10 Tips For Camping With Kids

We live in a world surrounded by screens. If anything, the pandemic catapulted our digital time to new heights. Screens offered us connection and escape over the last year and a half. We watched a lot of Netflix. And a lot of Hulu too. We Zoomed and FaceTimed to “see” friends and family we weren't able to hug or laugh with in person. Our kids attended classes and completed homework from their screens. 

If it weren’t for this technology, the isolation of the pandemic would have felt much more intense. But balance and moderation are key, particularly for our kids, who are still developing physically, cognitively, and emotionally. It’s important to see horizon lines, to examine a beetle or feather up close, to breathe fresh air, to be active, to use our bodies, to play. Being outdoors not only connects us to the natural world and our place in it, it inspires stewardship of the land and wildlife that also call these places home. 

Road trips in particular are perfect for getting us out of our “bubbles”—especially after months of quarantine—to connect with wild landscapes, new people along the journey, and each other. Camping offers an excellent opportunity to disconnect as a family, to take a break from the smartphones, iPads, laptops, and TVs, to hit the open road, and to get outside. 

A recent report from the National Recreation and Park Association found that children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation—devoting only 4-7 minutes to unstructured outdoor play per day while spending an average of 7.5 hours in front of electronic media. The shift to an indoor childhood has accelerated in the past decade, with huge declines in spontaneous outdoor activities like biking, swimming, camping, and hiking.

Cambria Cox of Field Trip Society shares that she sees a calmness and ease emerge in her kids when they’re spending time outside as a family, away from the electronic distractions. She finds that when there are clear parameters around screen time, whether that’s access for an hour at a certain time of day each day or a family-wide commitment to going digital-free for the trip, the pressure and drive to get on a screen is diminished and there is less arguing and debating around usage. 

“When the screen isn’t an option, we’re all more likely to explore and find other forms of entertainment,” shares Cambria. “We are so accustomed to looking at our screens whenever there is a down moment. We find ourselves doing it while we wait in line at the grocery store. Having the time to let your brain wander while watching mile markers go by on a road trip is a beautiful thing. It’s also important to let kids know that adults have screen issues too—we all need to unplug.”

The mom of two shares some of her favorite ways to disconnect in order to reconnect. 

Cambria’s Tips for Road Trips with Kids

THE JOURNEY

1. Think of traveling in the camper van like being on a spaceship where you have everything you need to survive on board. You have to work as a team to make it through the journey. Name the van—it’s also a character in the adventure.

2. Take turns playing DJ or choosing audiobooks. You can subscribe to something like Audible, download one of the library audiobook apps, or check out a book in advance.

3. The beauty of a camper van is you can easily bring the creature comforts along—whether it’s your favorite pillow and blanket or your ukulele. It’s especially sweet to have elements from home along for the ride.

4. Who doesn’t love a good car game like the alphabet game? Identify something outside the van for every letter of the alphabet. If you’re traveling to a national park or other popular destination, chances are high that there’s going to be a lot of different license plates. Try to collect all 50! Driving through the wide open west? Count the number of cows.

5. One of the wonderful parts of road tripping is trying different, new, and special foods along the way—things we don't typically get to indulge in. Stop for fresh cherries from a roadside stand, handmade tamales from a family-owned restaurant, and let’s not forget about the oysters in the San Juan Islands!

THE DESTINATION

1. Hike and forage for wild berries, greens, and mushrooms. Summer in the Northwest is prime berry season. Taste them all, from red mountain huckleberries to thimbleberries and the ubiquitous Himalayan blackberry—a favorite camp treat. 

2. Stargaze. Take advantage of being away from the bright city lights to spot planets, constellations, and meteor showers. The peak of the Perseids Shower is August 12-13, but the meteors are visible from July 17 through August 24.

3. Beachcomb and explore tide pools. Summer offers some of the lowest daytime tides of the year, perfect for spotting sea anemones, lion’s mane jellyfish, and if you’re really lucky, an octopus.

4. Tell campfire stories. While you cook, sit, and relax around the fire—share your most embarrassing, scary, or funny memories. It’s a great way to get creative and share a good laugh as a family. 

5. Get back to basics with the classics. Pack a frisbee, baseball, tennis ball to play catch, or a hacky sack—simple items that make ferry lines, campgrounds, and beaches more fun. 

Tap Into Your Inner Child

We all have a curious inner child that loves to explore and learn new things. Field Trip Society provides opportunities for grown-ups to experience the same sense of wonder that they had as children on school field trips… but this time no permission slip is required.