Tips For Booking A Camping Trip With Kids

As screen time becomes increasingly prevalent in households, I feel like it's all the more reason to be intentional about getting outside! However, I get it, camping can be a bit daunting. Today I'm sharing some basic tips for booking a camping trip with kids (and will follow later this week with other camping tips + gear recommendations).

1. Start close

I recommend starting with a short radius, not only so you don’t have to spend a ton of time in the car, but also so that if for some reason things go awry, you know you can pull the ripcord and be home in a reasonable time. (In general, I’m a proponent of sticking with a commitment, but there’s comfort in knowing you could pull the ripcord if you needed to, even if you don’t!) We booked our first family camping trip at Pawtuckaway State Park & Campground in New Hampshire, which was about 1 hour, 20 minutes from home -- the perfect distance to get woodsy but not be too far away.

2. Scout out the family friendly factor IN ADVANCE

Pawtuckaway was very family friendly. In addition to trails, there was a beach, playground, canoe and boat rentals, and a cute little general store where you could get everything from beach toys to puzzle books to ice cream treats. It was really perfect for families.

3. Be strategic about campsite location

When you’re booking your campsite, think about positioning. For example, Jon smartly booked us at a site on a dead end road so we didn’t have a ton of traffic coming through. Also, I recommend positioning yourself close (though not right next to!) bathrooms depending on where your kids are at with potty training.

4. Try booking one night to start

If you want to ease in slowly, just try booking one night first to see how it goes. No doubt, it would have been more efficient for us to book 2-3 nights given that it takes some effort to get packed and organized, but for our first time camping as a family, we felt better just committing to one night.

5. Just do it!

I know many people are hesitant about trying camping with kids, what with gear and different temperaments but I recommend you just do it! It’s simply wonderful to be in nature and away from devices and household chores...to live more slowly, even if it's just for a short stint. In the grand scheme of things our camping adventures was less than 24 hours but it was fun and different (and incredibly affordable!) and we plan on going again!

Do you have other tips for booking camping trips with kids? Feel free to share them in the comments below!

Don't be afraid to try camping with kids even if you're inexperienced! Consider these 5 tips for booking your trip.