How to ENJOY Tent Camping with Toddlers
/If you’re looking for ways to make camping with a toddler easier and more enjoyable, you’re in the right place. When we first went tent camping with 2 toddlers, I wasn’t sure I knew how to camp with a toddler. BUT, we not only survived, but we actually ENJOYED it! We did everything from hike to campfires to using the backcountry bathroom. Our little ones have the best time helping set up the tent, helping collect wood for the campfire, and their favorite; roast marshmallows. If you’re not in a place financially to travel to luxury hotels, I invite you to consider tent camping with your family. You will get to explore new places, connect in the quiet and save some cash!
We recently went tent camping in barbados with our 1 year old, 7 year old, and 9 year old. There were other toddlers there too! This was off grid camping, so it was FREE
Tent camping with Toddlers may not be high on your list of things you want to do. It wasn’t on mine. Actually, it was way low; like NEVER want to tent camp with a toddler low. However, my husband loves camping. The first time we ever tent camped with toddlers, I wanted to spend Labor Day weekend away, but money was tight. Travel equals spending money. So, I came up with the idea to tent camp about 5.5 hours away from home while we explored Alabama’s Waterfall Trail. We got to have a family trip and didn’t have to spend loads of money. (about $16 per night)
I was impressed at how much fun we all had and I want to share how you too can make tent camping fun with toddlers! From where to sleep to what to pack to what to eat, I’ve got all of my tips for camping with toddlers right here!
The four of us enjoying a campfire the first night!
How to ENJOY Tent Camping with Toddlers
What to Pack For Tent Camping with Kids
Jimmy enjoying some iced coffee and putting his legs up after setting up our second camp!
There is no camping with toddlers checklist that will fit every single family, so here are some things to consider when deciding what to take camping with a toddler:
Amenities at the campsite (restrooms, outlets, water accessibility, grills, toddler camping chairs)
Whether your baby needs a pack-n-play or not
What the weather will be like (don’t forget about cool mornings/evenings)
What bedding you need (blankets, pillows, sleeping pads)
How many meals you are going to be eating while you are camping (breakfast, lunch, dinner, & SNACKS)
Whether or not you will be hiking with a toddler
For us, we like to consider the day time and night time temperatures when deciding what to pack for camping with toddlers. The age of the toddler will also change the list - a 1 year old may not need a training potty, but a 3 year old probably will.
our 1 year old having cookies by the campfire on an off-grid camping trip in barbados
Sleep Arrangments for Tent Camping with Toddlers
When we camped with two toddlers, we put both of our kids (ages 22 Months & 3.5 years) in pack-n-plays even though our daughter has been sleeping in a full size bed for over a year. We have two different size pack-n-plays — our son slept in the regular size and we put our daughter in the extended length travel bed. You can read more about our extended length pack-n-play HERE.
On our recent camping trip, we also camped with a packnplay! We used the Guava Lotus
when we camped with a toddler in barbados, we used 2 4-person tents since there are 5 of us now. The big kids and Jimmy shared a tent. I shared a tent with our 1 year old toddler.
Camping with a pack n play is not for everyone, but we chose to do it this way for multiple reasons.
The first reason is we wanted them to be contained once we left the tent to sit by the fire outside.
Second, we wanted both of them to be up off the ground and hoped that would mean better sleep (it did).
Third, our little ones are used to these travel beds and don’t mind pack-n-plays, so this was a great option for us.
Finally, if this is your first tent camping trip, you’ll want the kids to be less shocked by a completely weird sleeping arrangement.
Here are some recommendations for the best family tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads.
This was our tent set up the first 2 nights - this was a large 6 person tent
When we camped with two toddlers we stuck to our normal bedtime routine, just not the normal time. We did baths; either a real bath or we use the Johnson + Johnson body wipes to give them a full wipe down. Then we brushed teeth, put on jammies, and headed for the tent. We normally like to put the baby down first, so we rocked him and laid him down. Then did our routine with our 3 year old.
At home we sleep with large loud box fans, so we emulate that when we travel with a battery powered sound machine. This really helps the kids sleep since they weren’t constantly interrupted by the outside noises.
our baby sleeping in his pack n play on our last camping trip. We had a fan clipped to his bed to keep him cool and used a thin muslin sleep sack since it was warm out.
A final tip to maximize sleep and minimize noise is to prearrange everything you’ll need after the kids are asleep. We set our PJs on our bed, stored flashlights in the pocket near the tent door for easy bathroom exits, and had our external chargers near our bed for our phones. (ok, ok, so we weren’t COMPLETELY unplugged) We also bring along a toddler potty in case the babes need to go in middle of the night!
There are other bed options for older toddlers or camping with young kids. We absolutely love the inflatable toddler mattress and we used the Peapod travel tent for years with the older two kids during our travels.
After the little ones go to bed, check out these 9 hilarious campfire games for adults and families!
Meal Ideas for Camping with Kids
Here are the kiddies with their toddler camping chairs eating mac-n-cheese
Eating is huge for me. I love food. I researched easy and fun campfire meals before we left. I built a small menu for shopping and was sure to include plenty of snacks. I can never say enough – if you’re traveling with kids – BRING SNACKS. A few snacks that were amazingly easy were the yogurts in pouches, puree pouches, granola bars, pre-cut fruit (cut at home before we left), string cheese, Uncrustables, raisin packs, and any kind of cracker.
We like to pre-make our dinners if we are only camping for one night. This night it was a rice and ground beef meal that I made at home and aLl we needed to do was re-heat!
We have a small camping stove and a larger two burner Coleman Camping stove, so we plan meals like leftover pulled pork, mac-n-cheese, and scrambled eggs/bacon. However, if you don’t have one, it’s ok! There are MANY meals you can make that are delicious and campfire friendly. My favorites of the weekend are wrapping croissant dough around a hot dog and making cinnamon rolls inside orange peels! (Yes, that really works!) Also, don’t write off cold meals like fruit and yogurt or cereal with milk! Pack a cooler loaded with ice or dry ice!
we have a large cooler that keeps things super duper cold and a smaller cooler thats easier to move around and we use for thing we know we'll use quickly or things we want inside the tent.
Along with planning the meals and bringing a cooler, I found it handy to bring along some children’s utensils. A few must have toddler camping gear: silicone plates, silicone bowls, Toddler water Bottles, and sporks. We brought along some camping cookware and camping cutlery/dishes for ourselves. Everything we brought broke down or stacked nicely for compact packing. We also snagged some pretty awesome telescopic roasting sticks which we used those a few times for marshmallows or croissant covered hotdogs! If your kids are interested in campfire cooking, here are 15 campfire desserts kids can make on their own!
Another thing to note is your campground, State, or National park may have a lodge with a restaurant. If you have some extra cash or need a break from cooking, it’s a good option!
Putting the stove to use to make some good ole mac n cheese
Cinnamon Rolls cooked directly on the fire in Orange Peels - SO GOOD
SO YUM!! Wrapped some croissant dough around a hot dog!
Ideas for Play For Tent Camping with Kids
Charletta playing with her flashlight & showing a tent camping battle wound on her elbow
Believe it or not, you don’t need to plan camping activities to keep everyone occupied. Our kids play HARD with almost no input from us. They find giant sticks, heavy rocks, chased insects, go crazy with their flashlights, enjoy running free and climbing boulders for hours. We barely pack any toys — only a couple dinosaurs and trucks for the drive. They don’t need toys and are surprisingly creative in using nature’s camping toys to entertain themselves. In the evening, my older kids even used their headlamps to catch crabs on the beach!
the tidepools at our beach front campsite kept the kids entertained for so long
For younger toddlers, it may be helpful to bring along an outdoor playpen. We have one and we have used it a ton. I would recommend this for children 18 months and younger.
Helping:
Tent camping with a toddler doesn’t mean you have to do all the work! I decided to add this section because it was so fun to watch our little ones help us with all aspects of camping. They “helped” us set up the tent, gather wood for the campfires, “helped” us cook and even “helped” us unload the car. My favorite is that they can really help you build a fire ring. They have built our fire rings at all of our campgrounds that didn’t have an established fire pit!
the little guy "helped" us set up the tents before we went to play on the beach
We normally would want to get everything settled without interruption, but something about being outside helped us all slow down. Having the little ones involved and feeling like they contributed was really good for everyone! I highly recommend letting the kids steal the show while you’re sharing the outdoors. Taking a toddler camping is such a fun way to get hands on learning!
Latham helping daddy get sticks and start the fire
First Aid for Tent Camping with Toddlers
Holy Blisters — THANK GOODNESS we had some bandaids!
Taking a toddler camping means someone on the trip will definitely need a band-aid…or two! I recently stumbled upon a small mom-owned company called Preparakit. I can’t say enough how helpful these small, easily packable first aid kits are. OH and they are super cute. We have both the regular size and the small one. We used the kit/supplies to bandage up cuts/scrapes from toddlers playing and to clean up some blisters from hiking. They are truly perfect for any kind of family travel! You can find the kits HERE.
To say that I was wrong about camping with toddlers is an understatement. It is SO fun! Jimmy and I say over and over again how much we love the time we spend camping. We both feel reconnected, unplugged, and refreshed. A little planning and letting go of our normal uptight, strict schedule geos a long way.
I highly recommend a family camping trip; even if you’re camping with babies and toddlers.
What are your go-to tips for camping with a toddler?
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