My husband and I have been camping every summer since we got married. Our first trip was quite the disaster {We laugh all the time about that trip and what we learned from it.}, so I was a little worried when we took our first camping trip with our oldest, at the time he was around 9 months old, but it went a lot better than I thought that it would. Last week I shared with you how we make packing easier with our camping totes, and today I want to share some tips for camping with toddlers and babies.
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{A few weeks ago on FB I asked for camping tips in several mom groups, and on Surviving Toddlerhood’s FB page. You will find tips from over 15 other mommas throughout this post.}
Tips for your first camping trip with littles:
1. Get rid of any fears you have about dirt.
Your baby or toddler is going to get dirty while camping. Bring clothes that you are fine getting rid of at the end of the trip. Instead of cleaning your toddler up several times during the day, let the majority of the dirt accumulate and shower/bathe before bed. Let your toddler dig up rocks, carry sticks around, play in the dirt with barefeet, research shows that it is good for their immune system, and it creates good memories.
I remember one camping trip growing up where my friends and I were out playing all day and at the end of the day we were covered in clay and mud. The one thing that we didn’t think about was that the campground we were in didn’t have showers, so we had to go jump into what felt like at that time, a freezing pond.
“We use a big blanket or outdoor fabric and use the plastic kid/pet fence to make a nice area where crawlers won’t eat dirt and yucky stuff.” Hannah C.
“Last time, we packed our food stuff for the week in a large plastic tote and on a day where toddler got very dirty, used that tote with some water warmed on the camp stove or fire and gave her a bath in the tote right at our campsite. ” Stephanie P.
2. Be prepared for rainy/cold days.
Even though the weather forecast looks sunny and gorgeous for your trip, it wouldn’t be the best idea to forgo rain/cold weather clothing and activities. Before you head off on your great adventure with your family, check into what is in the surrounding area in case you need a plan B or plan C. Look for museums, unique local eateries, and indoor play places.
Create a rainy day tote with new toys, coloring books, card games, and other small items that will keep your littles occupied for a couple of hours in the tent. Consider bringing a laptop and favorite movies as well. These work great for rainy days or for rest time.
“Bins. Lots of big bins for storing things. An outdoor rug. A little fan that hangs at the top of the tent. This bug spray (yellow one goes on tent, blue one goes on skin), Paper towel, wipes, disposable plates etc., garbage bags, first aid kit, zinc based sunscreen, 2 pairs of shoes per kid (because we always lose a shoe somewhere). 
😂 Extra lighter for fire, cast iron skillet, flashlights, family book or game for rainy day, at least one meal that doesn’t require the fire to make (also in case of rain).” Jordan K.
3. Be prepared to get little sleep.
Why should you be prepared for little sleep on your camping trip? Because your little ones may be overwhelmed with all the changes, especially if they have a hard time with sensory processing. They will be outside all day, there will be new things to see, new things to do, and they are supposed to sleep in a room made of sheets {’cause that’s basically what a tent is.}
Add in the fun of air mattresses, if you are using those for your children, and the lovely birdies early morning wake up call….you may be surviving your camping trip on coffee.
“Hammocks. No better way to rock the baby and catch a nap yourself!” Amy B.
“Be prepared to not sleep much?? Lol. Being familiar sleeping stuff. Their blanket, stuffed animals, etc. We also brought the iPad with his movies as a last resort. I know that’s against the idea of camping but we were thankful we did.” Holly J.
“Just do it is my tip. 
😁 And don’t think too terribly hard about it. Kids are resilient and will love just being outside. Be prepared to be tired, so coffee is a good idea. 
😉” Caitlin S. from Flannelgraphs
4. Make simple meals.
Nothing is worse than making a meal and having your children refuse to eat. These first few times that you go camping with your littles, I suggest making simple meals, meals that they are used to. This isn’t the time to go find a great camping cookbook and create masterpieces with your new dutch oven. Not only can your toddlers be overwhelmed by their new surroundings, but they can also be overwhelmed by new food choices while eating outside.
5. Take lots of pictures.
Be prepared to make memories. Take pictures of your children covered in dirt from head to toe, when they eat their first s’more, go on their first canoe ride, etc. But please, don’t only take pictures of your children. Take pictures of you with your children. When your littles are looking back at pictures of their first camping trip, they will want to see you with them, they will want to see momma having fun, getting dirty, being silly. Take pictures with your children, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Don’t forget to check out these awesome camping totes to make packing easier!!
More tips from other mommas:
“Make sure there is a bathroom near by! Bring your own toilet paper! have them wear good shoes that protect their feet, no flip flops. Make sure they each have their own water bottle and take it with you wherever you go. Lather on the sunscreen first thing in the morning, then repeat at lunch time and anytime after swimming or sweating a lot. MAke sure they each have a hat and sunglasses. And have them wear an ID tag–bracelet, necklace, tattoo or whatever. Make sure they know what to do if they get lost in the woods (hug a tree!). Go over ground rules and fire safety right when you get there. Pack extra marsh mellows! No electronics! Bring board games, do scavenger hunts, bring books and simple nature related crafts. Teach about respecting Mother Nature, not littering, etc” Wendy R. from Everything Babies
“My advice would be to ditch the traditional air mattresses. Somebody ends up sleeping on the ground by the second night anyways. Also, Dads should be prepared to do battle with invading raccoons.” Lauren M. from Chaotic Life of Lauren
“We just went with our two toddlers. Here are my tips:
-bring an inflatable pool that the tots can play on right at your campsite.
– bring a hose and nozzle (#lifesaver!)
– make a packing list in advance so you don’t forget anything important (like the pillows we forgot once)
– bring books to read before bedtime.
– print out nature scavenger hunts the kids can do.” Audrey H. from Life with Little People
Check out these free scavenger hunt printables! Spring Scavenger Hunt + Fall Scavenger Hunt
“We just took our kids camping in a cabin. Bring their favorite things to sleep with from home so they are comfortable such as their pillows, blankets, stuffed animals. Have fun snacks that you wouldn’t normally have at home, try to be close to the bathrooms, bring plenty to wipes/paper towels to clean up messes from waiting outside. Also have a plan for what activities you are going to do but be flexible since kids often have different plans.” Hannah C. from Lovely Little Lives
” We also got one of those high chairs that attach to the table. We have a water jug with a spout on it that has hand soap next to it for easy hand washing. Pack extra sunscreen and outfits for all weather. Pack baby’s clothes so he or she can dress in layers. But long story short extra layers and disposable diapers saved the day.” Samantha G.
“Start close to home to see how it goes. Try backyard camping or something local so if things aren’t going well, the little ones can be brought home and put to sleep on their own beds. ” Sarah G. from Servant Mama
” If there is a lake or sand, sand toys. They can become water toys for hot days too. Also a blow up pool raft makes a great air mattress for kids if you are tent camping. And an extra flash light for each kid!” Heidi P.
“Cheap pool loungers make good kid mattresses.” Jen D. From Heaven Not Harvard
Posts with Ideas and Tips for Your First Camping Trip with Toddlers:
5 Ingredients for the Perfect Fall Family Getaway
Budget Friendly Family Vacation
11 Genius Hacks to Make Camping with Kids Fun and Stress-Free
I love the idea of bringing a kiddie pool! Great post.