We just got back from a wonderful camping trip to Michigan! We were spoiled with beautiful sunny weather and had a great time at the beach. Mom and Dad had a tent and Luke slept in his own tent. We brought his pack and play which worked like a charm for naps and bedtime!
10 Tips for tent camping with a baby/toddler:
- Bring lots of changes of clothes and outfits for hot and cold weather!
- Bring warm clothes to sleep in! Let me repeat WARM clothes to sleep in!
- Make sure you have kid friendly suncreen, bugspray, and of course hats for sun protection. Pick your site remembering that you will want shade to protect that delicate skin!
- Bring a few familiar toys and books but don't bring everything you own. Nature will provide most of your entertainment.
- If it is really hot bring a fan to plug in (assuming you get an electric site) to have blowing on the tent to help a little one nap. As a last resort, think of taking a drive in air-conditioning for a chance to get them to sleep.
- Put up the rain fly just in case and to help keep the tent dark for naps.
- Bring plenty of kid friendly snacks and meals. Keep in mind that your little one will be outside almost all of the time burning up lots of energy! One of those chairs that attaches to a table will work with the camp picnic table for meals and snacks.
- Be considerate of your camping neighbors and do apologize the next morning if your baby cried a lot but don't feel too guilty about it. Leave plenty of baby items out so that people realize they are going to be camping next to a baby when they pick their site! :-)
- Try to stick to the same meal, snack, and bedtimes that you follow at home to prevent unnecessary crankiness.
- Consider putting a toddler in their own tent right next to Mom and Dads' tent. This is great if they are a light sleeper so you won't wake them crawling into the tent. Set up the pack and play right in their own tent.
8 comments:
Great tips - and it sounds like you had a great time!
Jamie,
Glad you had fun camping. Was Luke's tent a full-sie one, and then you just stuck a pack-and-play in there? Just curious, what he ate for meals?
Thanks for the comments! :) If anyone else was wondering..Luke slept in a 4 person tent allowing room for the pack and play plus space for changing diapers and clothes. Meals included pb & j, hot dogs, hard boiled eggs made before hand, pancakes with peanut butter, and lots of fruit and graham crackers!
What a great list. We haven't taken the girls camping yet, but can't wait to. This will be helpful! Thanks, Kerry
Good to know. We are going to go tent camping with our 3 children this weekend - aged 4, 2 and 8 months! LOL
British Columbia is a huge province for a quick weekend trip to the Lower Mainland the area around Vancouver, so you aren’t driving the whole time. In the Whistler area about two hours north of Vancouver you could camp, that way you can explore Vancouver on the way there and enjoy Whistler Village, the biking, ski resort that offers golf, hiking, scenic ski-lift in summer, which gives easy access to alpine trails.
There are several provincial park campgrounds near Whistler. Alice Lake Provincial Part is one of the biggest park (it can be very busy on weekends). You’ll also find lots of long day hikes in the nearby Garibaldi Provincial Park.
Camping Guides, Tips and Equipments
Sounds like you had an amazing trip! Your son is adorable :) I'm planning on taking my two year old camping this fall, she's excited, I'm nervous but you gave me some great advice. I came across this list the other day on how to make your camping trip just a little bit more comfortable. Check it out! http://www.hiptravelmama.com/fun-trips/glamping-camping-with-a-g-for-glamorous/
Good to read your experience. I also love play with my boy at the beach and we always bring a beach tent. We have tried many models. Truly to say, they ar all good. You may check my reviews of beach tents here.
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