5 Expert Tips for Camping with Kids in 2025 – Enjoy the Trip!
Wes Littlefield 06.25.25
I’ll be honest: Camping with kids can be horrific. Constant crying, screaming, fighting, and lots of costly therapy could be in your future. But it doesn’t have to be. I grew up loving to camp with my brother and parents. As an adult, I enjoy taking my wife and kids camping because it can be a great way to connect as a family and relieve stress. Here are my top five tips to ensure everyone enjoys the camping trip.
Tip #1: Start Small
I was 8 years old when I first went camping alone. No, my parents didn’t drop me off at some random location and say, “Good luck, kid.” Instead, I camped in the backyard and loved it. I set up the tent (with lots of help from my dad), brought snacks, a sleeping bag, and a pillow for a night within the safety of the backyard.
Starting small like this allowed me to enjoy some of the fun of camping, without any significant risks. If I hated it, I could walk through the back door and be in my bed in seconds. I remember another time my dad and I went camping on my great-grandparents’ land for a night. It was a 30-minute drive from home, and we were “roughing it” by the creek. It’s still one of my favorite childhood memories; looking back, it wasn’t a giant ordeal.
Whether you’re new to camping or have new gear, spending a night or two camping in the backyard or super close to home is a low-risk way to test gear and see how much your family is an outdoors kind of family.
Tip #2: Camp in Kid-Friendly Areas
My parents did an excellent job of camping in kid-friendly campgrounds. We always had a playground, easy access fishing spots, places to ride our bikes, and my favorite nature centers. There was generally something for us kids to do, so we weren’t bored, complaining to our parents. It didn’t always stop us brothers from fighting, though…
I don’t recommend backcountry camping with kids. As much as I would love to hike five miles and find a spot away from everyone else, my wife and kids would hate it. Instead, we camp at state parks, US Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds, and private family-oriented campgrounds.
Tip #3: Keep It Short
A two-week backcountry camping trip might sound good, but I strongly encourage you to keep the first few trips short. You won’t have to drag your kids back if you leave them wanting to return because the trip wasn’t long enough. On the other hand, if you stay too long, they might end up feral from prolonged exposure to nature.
Camping for the weekend is a low-risk way to thoroughly test your camping gear and determine what your family needs and doesn’t need. It also ensures you stay relatively close to home (3-4 hours away tops), so you’re not all stuck together on a long road trip.
Tip #4: Bring the Extras
One of my biggest faults while camping with kids is having a minimalistic mindset. It’s fine when it’s just my dad and me or camping alone, but not with kids.
Don’t be too concerned with overpacking. It’s better to have it and not need it than not. My parents did a great job of this because they’d bring our bikes, scooters, board games, Gameboys (I still miss that thing…), and many other items that weren’t necessary but helped us kids have a good time.
If it’s an item that will make the trip more comfortable and enjoyable, you should probably pack it.
Tip #5: Camp with Friends
One of, if not the best, things my parents did was find camping friends with kids the same age as my brother and me. Camping with friends did two things. First, it gave my brother and me a break from each other and our parents because we could run around the campground with our buddies. Second, it ensured we made memories we could share with others. I still remember dozens of stories of trouble we got into and funny things we did with our friends while camping.
My parents benefited from this because it gave them some adults to hang out with, while we kids were out terrorizing the countryside.
Final Thoughts: Camping with Kids
Camping with kids doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With these five tips, it can be some of the most fun you and your kids will ever have. Since you read all five, I’ll leave you with one more. Don’t expect perfection. Some of the best camping trips I went on as a kid probably looked like a disaster from the outside, but they made the best memories.
