4. Write a blog post inspired by the word: camp
We recently returned from our annual family camping trip and this year we ventured out to Birch Bay! I got to take my little niece along for the fun since her mom was home nursing a wisdom tooth extraction and I think I definitely got the better end of that deal! That being said, camping with toddlers is no joke. I’ve been spoiled with older kids for so long that I forgot just how tough toddlers can be on a trip like that. I learned a lot and wanted to share the 10 Tips for Camping with a Toddler that I picked up along the way!:
1. Leave Your Chair At Home
The first thing you can leave behind when you decide to bring a toddler camping with you is your chair. Lounging fireside with a book in hand is not the kind of camping that is going to happen this weekend. Plan to follow the toddler as they inspect every bit of nature they can get their hands on. You will need to keep them from toddling into your neighbor’s campsites or onto the street alone, so plan to be on the go.
2. Bring Bandaids
If you thought toddlers were unstable on flat surfaces, just imagine the spills about to happen over exposed tree roots, tent stakes, and rocks. If there is something to be tripped on, the toddler will find it.
3. Pack The Playpen
Not gonna lie, I was a little jealous that she had her own elevated cot to cuddle up in while I tried to stay balanced on my air mattress and willed it not to deflate in my sleep. She slept like an angel and I like her confined. Playpens for the win.
5. Give Her A Flashlight
It gets awfully dark in the wild and we don’t have the luxury of flipping on a hall light to help kids feel secure, BUT a flashlight does the trick! She snuggled up to hers like it was a teddy bear. Maybe a glowing bear would have been even more thoughtful.
6. Bring Her Closet
It was too cold and then too hot and then things got wet and then things got dirty. There’s no such thing as over-packing clothes where toddlers are concerned.
7. Bring Older Kids
Nobody loves adorable toddlers more than “older kids.” They love to play with them and read to them and compete for their attention. You know what I call that?…Babysitting. If you bring the older kids, you might be able to bring that chair after all.
8. Pack Color Books
Color books, play dough, legos, barbies…pack anything that might entice the toddler to sit at a table for long periods of time. They’re also therapeutic for adults and let’s face it, you might need it.
9. Skip The S’mores
Does skipping the S’mores make me the camping Grinch? Look, they’re toddlers. They don’t know what they’re missing out on yet, but you do. You’re missing out on a gooey, sticky, marshmallow mess all over the toddlers fingers, face, hair…and oh yeah time to change that sticky outfit again.
10. Don’t Forget Your Camera
It may be a bit of work, but it’s so worth it. Be sure to bring your camera and capture the magic!
Take a look at this years camping recap here!:
(video here)
Gigi says
You are brave woman! Camping is not my thing, at all – much less with a toddler!
And, OMG, that was the longest, darn train I have ever seen!
Beverly Nickerson says
Good bunch of rules. Sometimes it’s hard to keep kids entertained when removed from their normal home environment of stuff.
John Holton says
Older girls might do better than older boys. I know this from experience. Incidentally, the same is true of cats and kittens: girl cats adopt any kittens that come into the house.
Harper is adorable!
Kim says
I used to participate in these writing prompts several years ago, and I really need to try to get back into the habit again. This post was too funny, and all too true!
I am one of those women who really admires those who can do things like get up early in the morning to run and/or do yoga before work, who enjoy the great outdoors, and who can GO CAMPING. I love the idea of it, but not so much the reality. In my neck of the woods, you’d be very likely if you returned without some catastrophic mosquito-borne illness!
Kim says
Oops. I couldn’t decide between “very likely to” and “very lucky not to”, so there’s my glaringly grammatically incorrect sentence, which is making my skin crawl for not only the thought of mosquitoes, but the grammatical incorrectness!
Jean says
Riffe Lake is a must! Two great campgrounds on opposite ends of the lake, so you could do it twice! Wait until they bring the water level back up though.