What ages are appropriate for camping

[KathyDave]

Gee the first time our oldest went camping - and white water rafting he was in utero LOL
Seriously, we tent camped with our kids since they were born. Our oldest is 19 now and he has complained that I ruined camping by buying an RV - Ha Ha - but it certainly made it easier on me. So I say any age and the earlier the better so they can learn how to camp safely.
Kathy & Dave
5 kids

[Rio Mama]

We took one trip with our older boy when he was 1.5.  It was an okay trip, but we weren't really in a car camping frame of mind at the time and weren't really prepared for what it took to make car camping a really fun experience.

We tried again last summer when my older boy was 4 and my younger boy was almost 1.  It was a blast.  We had so much fun car camping with our tent that we got a VW pop-top. 

My keys to a successful camping experience with young children are these:

1.  Plan to spend a lot of time near a water feature (river, lake, ocean).  My boys' favorite thing to do is throw rocks in, wade, gather rocks in a bucket, inspect the fauna, etc.  The hikes are okay (though kinda taxing b/c the little one can't for more than 30 seconds and won't follow a path), but the water play is awesome.

2.  Dress them in quick dry clothes - fleece pants, swim trunks, whatever - in case of accidents involving water play or bladder control.

3.  Bring something to listen to if you're nursing a child to sleep.  Leaving the campfire early to put the baby to bed felt like a total ripoff until I realized I had my ipod with me.

4.  Don't put the baby to bed in a one-piece.  If you need to do an emergency diaper change in the dark in the middle of the night, it's a lot easier to get the clothes on & off quickly if the kid is wearing pants.

5.  Prep the eats at home as much as possible.  On our trip to Big Sur this February, I knew breakfast would be a chilly affair necessitating a quick execution, so I put all the ingredients in a Mason jar (oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, whatever) ahead of time.  When dawn broke, it was pretty darn cold outside, but I had hot breakfast for my hungry boys pretty quickly without having to think much beyond "fire, boil, dump, stir", which was good b/c my brain was sleep-deprived and cold.  Once we had a hot breakfast in our tummies, the surroundings seemed really glorious.  Also, since I was preparing it differently than normal, I called it something different so that my picky older son would think it was special camping food - Porridge, rather than Oatmeal.  It seemed to work.

6.  Always carry snacks (fruit, pretzels, crackers, etc.), drinks (water, juiceboxes, chocolate milk boxes), & Epi-pens (my kiddo is allergic) in the daypack. 

7.  For now, we tend to do most of our trips as one-nighters.  We generally do a couple 3 day trips here and there, but we find we can get out more with better bounceback from potentially rough conditions if we just plan to be gone 1 night.  As they get older, I'm sure we'll extend this. 

[itdoesntsck2bme]

We just got back from a 3-day tent camping trip with our 9 month old and five year old. We had a great time. It takes a little extra patience, a little extra planning, and fewer expectations, but it can be a great experience. Even the baby seemed fascinated by the outdoors, and the five year old desperately did NOT want to go home. The oldest has been camping since she was 3 or so, and we successfully did some week-long trips with her, all in a tent. I can't imagine camping without kids - it makes it so much more fun. And if you're a homeschooling family, camping trips are a great educational experience!

[Dave]

Camping with kids is great.  We will be heading out in 2 weeks for our first trip of the year.  We have a trip planned every other week until school starts up again.  Can't wait!

[familycampingguy]

My wife and I have pictures of our oldest son sitting in a plastic wash tub in our campsite when he was 5 months old.  Our youngest was 3 months when we took him.  We have tent camped from Maine to Tennessee with them.  I feel this made us a much closer family by enjoying the outdoors together.  It gives them a real appreciation for the peace and quiet you can enjoy outdoors,  away from the everyday hustle and bustle.  I don't think there is an age limit as long as the temperature is conducive to the little ones.  Remember, the more fresh air they take in during the day, the better they sleep at night. 

[itdoesntsck2bme]

Too funny! My parents have a picture of me when I was an infant in a plastic wash tub while we were camping. In fact, it was always my mother's favorite picture to show my boyfriends when I was a teenager. :-P

[Jeff Marshall]

Hi,

I think the age appropriateness of the child depends on where you are going and how much time you want to spend watching the kids.  For the most part, if your kids are over the age of 7 they are at a point where they can actually enjoy the outdoors and are unlikely to get themselves into any serious trouble if left alone.  However, if you go younger than this, you will need to spend your time watching them.  This can be fine if you are willing to put in the effort and the camp site is fairly danger free.  By danger I am talking about things like uneven ground, rocks, glass, etc.  Basically anything the kids could hurt themselves with. 

Hope this helps.  I have to agree with a number of the previous posts.

Best,
Jeff Marshall
www.goingtentcamping.com

[CampingFam]

You can take kids of any age camping!  My parents took me camping at the beach when I was just four months old.  Sure you need a bit more gear (diapers), but you can still have a good time.

With my own kids, we started camping when they were 2 and 5.  I think those are great ages for camping!  They both loved being outside (what kid doesn't?).  Exploring the woods and discovering bugs, birds, and other animals was very fun to them.  We heard a screech owl for the first time on our first camping trip, and our 5 year old thought that was the coolest thing.

And, of course, since they're both boys, having so many trees around to pee on was like a huge adventure.   

[jmwglobal]

Kids and camping is the best, but I don't think it's truly about how old the kids are as much as it's how good the parents are with kids. If you can't control your child at home, you will not be able to control them camping. But the same holds true in reverse. If your kids mind you and listen to you, then that is the age to take them camping. My son was camping, roughing it, at the age of 2. Our rule of thumb was if we can take him to a resturant, friends house, movies, park, etc and have him listen to us, then he was ready for camping. Now that he is 15, he is almost a pro at the type of camping we do.

If your going to take your kids camping, just make sure you make it fun and a learning experience. Teach them and show them so their future in camping is a great one. It comes down to this, do you think your kids and yourself are ready to go camping?

[Wise.Woman.of.the.Forest]

I've been camping since I was 5. I think to start younger it would have to be less intense camping (ie, trailer, or tent but in a not-too-wildernessy area).

If you're equiped for it, I would say at any age, but I can't help but think of babies. When I go camping and I have to sit on my campsite and hear babies and/or toddlers screaming constantly, I am not exactly pleased about it. The other thing is that most campgrounds I've been to have noise restriction. if your children tend to make a lot of noise especially after 11 PM, I would not take them. Cranky campers who want peace will not appreciate it, and I have actually seen families with very young children removed rom parks for their children crying and screaming all night and being disruptive to others during the day.

If you have kids with a good temper though, who would enjoy it, I say go for it. It is important to get them addicted at an early age

[Roaring Rory]

I don't have kids but I have alot of friends that do.   They have been taking there kids camping since they were  almost one year old.

[familycampman]

I brought my son camping for the first time this year and he is 6. He had no problem except with the bugs in the bathroom. On the brightside, he pee'd behind a tree for the first time. He made me a proud father. I have a second son wbo just turned 1 so I think I'll try with him next year with him as well

Eric
http://www.familycampman.com

[Scrib]

Hmmmm, I had to go back and look, but it looks like we were back to camping when our youngest (who will be 4 in November) was about 1 1/2 years old.

[oki]

I went camping before I could remember.. but apparently I cried a lot so it might not be fun for you at night if you take a baby. 2 is probably fine, and I'd say 3 or 4 is perfect, from the kid's perspective. (I remember enjoying it a lot by then. Also, you don't wanna start too late or they might not take to the wilderness which would be very unfortunate) Just.. don't make your kids sleep in a puddle. (you know, if it rains) My mom was hardcore like that and I was kinda pissed.

[familycampman]

I'm hoping to bring my youngest who'll be 2 in June out this summer. Of course, I'll have to have my guard on for the fire and any rivers/water, etc.. We shall see how it goes...

Eric
http://www.familycampman.com