Family vacation – Off on vacation?
Camping with children can be a great way to spend time in nature and create unforgettable experiences.
However, there are a few things you should bear in mind to ensure that the adventure is enjoyable and safe for everyone involved.
When you go camping with children, planning activities and games, keeping them safe, cooking together, wearing the right clothes and interacting with nature is particularly important.
Here are some tips and advice to help you plan a successful and fun camping trip with children.
First of all: choose the right travel option!
The options here are almost endless, from caravans to roof tents or tent trailers.
Camping Ratgeber:
Advantages of camping with the whole family
When camping, you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life as a family and feel free.
You can make your own plans and spend the day at your own pace.
Camping gives you the opportunity to socialize with other campers and make new friends.
Your children have the chance to get to know other children and play together.
When you camp with your child, you can create unforgettable memories together, from adventures to campfires to marshmallow roasts.
- Family time without the hustle and bustle of everyday life
- Freedom to make your own plans
- Opportunity to make friends
- Children can meet other children & play together
- Adventures together, campfires & marshmallow roasts
That’s why it’s worth going camping as a family:
Camping with the family has many advantages.
You can learn more about camping in general here:
Entertainment: game ideas for indoors & outdoors
Children often get bored quickly.
Many of them can keep themselves busy for the time being, but it often strengthens cohesion when you play something together.
You should therefore bring along games, books and other activities to pass the time for the children and the family.
You can find an overview of game ideas here:
Games in the car: no boredom on long journeys
But you don’t always need a game board, sometimes your imagination is enough.
Especially on long car journeys, games such as “I see something you don’t see” or “guess the license plate number” can be a lot of fun.
These types of games work anywhere and can be played quickly and easily.
Here are six ideas to make the car journey seem less long:
Evenings at the campsite: card & board games
Once you’ve arrived, board games are a great way to spend time with family and friends.
Especially on a campsite, where evenings are often spent outdoors, they offer a welcome change of pace.
Add a few tasty snacks and you’re ready to go!
You can find the best board games for evenings at the campsite here:
And you can find out which card games should definitely not be missing from your travel game collection here:
Out into nature: play ideas for the outdoor area
You can not only play lots of different games at the campsite in the evening, but also outdoors when you’re out and about.
Whether it’s badminton on the beach or a round of Mikado during a break while hiking, there are creative outdoor game ideas for the whole family.
You can find six tips for exciting outdoor games here:
Active on vacation: sporting experiences for real campers
There is so much to experience on vacation and while camping.
For example, how about a bike ride, a hike or a tour on a motorboat?
Here you will find a list of many vacation activities from walking to skiing.
Take a look, maybe you’ll find an idea for your next trip:
Food & drink: Cooking with children
You should make sure that you take enough food for everyone and that you have enough water.
It is also very important that the fire or cooking area is safe and out of reach of the children.
You can also plan activities for the children to keep them occupied and prevent them from getting restless.
The game ideas from before are also suitable for this.
If the children are old enough to help, then you should choose simple and child-friendly dishes that are easy to prepare and eat.
Once the food is cooked, you should use unbreakable crockery, cutlery and cups to avoid injuries.
When the children come home from playing, make sure they wash their hands before eating.
If you are not cooking on site, but only need provisions for an excursion, then you should not forget to take enough drinking water and snacks with you for the journey.
Tip!
You can find the best snacks on the campsite here: Energizing food when camping.
When cooking at the campsite with children, the following aspects should be taken into account:
- Security
- Utensils
- Activities
- Hygiene
- Snacks
Cooking is not rocket science, not even on the campsite!
That’s why you’ll find lots of tips here on how to cook a delicious meal for the whole family at the campsite.
Clothing for the whole family in wind and weather
Pack appropriate clothing for the weather, including rainwear and warm outfits.
It is important that you choose clothes that are comfortable, practical and meet the children’s needs.
Avoid delicate materials that can be easily damaged and make sure that the clothes have enough room for freedom of movement.
You should also always think about having enough spare clothes in case of accidents or soiling.
Cotton T-shirts and shorts that are breathable and comfortable to wear are ideal for a normal everyday outfit.
It wouldn’t hurt to take a fleece or down jacket with you.
Don’t forget a rain jacket and trousers for emergencies in bad weather.
In good weather, on the other hand, you will need Hat, sunglasses and suntan lotion.
Sturdy and comfortable shoes are essential for further adventures on the campsite!
At night you need pyjamas or nightwear.
The following items of clothing should be taken for children on a camping vacation:
- Change of clothes
- Comfortable clothing
- Rainwear
- Warm clothing
- Robust shoes
- Sun protection
- Sleeping clothes
You can find a packing list and tips for all weathers here:
Safety: avoid injuries – for kids too
If you go on a camping vacation with your family, you should make sure that younger children in particular are always supervised.
The unknown environment offers more dangers that children are usually not yet aware of.
This is especially important when it comes to water!
An adult should always be present when children are playing in the water or swimming.
The same applies to wild animals or other pets on the campsite.
You should explain to your children in detail how to handle wild animals and try to prevent your children from coming into contact with strange animals.
Then there is the pitch itself.
Whether a tent or a caravan is your preferred choice, everything should be secure and fastened in such a way that the children can’t get trapped.
For example, if your children are very active and like to run around, you should also make sure that everything is stable.
If you make a campfire in the evening, you should also explain to your children exactly what is dangerous about the fire and take safety measures, such as a fire bucket.
To ensure safety when camping with children, you should supervise your children when doing the following:
- Tent & caravan superstructure
- Playing around the campfire
- Splashing in the water
- Dealing with animals
- Using the equipment
First aid: treating scratches, splinters & mosquito bites
It is best to have a well-equipped first aid kit with you.
This should be able to treat minor abrasions and scratches, as this happens very often with children.
Don’t forget: Take a clinical thermometer to take a temperature.
In the event of more serious injuries or a high temperature, you should consult a doctor.
Emergency instructions so that everyone involved knows what to do can’t hurt either.
Start by packing sterile gauze bandages, plasters, compresses and bandage scissors.
However, you should clean wounds with an alcohol solution or antiseptic wipes before dressing them.
In consultation with your doctor, you can also take painkillers with you.
Mosquito bites are also often unpleasant, so you should take insect spray or insect repellent with you.
You can also pack tweezers to remove insect bites or splinters.
If your child regularly takes medication, you will of course need this too.
If you are going camping with your children, you should have a well-stocked first aid kit with you that contains the following:
- Dressing material
- Pain medication
- Insect protection
- Disinfectant
- Clinical thermometer
- Standard medication
- Tweezers
You can find comprehensive tips for emergency planning here:
Caution: Handling nature for children
Be respectful towards other campers and the environment.
Be a good example, children learn by observing and imitating.
Dispose of your waste and follow the rules on the campsite.
It is also best to explain the importance of nature to your children.
They should know how important it is to protect and preserve the environment.
One way to show them this is to let them help you prepare the campsite and clean up so that they understand that they are part of a community that is responsible for the environment.
Hiking or nature watching can also often help them understand and learn to love nature.
This should be kept in mind:
- Be respectful of other campers & the environment
- Be a good example – children learn through observation
- Dispose of waste & follow the rules on the campsite
- Explain the importance of nature to the children
- Clean up the campsite behind you
- Convey a relationship with nature through hikes & nature observations
