Camping With Children - Ideas

Tip: If your kids are under 8 years-old, consider using ropes and stakes to enclose this area and mark it as “out-of-bounds” for the kids. Tie strips of cloth or paper towels, (if you are not expecting rain), on the ropes as flags to make them more visible.

Bad Weather Sanity Ideas for Camping with Kids:

Prepare with these games and activities to keep them occupied.

 bad weather kit. (as pictured)

Disposable Ponchos, Day Pack, Magnifying glas, UNO Cards, Checkers Games, Crayons, Color Book, Reading Book, Playing Cards. 

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For emergencies, and your peace of mind, – every kid in camp should have a camp whistle on a lanyard around their neck! It’s a handy way for them to summon help when they need it.

Camp Safety Whistles

****BLOGGER NOTE: When our daughter was about 5 yrs we went camping for over a week. She wandered off following an ELK. Yes, we noticed right away so she we on  THEIR trail. After that we put a military whistle around her neck from the time she got up until bedtime. Just an idea*****

Save your strength, – every kid needs their own camp flashlight, instead of arguing who gets yours or who has had it the longest and whose turn it is now.
(*this is a great camp light for kids, but you can just pick some up at the Dollar store if you want)
Kid’s Camping Flashlights

****We do this we use more expensive lights and put them on lanyard. We use it yearly**** BLOGGER*

Magnify Nature! – An inexpensive plastic magnifying glass can provide an activity that will help them learn about nature while they think they are just having fun!

You will need a magnifying glass, a piece of string about three feet long, and a small pencil and pad for each young camper. Tie a stick to each end of the string and plant one end in the ground. Use the stick on the other end to draw a circle on the ground. This is their area of exploration.

Challenge each young camper to see how many different things they can see with the magnifying glass in their area, and make a list. The camper with the longest lists gets something special. (like sitting in the “King’s Throne” for the next meal)

Magnify Glass- found ours @ Dollar Tree or Dollar General. ****BLOGGER NOTE.

Nature Rubbings! – This mostly works with different kinds of plant leaves, but it can be done with any textured items; like tree bark or rough rock surfaces

It’s an easy idea. Just lay a piece of white paper over a leaf, or what ever textured surface you want, then “rub” a crayon or piece of charcoal over the paper. The high points of the surface will produce darker lines. After a little “rubbing” you end up with an image of the item on the paper.

Kids can build a collection of pages of rubbings throughout the camping trip.

Note: This camping activity isn't usually a long one, and will require a little more participation by you. (ps. unwrapped crayons used on their sides – instead of the tips, make the best rubbings)

And you know kids love to play with compasses when they go camping, it is one of the camping activities for kids that allows them be real explorers.
Camping and Hiking Compass

***Our little boy LOVES his own compass. Hubby hides things and then they use the compass (together while Mom is cooking) to find the treasures! We bring rocks that we have purchased in town @ rock store, since he collects  rocks)******Blogger Note.

Ideas: HomeMade is Easy Blogger & 

http://campingwithgus.com/