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in Blog on September 22, 2021 by Jennifer Carroll

Yes, You Can Take Your Kids Car Camping

By Jennifer Carroll | @twinningtheweekend

Even for the most seasoned camper, the thought of camping with young kids can be daunting. 

When you start thinking about packing, how you’ll get your kids to sleep in a tent and what you’ll feed everyone, it’s easy to be overwhelmed.

My husband and I both have decades of experience camping and backpacking in remote areas of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. But, even as veteran campers, it was intimidating to take our toddler twins on their first camping trip.

Fortunately, some family friends invited us for a weekend of camping not long after our twins turned two. Armed with their encouragement and moral support, we headed out. It wasn’t perfect. It never is. But, we had a great time. And, best of all, we wanted to go again.

Camping is a great way to spend time together as a family. New experiences help your child develop confidence and gain independence. Plus, it’s fun!

So now it’s my turn to encourage you…Roll up your sleeping bag and head for the great outdoors.

Start Small

If it’s your first camping trip, start small. Choose a state park or other campsite as close to home as possible – an hour away from home is more than plenty. Make your reservation for 1-2 nights. Car camping (where you drive up to your campsite) will keep things simple. This doesn’t need to be an episode of Survivor: Family Camping.  

Choose Your Campsite Strategically 

Almost every camping area has a playground. Choose a site as close to the play area as possible. Your kids can play and meet new friends while you set up your tent, cook or simply relax. A play area provides hours of entertainment and also creates a physical boundary for kiddos who tend to wander.  

Bring A Scooter Or Bike 

Bathroom facilities may be a short walk from your campsite. Make it fun with a bike or scooter. Campgrounds are great spaces to practice new skills or explore a paved trail. Older kids will love to make a loop around the camping area. They feel like it’s a big adventure but you can still keep an eye on them.

Visit The Visitor Center And Meet Park Rangers 

Visitor centers offer a wealth of resources. You’ll find information about your area, trail maps and a schedule for family-friendly activities. Most state parks give out books with Junior Ranger programs and activity ideas. Camp hosts and park rangers are friendly people who are there to help and offer ideas. 

Pack A Camp Toy Box

The next time you go to donate or give away a few toys, stash a few in a tub or bag. These are your “camping toys.” Balls, digging tools or other open-ended items are perfect for a camping trip. The novelty of “new” toys will hold their interest and you won’t have to worry about a prized possession getting dirty or lost. 

Keep Meals Simple

Worried about toddlers around the campfire? Don’t want to drag all of your cooking utensils to the campsite? Just don’t cook. It’s really okay. A Lunchable is a gourmet meal when enjoyed under the trees. Turkey roll-ups, peanut butter sandwiches, and cheese and crackers are perfectly fine for any meal. Don’t put pressure on yourself to cook unless you want to.

Borrow What You Can Or Buy Used

You don’t need a lot of expensive gear. Kids grow quickly and your family’s needs will change too. Borrow a tent from a friend or shop secondhand. Facebook Marketplace is a great way to score all kinds of camping gear like hiking carriers for toddlers. Yoga mats make great camping mattresses. A large bucket with a lid can double as a camping stool for a kiddo. Get creative and build your gear up over time. 

Lower Your Expectations

Toddlers are going to have meltdowns whether they are at home or out having fun. If we can go into the weekend with that mindset, it’s easier to “parent” when we need to.

You WILL forget something. Laugh about it and make it memorable. Kids will think it’s silly to eat without silverware or sleep without pajamas.

Doing anything with young kiddos can be a challenge. Embrace the chaos.

Remember, when you’re out camping you can’t mow the lawn, you can’t organize the playroom closet and (best of all) you can’t do laundry! Enjoy your time together trying something new.  

Good campers aren’t born, they’re made. Start small and slowly work your way up to bigger adventures. It’s okay to use the plastic, to stay in a cabin or to head home early in a rainstorm. There is no right way to camp.   

Bonus Tip: Kids tend to wake up with the sun. Send them to the playground in their pjs and embrace your early start with your favorite homemade coffee.

Jennifer Carroll | @twinningtheweekend

Jennifer is a mom to four-year-old twins and a very large Weimaraner. Before kids, she worked in television and advertising. She paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom only to discover she loved freelance writing. You’ll find her family camping, chasing cows or at the lake on weekends. Follow their adventures at @twinningtheweekend

Feature Image by Mattias Helge on Unsplash

Related

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: preschoolers, summer, travel

About Jennifer Carroll

Jennifer is a mom to four-year-old twins and a very large Weimaraner. Before kids, she worked in television and advertising. She paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom only to discover she loved freelance writing. You’ll find her family camping, chasing cows or at the lake on weekends. Follow their adventures at @twinningtheweekend.

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Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes f Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes for February and March classroom projects! Valentine boxes and leprechaun traps are around the corner, and shoe boxes are so much harder to come by these days. Consider this a friendly head’s up from a mom who’s been there.

Want more help and tips, plus reassurance that you’re doing a great job? (You are.) Search for The Mom Hour in your favorite podcast app and hit subscribe!

#kindergarten #firstgrade #valentinebox #leprechauntrap #shoeboxcraft #roomparent #roommom #classroomvalentines #parenting #momlife #parentingtip #tipsformoms
Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for presch Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for preschoolers? Even for kids who want to GO GO GO all day long, having a built-in pause in the day can help develop independent play skills, encourage rest, and - of course - give caregivers a chance to reset as well.

Since this week's podcast episode is all about kids and alone time, we thought we'd revisit this resource on the blog by Sandy Hsu:

👉 How To Encourage Independence In Preschoolers With A “Quiet Time” Routine. 👈 

Sandy (@hopefulsmiles) give tips for implementing a successful quiet time routine AND rounds up products and activities that help make independent play more likely - even in young preschoolers. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#quiettime #parentingtoddlers #parentingpreschoolers #momoflittles #stayathomemom #stayathomeparent #activitiesforpreschoolers #activitiesfortoddlers #threeyearolds #fouryearolds #fiveyearolds #momlife #sahm #sahmlife
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Shoutout to our NEW sponsors:
🍳 @caraway_home (10% off gorgeous, non-toxic cookware!)
💪 @futurefitapp (risk-free trial of 1-on-1 personal training!)
🔪 @prepdish (2 weeks free of healthy, prep-ahead meal plans!)
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And welcome back . . . 
⭐️ @stitchfix ($20 off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off full-season calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on cute, comfy shoes!)
Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, high school registration. As we discussed in this week's episode, we still get all the feels when older kids meet cultural or developmental milestones - even if they cringe when we celebrate and share.

Would love to hear what you're celebrating about your older kids! Everything from learning a new skill to blossoming independence - leave us a comment! 

PS - Listen to the episode in your favorite podcast app, or by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#parenting #parentingbigkids #parentingteens #parentingtweens #bigkidmilestone #teenagers #tweens #momoftweens #momofteens #momofteenagers
Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-d Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-digits, you find yourself staring a different milestone right in the (puffy) face:

It's been a decade since I was pregnant for the last time. 

This photo was taken the morning of my scheduled c-section, just a few hours before we'd meet our third and last babe. It's hard to remember, but I'm SURE I was ready to be done. Constant braxton-hicks, heartburn I hadn't experienced with the other two, food aversions that lasted the whole 39w5d, and physical exhaustion trying to keep up with a 2- and 4-year old: all part of an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, but still nobody's idea of easy.

I don't miss it - being pregnant. Grateful to have had the experience, absolutely. But I've never really pined for another go-around, at least not seriously. Still, a whole decade removed feels as significant a milestone to me as does the notion that that double-dimpled babe will blow out ten candles this weekend.

Time, like, whoa. 

-Sarah
If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, you might be feeling overwhelmed by school tours, open houses, registration deadlines, or the all-too-common "red shirting question". That's why today we're revisiting an enormously detailed resource on our site: 

➡️ What Teachers & Educators Wish Parents Knew About Making School Decisions ⬅️

This piece is a collaboration between four educators on our team whose careers span preschool through middle school. They weigh in what what they wish parents knew about things like...

...choosing “the right school” 
...what it means to be “ready for kindergarten” 
...visiting a school for a tour or open house 
...learning to read 
...kids and friendships; playground politics
...making school decisions for a special needs student 
...becoming part of a classroom or school community 
 
Click this image at the link in our bio to get the guide. Bookmark it, send it to your co-parent or mom friends, and use it as a starting place as you wade through this tricky time of year! 

@lisaapayne4 @ashleydawn519 @thepaperdart @cafedumartin
C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s e C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s episode is number 400! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate hitting a big podcast milestone than talking about how we honor birthdays and milestone celebrations in our families – especially as kids get older. Join Meagan and Sarah as we offer insight into making birthdays special for big kids, tweens and teens; how kids getting older hits us differently as moms, too; and how honoring big kid milestones gets tricker, but still gives us all the feels. 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being a Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being available has been so fun! Listeners have told us that they're now able to re-listen to old favorites, or - amazing for us - share them directly with friends.

(If you missed it, previously, podcast apps showed only our most recent 300 episodes – less than half our catalog. The rest were only available on our website.)

Just for fun, we rounded up a few more of our team's favorite episodes from the early days of the podcast. Here are five MORE oldies that have stood the test of time, and that make for great entry-points to our early catalog.

You can listen from our website by clicking this image at the link in our bio – but EVEN BETTER, you can find the episodes in your favorite podcast app - just search by episode title, or keep on scrolling until you find them!

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