My son has been camping regularly since he was 3 months old. Our list of must haves has changed over the years as he’s moved from baby to toddler to preschooler. (We no longer have to bring diapers, thank goodness!) We’ve added a few new essentials and a few “just for fun” items to our camping packing list. Whether you’re camping with your baby, toddler, or big kid, you’ll want to consider these camping must haves!
Games
We are a Baggo family. (It’s like cornhole, but much more portable!) We bring at least one set every time we go camping.
Recently, my toddler and his pal strolled up with no fear to a group of adults at the beach and asked to play this “lawn pong” game. Yes, it’s essentially giant beer pong, but it was so much fun we’re bringing a set camping with us.
You can’t beat a classic — we’ve bought so many sets of these Velcro catch games.
Essentials
We always have water for handwashing at the campsite, but I also love keeping wipes on hand (and a bottle of hand sanitizer). I especially like spray sanitizer for camping because if it’s hot, gel can get messy.
Have you ever had that moment where you’re relaxing around the fire with an adult beverage in your hand and your child wants to sit in your lap? In a single camp chair? Solution? A double camping chair!
No more diapers while camping is a beautiful thing. However, camping bathrooms can be tricky, so we’ve got extra large covers (and hand wipes to bring along).
We recently bought Jackson a small Yeti with his name on it, but I can’t say enough how having cups with lids when camping is necessary to avoid dirt, sand, bugs, etc. landing in your beverage. Plus, if you get different colors, each child will know which is theirs!
Speaking of drinks, these cup holders are handy for camping and the beach. It keeps your cup from getting dirty and, again, can be color coordinated to a child.
NOT for kids… or are they? If you feel daring, these electric bug rackets are handy.
Just for fun
Bubbles. Bubble machine, bubble gun, bubble wand. Never fails. That’s all.
Looking to keep kids entertained and cool? These water shooters are easy to use and super fun.
When I was a Girl Scout, my leader would do “wishes” and the fire would change colors. We like to do “magic” in the fire with these color-changing packets.
Movies are fun, even when you’re camping! We bought a projector and watched a scary movie one night at our campsite. Be warned, though — if you’re going to be in a campground with poor WiFi, download your movies before you hit the road, and bring an extra power bank.
Happy camping to you and yours!
