing rocks in the water and scaring away the trout before the first minute has passed. Likewise, a half-day trail ride would push the limits for even a horse-loving eight-year-old (not to mention the comfort of all concerned). Being saddle sore will not add to anyone’s enjoyment.

Include physical activities. Children have energy to burn, and that energy often increases proportionally with stressful situations. Forgetting that simple fact can make or break your trip. Find opportunities for them to run or jump or swim or bicycle—anything, as long as they are moving at their pace. A leisurely stroll around the lake at your pace is not what their bodies need. On smooth trails you can let them run ahead of you as long as they stay within your sight. Older children and teenagers may seem to prefer a slower pace, but making sure they spend time moving is important, too.

Choose your rules. Because camping involves a new set of rules—some of which can mean the difference between life and death—figure out which of your usual rules from home can be relaxed just a bit. This way you aren’t put into the tyrant role with more rules than can be obeyed, and the new rules take on a greater significance. Possibilities include slight modifications of bedtimes, food and beverage restrictions, and cleanliness. So what if they play in the dirt? It’s part of being outside.

Let them help. If children are allowed to help with things such as gathering wood, preparing meals, or baiting hooks, the experience becomes more real. This isn’t just a ride at an amusement park where they settle back in their seats and wait for the action. Make them part of the trip.

Camping with children takes patience, careful planning, and an adventurous spirit on everyone’s part. It’s hard work, and the rewards are hard to measure. They come in little things like seeing your teenager’s face without a cell phone attached to it or watching the firelight dance in your child’s eyes while she roasts marshmallows for the first time. It’s about laughing through fish stories where the fish get bigger with every retelling. It’s about just being a family.

Excerpted from Camping Colorado, 3rd Edition, by Melinda Crow, Published by Falcon Publishing/Globe Pequot Press