Camping is one of those activities that our whole family loves to do together. We love it so much that we even plan Epic Camp Outs in the middle of winter. But while camping in itself can be entertaining and enjoyable, we try to also plan for the rainy days and down time.
We tend to be old school campers and only recently purchased a tent trailer. The trailer allows us to store most of our camping equipment on board, year round. Packing can easily be done using Rubbermaid bins as well, for those families who are tenting it. Most of the activities that we plan for our camping trips require very limited equipment to save room for more important things like food, water and shelter {wink}.
We live in Kelowna, British Columbia and enjoy supporting and exploring our surrounding communities. This means purchasing local supplies and checking out local attractions. We also have extremely energetic twin boys so having a rainy day plan and packing camping activities has proven to be a life saver for us.
We live in Kelowna, British Columbia and enjoy supporting and exploring our surrounding communities. This means purchasing local supplies and checking out local attractions. We also have extremely energetic twin boys so having a rainy day plan and packing camping activities has proven to be a life saver for us.
The best camping activities for kids:
1. Craft Projects such as this colour diffusing paper activity are a great way to combine art and the outdoors while camping. Try to plan a camping craft that incorporates nature: leaf pressing, bark rubbing or animal sketching.
2. Pond Study Plan to bring along a few nets and buckets for the kids to try their hand at catching frogs and insects. Pack an Insect Identification Guide for older kids.
3. Go Fish! Our boys will spend loads of time just casting out their lines and reeling them back in. While they haven’t caught much it’s been a wonderful activity that helps them to learn patience and perseverance.
4. Printable Worksheets can be used to keep kids busy, especially during raining days. They are a great way to include a bit of learning while camping too. We often use printables from Two Teaching Mommies. Be sure to laminate them for extra durability.
5. Bug Collecting can be an all day activity that is not just limited to when you are camping. Purchase and pack little bug hotels for the kids and watch as they collect insects and take care of their new little charges.
We love rock painting!
6. Rock Painting is an annual tradition for us. We always have a few small containers of acrylic paint and a brush or two on hand. I found glow in the dark paint this year and can’t wait to try it out!
7. Don’t forget the bike! Our boys learned to really bike ride while camping at Beaver Lake last year. It’s fun to watch them race around the campground and try to keep up with the older kids. Don’t forget to pack a helmet.
8. Geocaching is one of our favorite past times. It is a great way to explore our surroundings and only requires a gps enabled device and a few tradeables. One of our favorite caching experiences was while camping at Harold Provincial Park a few years ago.
9. Local Attractions Be sure to check out all of the unique opportunities in the area! For example: beaches, aquatic centers, museums, parks and some of our favorites: Rattlesnake Canyon, Kangaroo Creek Farm, D Dutchmen Dairy, the Enchanted Forest and Atlantis Waterslides.
10. Scavenger Hunts are a great way to keep kids busy while camping. We used this one during a family reunion and it was great for all age groups.
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Bikes and scooters are huge for our kids. I love that most campgrounds are just little communities and the kids all play together. We’re going on our second camping trip of the year in two weeks – can’t wait!
Great list!
Sam
https://cooksandcreates.blogspot.com/
(found you via BlogLovin)
Great ideas! We are doing a family camping trip at the end of the month and these tips will come in handy.
What fun ideas! We love camping! I’ll have to do some of these next time we go! :)
Thanks for the tips we’re taking 8 people camping with us and 4 of them are kids , all with very little experience camping( girl guides) so I need all the help I can get . Thanks Cathy
I hope that you have a great time! :)