Even a camping birthday requires cake
When we began camping as a family, some years ago, we camped at a few private campgrounds to see how the kids would react and to test all of our gear. Private campgrounds, such as KOA® or Jellystone Parks™, are good places to get some camping experience because they have stores with food and camping gear and activities to keep everyone busy.
Okay, maybe that’s not all she wants for her birthday, but with Chuck E. Cheese’s® just down the road, a bounce park in town and the lure of a sleepover party with her favorite friends, it makes this dad proud to say that his soon-to-be nine year old daughter chose a camping trip for her birthday. Camping has been a part of our kid’s lives just like going to movies or maybe a restaurant. It’s still something that is special to them, but it surprises me that they still get excited about it since it’s something that we do pretty regularly.
I have mentioned stargazing several times, as a great family camping activity that is interesting for adults and kids. Luckily, for those of us who are not exactly experts when it comes to astronomy, National Geographic released a new book this month that helps you find all kinds of interesting constellations and deep-space objects in the sky. The Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, written by veteran reporter Howard Schneider, walks you through everything you need to know about getting started in astronomy, from choosing the right kind of binoculars to the green flashes and zodiacal light that you can look for as the sun sets on the horizon.
With summer in full swing and many families heading into the backcountry over the July holidays, I thought I would take this opportunity to revisit some of the activities we employ to keep our kids excited about camping. We camp a lot, but we try to incorporate things that the kids don’t get to do at home, which helps keep camping something special that they always look forward to.
No, I’m not talking about portable heaters and satellite TV, this is gear designed for actual babies – the kind that crawl around on the ground and eat dirt. Camping gear for babies and toddlers has come a long way in the past five years. Here are some baby products that can make your next family camping adventure a more relaxing and enjoyable experience.