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Introducing
Kids to Camping
So you want to take the kids
camping for the first time? To most people the word evokes
one of two thoughts… either the love of the great outdoors
or an absolute fear of the great outdoors. My hope is that
you pick the former.
For a child, their introduction
to camping is extremely important. If the trip is a nightmare
they will never want to leave the city again. However, if
the trip is enjoyable, it becomes something they will look
forward to. Your job is to make it a pleasant experience for
all. The key is in the planning. The following are ten general
guidelines for first-time or young campers. |
| 1. Go with friends and
playmates. My daughters first experience was at a year
and a half, still in diapers. A group of dads got together and
started a yearly Fathers Day camping trip to Leo Carrillo State
Beach. The age of the kids was between 1 and 5. My daughter
had not only old friends to play with, but also met some new
ones. She wasn't stuck with just hanging out with me.
2. Pick something nearby
for first-timers. If something does happen or your
child has a melt-down you don't want to be 6 hours from home.
3. In general (but
for first-timers especially), pick a site that has some amenities.
Flush toilets, hot showers, fire pits and running water make
life easier. Leo Carrillo even has a little convenience store
in case you've forgot something.
4. Pick a site that
has things to see and do and is not just sand. I'm
speaking here of hiking trails, ranger-led talks, maybe a
beach. Again, Leo Carrillo is perfect for this. They have
a little amphitheater where the rangers lead nature talks
at night, there are plenty of hiking trails and you can go
to the beach, which was where we would spend all our days.
There was a program where the kids were given trash bags and
let loose to pick up trash. Prizes like stickers, pencils
and badges were given away… they loved it. |
| 5. Plan,
Plan and oh yeah, Plan. I usually start planning out
meals about 1 week in advance…purchase and package two days
ahead. Assemble the “home items” (see next rule). Create a checklist
of items you need. If you dont have gear, do your research and
get it. Let your child be involved by picking the meals or helping
pack. Get your child excited about going on this adventure.
It is something you will share forever. 6.
Take a bit of home with you. Ask your child what
they want to take with them so they feel comfortable… books,
dolls, toys, a security blanket… |
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| whatever. Some obvious rules
here do apply such as “don't play with your dolls out of the
tent” or “dont hit him with a Power Ranger” and of course the
well-worn “you have to share.” As you go on future trips the
list will whittle itself down as the kids realize they don't
need as much to be entertained. However, books will always be
on my list as it's a great joy and a great bonding tool to read
to your child in a tent under the stars. 7.
Assign adults to watch the kids and make sure they know it.
With many adults around it was easy to assign a parent or
parents to watch the kids. If I had to run to the campstore,
I'd ask one of the dads to watch my daughter till I got back.
This way she did not have to leave her friends to be with
me. By trading off on the “watch detail,” it also gave the
parents the ability to “relax and enjoy” instead of constantly
worrying.
8. Assign a boundary
to the kids and set a punishment. In our case, the
boundary was the perimeter of the campground. “Don't cross
that line unless you have an adult with you.” The punishment
was a time out. It was normal for a group of kids to come
up and ask an adult to take them down the road to see something,
and not go off on their own. |
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9. Do not feed or play
with any wildlife. It's not only harmful to the animals
to eat human food, it's also dangerous as they become accustomed
to humans. 10.
Dirt is good. Everything gets dirty when camping,
so don't sweat it. If your child doesn't get dirty… start
worrying. |
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