As a young child my parents took me on many camping trips. When I got a little older we had a camper and spent most of the summer at a campground in upstate New York. But, when it came to the idea of camping as an adult with children of my own… I was less that enthusiastic. What would we do about the ones who took 31 trips to the bathroom each night? How would we handle all the meals with just a cooler, a camp stove, and a fire pit? What about keeping their grubby hands clean? What about the laundry?
Thankfully my husband nudged me out of my comfort zone and we planned our first big camping trip.
At the time we had four children under 7 and I was carrying #5. We booked a site (a few too many hours away) at a gorgeous park in Western Maryland.
It rained a good portion of the drive there… But we drove on.
It was dry(-ish) when we arrived and we were able to set up.
…and then it rained again. A. Lot.
There was water everywhere, even in the tent.
Whaaaa… this was exactly why I didn’t want to go camping. Four kids camping, in the rain, not fun. We should go home. Or get a hotel. Or go home.
But we didn’t go home.
We went to Walmart for provisions: extra towels, rag rugs, an extra air mattress, a few warm(er) dry clothes.
It didn’t rain the whole weekend. Even with gray skies we got in some fishing time and were able to cook out a little. The sun even came out on the final day when we hiked the trails.
We made some incredible memories.
…and I learned that we could do it! We could camp. In the rain. Far from home. With our small children.
We could have fun even if all our perfect plans fell flat (or were rained out).
Now we all look forward to camping.
We’ve camped close to home and we’ve camped on a long road trip. Each time we get a little more organized and preparation becomes a little easier. After the initial investment in our equipment, it is now our inexpensive getaway option. Sleeping in a tent with lots of little children isn’t as scarey to me. We can pack a little potty for the small ones that can’t hold it over night. We’ve learned how to pack our cooler methodically for a variety of meal choices. I’ve learned that their dirty hands will eventually get cleaned.
Camping showed up on more than one of the children’s bucket lists, and it made us smile. Last summer we passed up opportunities to go because I was so far along in Miranda’s pregnancy. This year we will make a plan get away for a little while. We don’t have a campsite reserved for the near future… we’ve learned from experience that camping in the high heat of the summer is not the best idea for us. We’ll probably wait until the weather starts to trend a little cooler, towards the late summer.
If you’ve never gone camping as a family, I would encourage you to try it. If you don’t think a weekend in a tent will work for you, check for campgrounds that rent cabins. The chance to disconnect from ‘the busy’ is so worth it.
This week is the 5th in our Family Connections {for Summer} blog hop. Missional Mama, The Daisyhead, Our Good Life, Walking in High Cotton and I are all sharing our ideas for Outdoor Connections. Please Feel free to link your outdoor fun or family fun post. Please include the button with a link-back to the hop. Thank you! Join us next week when we talk about Around the Town Fun.
This post is also day three in The Summer Bucket List series. Camping isn’t just fun, it has become a summertime tradition. Seeing it on the children’s bucket lists showed us that our camping trips are memorable and important to them. Take some time to visit the other participants of the series, Sunflower Schoolhouse, My Home In The Smokies, The Traveling Praters, Sisters ‘N Cloth, Feels Like Home Blog, Proverbs 31 Jewels, Teaching Boys, Adventurez In Child’rearing.
Does your family enjoy camping? What is the biggest thing holding you back from trying?
Thanks for hosting!!! My hubby loves to camp and I keep putting it off…hate that no showers, sharing public private spaces..but seeing how happy your kids are makes me realize I need to o open my mind…my toddler would love it…
Michy
Faithfully Parenting Fridays Linky Party!
It’s worth a try. I won’t lie, it is work. But the memories and laughs you walk away with are incredible. You do start to create a workable system when camping with little ones. Thanks for joining.
Wow! You make me want to go camping now. Sounds like some great memories for everyone!
Amy
It really is. I am still particular about when we go (we went in triple digit temps once and I will NOT do that again), but deep down I have to admit it is a lot of fun even with work required.
How MUCH fun is that!!! we love to camp! Thank you for sharing! Camping with littles is a trip but definately worth every minute! They are absolutely adorable!
Thank you. We definitely come home with
lotsTONS of laundry, but so many laughs as well!We used to go hiking and camp on the trail when we were newlyweds…ah, the bliss of only being two…plus to muddy dogs! {smile} I have to admit that my hubby’s been wanting to get back out there with our kiddos and I’ve been pushing back at it and am finally coming around to the idea. We’ll have to get a bigger tent though. Our tiny backpacking one will never work!
We actually have 2 tents now. I great big one and a smaller dome tent. Our two bigger boys enjoy sleeping in ‘their own tent’ now. It took me a little while to come around on that, but they love it. Maybe we can meet up at a park somewhere between us… then you can see how crazy we really are!
Oh I love your little camping cuties!!! especially the dirty one 😉 adorable
That little dirty one is now 5 years old… and LOVES playing in the mud. When we went to the creek last week she sat and painted herself with the mud!
You give me hope! The closest we’ve come to camping has been in our backyard. Here in MS it is just to hot to consider camping in the summer, but we will definitely keep it in mind for the fall! We own a tent, and it’s gotten used exactly twice 😉
I agree, the middle of the summer is not my idea of good camping weather, but once the fall hits I’m all for it!
My family loves camping! My family…..not so much me! But, like you, I spent many times going back to the house after the fire was out. Eventually, my list of “can’t-sleep-in-a-tent” excuses ran out and my family forced me to stay overnight! While I am extremely picky about which campground we will stay at, I am finally coming around to the idea of campouts!
Love all of the pics! Your family is precious!
Jennifer
http://teachingboys.net
Sounds like we have a lot in common. 😉 They really are worth the work (and laundry) in the long run.
I’ve always enjoyed camping with my family, but it is so much easier now that they are older. Of course, not every camping trip goes as smoothly as planned, but those are the trips that we now look back on the fondest.
Your post makes me want to grab our tent and go.
I do look forward to the day when ours are a *little* older and *much more* helpful. 😉 In the mean time we’ll just take it as it comes… and laugh later.
We love camping, but I am said to say that we haven’t been since we had the two younger kids. They are now 6 and 7. We are hoping to take them camping as soon as we get moved. It has been one crazy summer and we haven’t been able to do a lot that we have wanted! 🙂
I think that is the beauty of the bucket list idea (though I’m still not sure about the ‘kick-the-bucket’ aspect), we can make a list of things we hope to do or accomplish as a family and enjoy it over time!