The weather is getting perfect for outdoor adventures! Waiting for it to cool down a little more allows you the luxury of doing activities all day long, and even through the night! Camping is a great way to get out and enjoy nature, especially for your children. But you will have to remember a few things before hitting the trail.
Preparing Your Kids
The first thing you’ll have to consider before camping is how prepared your children would be, and whether they’d ultimately enjoy it. You can of course make the first trip a short one, just so they can get the feel of camping before making it more intense. But if your children are very young, they may have a harder time settling down or staying focused. And if your children are older, they would have to come to grips with the reality that their cell phone may not have the greatest coverage, so they may not be able to watch shows or message their friends all evening. But with these items considered, your family can really enjoy themselves with little effort when you’re in nature’s beauty.
Preparing Your Packs
Now that your children are prepared, it’s time to prepare your equipment. Chances are you won’t be doing anything extra crazy, like rappelling or rock climbing, but you’ll still want some basics packed. Besides the necessities like food, water, and sleeping bags, bring along at least a few flashlights and flares. Also make sure you have a Swiss army knife, rain gear, multiple first aid kits, rope, and more. You’ll know the terrain of the hike better, and what may also be necessary in case of emergency or to make the trip more enjoyable.
Prepare to Make Memories
Make sure you’re keeping up with all the latest news on weather in case anything pops up that could make camping difficult. But once all the details are laid out, it’s time to actually explore! Everyone will bring along their cell phones, of course, so there will be plenty of opportunities for selfies. But their battery may be short lived, so if you have an older model of camera, it may make sense to bring that along as well. You may end up taking more pictures than you realize! Keep your kids involved by pointing out any flowers or trees you may know, or have them take a quick picture so they can research it later!
Katie Kyzivat