Tent Camping For Beginners - Camping With Children

By Inez Calender

Tent camping can be a wonderful vacation for children. Most kids enjoy the outdoors and tent camping provides then with safe, supervised adventure. Tent camping often seems like playing for both children and adults while offering an educational and self-esteem building experience.

Children should be included in camp preparation. Shopping for a tent (or tents) is interesting, fun and allows children to feel part of the total experience. Children often have wonderful insights when shopping for a tent and may notice something that you may miss.
Before your first camping trip, set up the tent in your back yard. Allow children to assist in the set up. Older children may be able to set the tent up and relish the responsibility with pride.

Have a regular back yard camp out before the actual trip so that you understand how to use equipment such as lanterns and cook stoves. Sleep in the tents so that the children (and adults) feel secure and comfortable sleeping outside in a tent.
Prepare them for night sounds that you may hear when you camp in new, unfamiliar surroundings. The night calls of bullfrogs, owls, or loons may seem spooky to the new camper and frighten young children. But to an experienced camper, the night sounds are beautiful, the song of loons not ghostly, but more like a lullaby. You can listen to bird calls online and familiarize yourself and children with those night sounds.

Never allow food or beverages inside a tent. The smell of food can attract insects and wildlife.

Never smoke in or near a tent. Never pitch a tent near a campfire or stove.
Teach children the rules of camping beforehand on your practice camp and allow them to participate in rule setting. Don't let children run around close to tents where they may trip over stakes. Don't let them run around the campfire. Don't allow children to play with the fire. Teach them fire safety. Allow children to assist in setting up a fire to make them feel included.

Tent camping involves children in the natural world. Most children would rather play with sticks and stones than manufactured toys and will find creative entertainment everywhere.
Most children enjoy learning outdoor skills like hiking, bird identification, fishing, canoeing, and basic botany.

Camp food is usually child friendly and the rustic setting will offer them a connection with the past. The abundance of fresh air creates an appetite like nothing else so even your picky eater will eat anything.

The assistance children can provide on a camping trip fill them with a sense of accomplishment. They will become comfortable in an unfamiliar environment and gain an appreciation for nature. Family camping with adults and children creates a special bond and memories that last forever.

Camping calls for different foods and meals than you usually eat at home. For great ideas for food to take when you go camping, and meals to cook on a camping trip:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Tent-Camping---Food-and-Meals
If you go camping, make sure you take all the things that you need to make your trip comfortable:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Tent-Camping-Checklist

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