I loved camping as a child. So far Mattias and Markus love it too. But their camping experience is more like “glamping” as we lovingly refer to my parent’s 36” Toy Hauler Fifth Wheel (you can see a photo of it below!). We are fortunate that it is parked at Kawkawa Lake Resort and RV Park for the summer. We have been lucky enough to enjoy a few weekends up there already this year (and were glad for the heater over the Easter long weekend)!
What to Pack: Camping with Kids
I have camped my entire life and I am so happy to be able to go camping with my kids. Whether it be RVing, car camping (driving to campsites to camp), hiking and tenting (carrying in everything on your back), beachfront camping (arriving by boat) and camping with Girl Guides as a child, I’ve done it all! Very recently we even experienced camping in Tofino, on Vancouver Island near Pacific Rim National Park.
Are you planning on camping in British Columbia Parks? You can use their reservation system here. I will warn you, the popular sites fill up quick!
The Camping and RVing in BC has a good list of camping options as well.
My boys are almost 2 and almost 4, so my list caters to the smaller kids. I have not mentioned food, tenting equipment or clothing as that all depends on where, when and for how long you are camping for! But in addition to those items, these are the things we always bring along. I hope you find the list useful!
Camping with Kids Checklist:
1. Camping Chair kids love having their own chair around the campfire (even though they will probably sit in yours too!)
2 Rain Gear it can rain anytime of the year in Vancouver. We ALWAYS have rain gear and boots!
3.Bathing Suit you never know when they are going to want to play in the lake! And it can be spare clothes in a pinch.
4. Bug Spray we make our own with essential oils, but anything is better than buzzing mosquitoes around your campsite
5. Sunscreen a sunburn on the lake will ruin anyones afternoon
6. Wipes even if you don’t have kids in diapers, these are great for sticky marshmallows or quickly cleaning dirty faces
7. Play pen / Blankets from Home Markus still sleeps in a crib so it makes naptime and bedtime much easier when he is sleeping in something familiar
8. Marshmallows because it isn’t camping without these sticky messes!
9. Water Bottle for the Kids something they know is theirs, so it can be left out and they can help themselves whenever they want!
10. A Hat good to keep the sun off and will protect against ticks and other bugs
11. Bike or Outside Toys while nature will keep them entertained, a bucket and shovel, or a bike will help if you need some time for them to occupy themselves.
12. quiet Book / Activity – we pack a deck of cards (UNO is a favourite), playdoh and a colouring book. these are great for a bit of downtime or during those rainy days.
Are you going to be at the beach as well? Check out our What to Pack for the Beach list here.
If you happen to be camping in the Metro Vancouver area, check out these posts on What to do in the Fraser Valley with Kids, What to do in the Rain in Vancouver, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
Did I miss anything? What is on your kids camping list? Feel free to share in the comments?
Are you prepared? Check out this post on Dealing with Emergencies While Camping from Waking up Wild!
Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.