If you decide to take your kids on a camping trip, you better be well prepared with activities that will keep them pre-occupied. We are here to help and have come up with 5 Ways To Entertain Your Kids On A Camping Trip! Kids can be a delight on road and camping trips. They could also be a total menace. Since you know your kids well, you need to figure out what kinds of entertainment activities they enjoy and design this for them when you go camping.
For instance, while some kids may love the outdoors and physical activities, others may love the indoors and seclusion. One thing you are sure of is that you will not have a boring moment with kids around. However, you need to make sure that the experience is positive by finding different ways to entertain them. There are a number of ways to entertain kids on a camping trip and we have sampled some of the best and easy ones here based on our experience. Check them out below.
5 Ways To Keep Kids Entertained On A Camping Trip
- Take the kids on a nature walk
First up on our 5 ways to entertain kids on a camping trip is something you probably already had planned. We know how relaxing, comforting and indulging a walk in the nature/wilderness can be. For a moment there, you forget about everything happening around the world and just focus on the beauty you find in your wake. Unless you point it out, kids might not share the same sentiments so earnestly. If you are the type that does not move about a lot in your normal lives back at home, they will surely welcome this interruption.
Despite this, you will need to be a bit jovial when taking them on a nature walk. If you are not excited, do not expect them to be either. Be a guide, show them different kinds of birds and animals. Answer all their questions, take photos and have a good time outdoors. Challenge them to a run, or a simple hike and you will keep them entertained, and exhausted for hours.
- Bring their favorite toys along
The excitement about camping tends to fizzle after a couple of days when the kids feel that they have already explored what there is to explore on the camping ground. That is why you should bring something they are familiar with from home. Pack their favorite toys, preferably without their knowledge and let them access these toys when you sense that boredom is creeping in.
A bored kid could get cranky and this could easily spoil the fun for everyone around you. Try to find different kinds of games they can engage in while camping. At the end of a long day, if they are not exhausted yet, give them your phone and let them watch a movie or play a game. However, if you can really avoid carrying these electronic gadgets, except maybe a phone for emergencies, that would be great. The whole point of camping in the wild is to escape the world for a piece of quite for some time.
- Let them mingle with other kids
Next on our 5 ways to entertain kids on a camping trip is to let them mingle with other kids! If you aren’t inviting their friends to come along, chances are that there will be other families with kids around in a campground. Do not limit your kid’s interaction with them. Kids have their own unique way of engaging with each other, even if that involves cries one second and laughter the very next minute. Probably the other kids have some games that could be exciting and interesting to your kid.
Letting your kids mingle with others in a camping trip will also go a long way in building their self-confidence and developing their social skills. They learn fast how to treat other people and have fun while doing so. Be relaxed on the rules here. Do not place heavy curfews on them and do not limit what they can play or not. You will need to supervise them to make sure that they are still safe.
If there are no other kids in the camping grounds, kids can always play with the other members of the family. Carry games that are fun and engaging for everyone, despite the age. These other family members will also come in handy to help you out with the kid when you are pre-occupied or exhausted. Let them sleep a little bit late into the night. They surely notice the difference between what happens back at home and what is happening on the camping ground and this excites them greatly.
- Play games by the campfire
One of the activities I always looked forward to doing when our parents took us camping was the fun we had at the campfire every single night. This is one of my favorite ways to entertain kids on a camping trip. Different families would come together, light up a big bonfire, surround it and have fun.
Campfire games are pure fun and not the reserve of adults. This is the time when everyone is allowed to be silly without feeling embarrassed. Let the kids sing silly songs and dance around. If you are that pro-active parent, you can always join them for a jiggle.
Another exciting activity by this campfire are the stories strangers tell. Many are exciting, interesting and designed for the full benefits of the kids. The campfire is always an exciting and invigorating moment at the end of the day.
- Let the kids help out
Who said camping cannot incorporate learning experiences?
Camping by itself is an opportunity for the kids to learn a lot about nature and things beyond what they see on TV. It gives them the opportunity to experience nature the right way, by being right in the midst of everything.
You should teach them to have some sense of responsibility during the camping trip. Kids love to feel needed and that is why you should delegate some duties to them, and allow them to help you out. For instance, when you start pitching the tent, let them observe and pass you some stuff while explaining to them every step of the way why you are doing what you are doing and why it is important.
Lastly, one way easy way to entertain kids on a camping trip is to let them help you! Let them help you out in the kitchen as you cook meals for the family or by collecting firewood for the camp fire. Every step should be a learning process. This surely alleviates their sense of self-importance and keeps them interested and excited about the camping experience like everyone else.
If you loved these 5 ways to entertain kids on a camping trip, be sure to pin this to your favorite vacation board on Pinterest so you can find it again. Post a photo of your vacation and tag us social media @DadLifeLessons. We love seeing people use our tips!
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