We just returned from our camping trip at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. And we are all quite sandy. Blowing sand got in our eyes, ears, hair, clothes and camera. Still, we had a great time.
Sometimes people are amazed that we take the three kids and the dog camping. But I tell them camping with kids really isn’t hard. Kids seem to take to the wild quickly. They start playing with rocks and pine cones. They start trying to climb trees. And they start asking how far away they can explore.
I’ve found that children do better on trips when there is something for them to do. They really aren’t that interested in scenic drives. Unless they’ve read or seen movies about a certain time in history, historical sites aren’t going to interest them for long either. A lot of visitor’s centers and ranger talks though are geared towards children’s interests. At the Sand Dunes we learned about special species of insects and rodents that are only found at this location. We also got to look through a microscope at the tiny bits of an amazing variety of rocks that make up the sand. To look at the sand, you’d think it was white. Under a microscope you see purple, red, gray, black, silver, turquoise and all sorts of colors.
If there is swimming, that’s always a plus for my kids, but sometimes rivers to play in are even better. Most children like hiking if the distance isn’t too great. I’ve found that hikes with lots of things to look at are better than single destination hikes.
Camping is a great time for the kids to help their family. They can help pitch tents, unload cars, sort through the food, find where you stashed supplies in the car, and maybe even help carry water.
It’s good for all of us to get away from our cell phones and other electronic devices. I always come home with new appreciation for my dishwasher and for central heat. I love to learn something new about the world. But mainly, getting to watch a zillion stars emerge as night falls, getting to teach my children the fine art of marshmallow roasting makes it all worthwhile.
Also See:
How to Hike with Small Children