Tips for a First Camping Trip With Grandkids

Family camping is a perfect opportunity to bond with grandchildren. Gather camping ideas to plan an awesome adventure

grandmother taking a selfie with granddaughter

When camping with grandchildren, don’t forget to embrace the magic of the experience and make the most of bonding time.

Mike Kemp/Getty Images

Terry Ward,

AARP

En español

Published May 09, 2024

Summer is coming, and with it, pleasant temperatures across much of the United States that just beg for time spent outdoors, enjoying nature.

Planning a family camping adventure with kids or grandkids is a great way to make your precious bonding time together last longer — and naturally unplugged too.

When it comes to entertaining children, time in nature has been proven to be one of the best options, with benefits such as building confidence, teaching responsibility, getting kids moving, and even reducing stress and fatigue, according to the Child Mind Institute, a New York–based nonprofit that works to improve the lives of children struggling with mental health.

But to plan a camping adventure with young children, you might be wondering where to start — and that applies whether it’s your very first time camping at all or your first time attempting to do it with kids in tow.

“I would suggest going as a couple first or camping with friends before taking children,” says former scout leader Peggy Cleveland, 61, of Tacoma, Washington. It’s important to know that you enjoy the experience before embarking on it with kids, she says.

From there, you can graduate to camping in the backyard with the kids or grandkids, or even venturing to a park or campground close to home, Cleveland says.

“You want to be close enough to home that you can throw everything in the car in the event it is a disaster,” she says.

grandparents set up a campsite is set up with a tent and a supplies

A combination of tent and car camping is a good option for a first camping trip with children.

Courtesy KOA

Limiting your camping trips to a weekend before building up to longer stays is a good idea too, she says. Cleveland recommends a combination of tent and car camping (which is when you pull your car right up to a campsite and keep everything handy, as opposed to hiking to the site and carrying everything with you) for a first camping trip with children.

And new campers might want to consider a fall adventure to start, she says, calling it the perfect season for beginners. “It is not as hot, and the cooler evenings are more conducive to sleep,” Cleveland says.

Slow your pace and enjoy the lessons along the way

Part of the joy of a camping trip with kids is exposing them to life lessons you can’t always instill in the same way when surrounded by four walls at home or in a classroom.

“Activities like setting up camp exposes [kids] to valuable life skills, like problem-solving and resourcefulness,” says Diane Eichler, senior vice president of marketing at Kampgrounds of America (KOA). But it’s important to proceed at a slower pace so kids can keep up with everything that camping involves, she warns.

“Engage them as much as possible and allow extra time for setting up camp, preparing meals, and hiking or exploring, as kids may need more breaks along the way,” Eichler says.

And don’t forget to embrace the magic of the experience together.

“[Kids] bring awe at discovering new things and joy at being in the outdoors,” she says.

While setting up the campsite is a group activity, Cleveland suggests designating appropriate tasks so each child can help in their own way.

“Make sure each child is paired with an adult who is responsible for watching them,” she adds. “It is easy for kids to wander off if they don’t have something to do.”

Cleveland advises staying flexible while also planning each day while camping.

“You won’t be sitting around the campsite sipping wine,” she says. “Do an active activity in the morning such as a hike. Return to the campsite for lunch and a nap for younger children. Look up camp games, or teach them something new like how to make a knot or start a fire.”

For your first time camping with kids, opt for a place with lots of room to roam and explore, says Chrys Watson, 69, a grandmother of seven, including six she’s taken camping.

“If you’re just starting out, a KOA would be a good place,” says Watson. “There are a lot of campgrounds that are out in the woods or up in the mountains that have a lot of facilities too.”

One of Watson’s favorite places to take her own kids when they were younger was Fun Valley Family Resort in South Fork, Colorado. Fishing, hiking, tubing, miniature golf and paddleboats are among the many on-site activities to keep little ones busy.

Closer to their home in Leedey, Oklahoma, Watson and her husband have taken their grandkids camping at state parks, including Roman Nose State Park and Foss State Park.

“Look for places that are wide open, with lots of places for them to climb up on rocks and slide down and explore,” Watson says. “It’s the easiest and cheapest entertainment there is for them. They love it.”

Be sure to set ground rules while camping, she recommends, including ensuring that they understand not to wander off and to be aware of wildlife such as snakes.

National parks have great campgrounds, says Cleveland, but it can be difficult to secure a campsite reservation in peak season.

“Most people are familiar with state parks in their home state but fail to consider other states,” she says, so be sure to research state parks beyond your home base for camping options.

To make sure everyone sleeps comfortably, you’ll want to pack warm, insulated sleeping bags and cushioned or blow-up air mattresses to soften any roots, gravel or rocks under you at the campsite.

Make meal time easy

Chrys Watson’s husband, Gary, makes eggs on a griddle

Make mealtime easy by placing a griddle and grate over a fire. Here, Chrys Watson’s husband, Gary, makes eggs.

Courtesy Chrys Watson

Gathering around the campfire or at a picnic table under the shade of a tall pine tree to enjoy a meal together is a stellar camping moment. It’s best to make meal time as easy as possible, especially when you’re new to cooking alfresco and with limited utensils at your disposal.

Sara Healy, a Tampa, Florida, mother of three, has enjoyed camping at KOAs as well as Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts around the U.S.

“Jellystone campgrounds have some of the most robust programming of any campground we have visited,” Healy says, citing tie-dye, candy bar bingo and water play areas as examples.

When it comes to food, she says one-pot meals simplify things.

Her kids always enjoy “hairy hot dogs,” made by slicing uncooked hot dogs into discs and skewering them with three or four pieces of uncooked spaghetti noodles. Boil on a camp stove or over the fire until the pasta is cooked, then top with your choice of sauce. (“My kids liked cheddar sauce the most,” Healy says.)

Watson suggests bringing along a cast iron skillet and grate to place over a fire, as well as a large griddle to use over the fire or with a propane tank.

“We make sweet potato hash, cut up with onions, peppers, eggs and sausage, and stir it all together and make it over the fire,” she says. The griddle also works well for pancakes and other one-dish recipes.

Cleveland points to a mixture of peanut butter, oatmeal, raisins or dried fruit, M&M’s or chocolate chips, and nuts as a breakfast favorite for campers.

“Mix it up according to how many people. No measuring necessary, just add ingredients and mix until it all sticks together,” she says. “Slap about 1 cup per person in a bowl or on plate and eat away. It is so good.”

If you don’t have running water at your campsite, Watson recommends bringing a small tub and 5-gallon container of water for washing dishes.

Whatever you do, don’t forget the fixings for s’mores, Watson says.

“Kids find their fun in nature. You don’t hear an ‘I don’t have anything to do,’ ” she says. But there is one thing they always request while camping: “They want to roast marshmallows and s’mores at dark, then they just want to go to sleep,” she says.

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Terry Ward is a longtime travel writer who has lived in Australia, New Zealand and France. She’s now based in Tampa, Florida, and has cruised to the Bahamas with her family from Miami and Port Canaveral.

Tips for a First Camping Trip With Grandkids

Family camping is a perfect opportunity to bond with grandchildren. Gather camping ideas to plan an awesome adventure

Slow your pace and enjoy the lessons along the way

Make meal time easy

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