Camping Safety Rules for Kids

Camping Safety Rules for Kids

There’s nothing more mesmerizing than sleeping under the millions of stars, waking up with the rustle of leaves with the aroma of trees and wilderness of air.

Camping is fun; it’s not only enjoyable but also one of the most inexpensive ways to be in the lap of nature and spend some quality time with family and friends.

While adults take it as a leisure time they get from the hustle and bustle of life, kids consider it as an adventure. After all enjoying outdoors in nature with parents is what they always seek for. Be it camping at lakes, mountains or campground, the picturesque view and the beauty of camps will give you a life-long memory.

Whether you simply want to gaze stars or you have plans to camp at places that show ultimate adventure, the first thing that juggles the mind when camping with kids is the SAFETY.

Nevertheless, if you want to make your experience with kids a life-long memory, have a look at tried and tested methods to ensure kid’s safety at camps.

Related: Fun things to take camping

Choosing The Right Camping Place:

Parents should look for places that offer comfort to kids. It’s one thing that can make or break your adventure. Perhaps you want to camp in remote areas, your kids will not be able to enjoy much.

Therefore, the camp place should be based entirely on the abilities of the people you are camping with. If it’s the first time your family is camping, choose a well-established campground or perhaps a National Park.

Moreover, if your kids want to explore the local areas, or you want to hike few miles in the daytime, make sure to keep your camp-side near the local. However, if you wish to be only in camps, look for remote areas. And, if your kids don’t want to be at rough places, make a campground near water and flushing toilets.

The Campsite:

Are you wondering that choosing the campsite and choosing the right place is same? Well, No!

When choosing the campground, you need to look for many other things. For instance, you have a tent that doesn’t have a toilet; you perhaps look for place nearest to the bathroom. Moreover, if you are using RV vans for camping, you might be looking for the place close to the beach so that your kid can have fun.

Also, don’t forget to look for the shade and dark places. If your tent is in the sun, you will burn and end up putting sunscreen all the time. However, the dark place will become home to bugs, and you will have an itchy camping trip.

Things to Pack

Camping with kids means you have to carry a whole lot of stuff to make your trip to fullest. Though it would be little rustic, you don’t want to be too rough when you have baby’s with you. Therefore, to enjoy your adventure to the fullest, make sure you carry right gear to make the trip a breeze and .

Some of the most important supplies are:

Portable Highchair:

A portable highchair is the best for those spontaneous trips. Also, it is easy to carry and make you feel comfortable when you want to sit relax.

Portable high chair great for safely camping with kids

Portable high chair great for safely camping with kids

Hiking carrier:

If you have plans to hike around, a study hiking carrier will accommodate your kid. They are amazing and will make you free. So, choose a soft and framed carrier to help you make your hiking with the baby the most amazing experience.

A Hiking carrier can be a safe and convenient way to take a small child with you hiking

A Hiking carrier can be a safe and convenient way to take a small child with you hiking

Wipes:

Let’s accept it! You can never have many baby wipes, especially when you are traveling with kids. So keep a bag full of wipes and baby’s diapers. Also, carry an extra bag to dispose of the used ones and other trash.

Safety knife or tool:

Safety is the paramount thing when camping with kids. So, to safeguard your family from unforeseen problems, keep stuff like glowtsticks, waterproof matchbox and a safety knife handy. You can also keep pocket knives to do things like cutting ropes, boxes, food, etc and other important tools in hand.

Rug or Mat:

If you have crawling baby, you perhaps need extra space apart from the walled-tent. And that’s when a picnic blanket comes in handy. You can even pick an old indoor piece of carpet or beach mat to keep your kid from spending time on floors.

Picnic blanket with built-in carry handle.

Picnic blanket with built-in carrying handle.

Baby’s Toy:

Don’t forget to keep your kid’s favorite toys otherwise your life will be hell. Kids can become fussy sometimes, however, to keep them busy, bring their favorite toy or their entertainment gear to soften their mood. See some fun things to use camping.

Clothes:

Temperature can drop or rise at once, so be prepared! Think of layers for your baby. Although the day can be warmed, the temperature can drop at nights making it bone-chilling for your baby. So, put clothes in layers like polyester, polypropylene, and then wool.

Add or remove clothes as per temperature. Bring jackets, and breathable raincoats and pants to stay protected from rain. Wear comfortable hiking socks and shoes to safeguard your feet from scratching. Keep your baby packed to safeguard him from ticks and other insects. Bring their hats or caps to keep them protected from insects and sun.

Drinking Water:

Although it’s hard to carry a gallon of water, you can travel with water bottles, but what if they too run out?

You are left with no option than to drink water from wildlife. But it can hamper your baby’s health and can put them in pain making your camp the worst nightmare. It can also cause nausea, bloating, stomach cramps and even diarrhea.

So what to do?

Bring water purifying tablets! Iodine is the easiest and inexpensive way to clean contaminated water. You can also use a water filter or can simply boil water at your campfire, but it will take a lot of time.

Eatables:

Plan your food according to the number of days you are going to spend in tents. Consider packed or dehydrated meals that only need water. You can bring stuff like granola bars, bread, peanut butter, fruits, packaged trail mix and other camping-friendly eatables.

Don’t forage for nuts and berries as you will not be able to differentiate between toxic and the edible ones. To keep your food safe and protected:

  • Pack food in tight and waterproof containers, or use insulated cooler’s to save them.

  • Keep raw foods away from the cooked ones.

  • Wash hands or use hand sanitizer’s when cooking or eating

Related: Things you need for camping

Things to Consider When Camping in Different Weather Conditions:

Weather can change in a blink! You perhaps experience snowfall or might fell rain pouring heavily. There might be an unexpected storm as well. You can come in situations like you are living in a cabin-camp, and sudden snow starts blowing.

What will you do?

In such scenario:

  • Don’t move out of the cabin: Leaving cabins with family can be quite risky as the majority of people lose their lives after being caught in snowstorms. Also, don’t look for shelters like car, snow houses as they are not safe for kids. Stay in the cabin and wait for the snow to blow-over.

  • Seal doors and windows: To maintain heat in the cabin, put towels or blankets around the doors and windows. Layer your kids with woolen clothes and make them sit at a warm place. Properly cover all windows to minimize heat loss.

Note: Kid’s become enthusiastic as soon as they see snow, so safeguard them. Don’t let them eat snow!

What If Your Camp Gets Caught In Thunder:

No specific time will tell you that the thunder or lightning is about to strike. As soon as you see the flash, run out with kids and reach out to a safer place.

With children, thunder and lightning can be quite scaring. However, if you fail to understand the early signs of lightning, try to reach out to the places that are at low level.

You might feel that staying in tents will be the safest thing. However, it will increase your risk of ground currents that will run from foot to heart. Such type of current can stop your heart rate. Also, if you are standing, the current will spread evenly between your feet. Although this will not stop your heartbeat, you perhaps will feel unpleasant.

So, instead of waiting or standing in thunder, start taking steps to minimize the danger from the ground. Also, get as low as you can, or go in a squat position. Look for the shelter quickly. Don’t stand near the tallest object; you might get caught up in lightning.

Related: Best generator for camping

Pro Camping Rules You Need To Teach Kids:

As a parent, you know everything about being in woods, dealing with difficult things, but your kids don’t know. What will you do if your kid, unknowingly, put them in danger while you are being busy setting the camp? So, to protect your kids from these situations, set some rules and make them aware of them. Have a look at some the rules:

Teach Kids To Respect Fire:

Kids get fascinated by bright, yellow fires, which can harm them. Although being burned in the home is painful, being burned in the wilderness can be disastrous. There will not be doctors to treat, and it will take time for you to reach to any medical help. So, protect them and teach them about the consequences they could suffer if they come close to flames.

No Eating Inside The Tent:

Since tents are quite small, and you will not be able to find the fallen food, the bites of food will attract insects and ants who crave for snacks. Also, eatables like fruits will attract raccoons, ticks or can even call bears close to the place (read what you need to know about camping with bears here). So, warn them not to eat anything in the tent. Also, go through the food guidelines if you are camping in a National Park.

Don’t Pull-Off Whistles:

A camping whistle is a lifesaver to protect kids from getting lost in the woods. The situation can arise when the child wanders away while parents being busy in preparing tents or cooking food. However, to protect kids from getting lost, teach them whistleblowing technique.

Kids camping whistle

Kids camping whistle

No Berries And Mushrooms:

Kids don’t have any filter when it comes to munching food that looks quite fascinating. Red beautiful berries and mushrooms might look like the one you keep in your kitchen; they can make you sick. Moreover, it can be poisonous and can cause nausea. So, warn your kids to mot snack them.

Don’t Consider Wild Animals As A Domestic Pet:

Animals are cute, but they are not your domestic pets whom you nurture with care and love. Although wild animals need love, petting them can call serious health issues. Animals like Raccoons can cause rabies, and ticks can cause other health issues. Instruct your kids about wildlife and tell them about the situations they can come in.

No Wandering Barefoot:

Kid’s skin is quite soft that any random walk without shoes can make cuts, pokes, and wounds. Moreover, if you forget to clean the campsite and set the tent in the trash, there could have rusted metal or broken glass that can harm their feet.

No Running Or Horseplay:

Kids have the bundle of energy, which they don’t want to lose by sitting at one place. So, they start running to trees and lantern poles; this can cause hazards and campsites. They may fall, or even tents perhaps collapse. Their fun can even lead to severe injuries at campfires.

No Candles And Lighters In Tents:

Candles or open flames in tents can harm the tent and even lead to severe injuries. While it’s quite obvious, but makes them aware of it’s after effects.

General Tips:

  • Clear all twigs, leaves, and debris before lighting the fire. It can start a forest fire, so stay protected.

  • When leaving, don’t leave any trash at the campsite.

  • Check for any ditches and holes under your tent as it may cause rainwater to build on that.

  • Tie eatables on the tree above the ground; else your campsite will have hungry and vicious animals.

  • Bring durable and safe things.

  • Don’t lite a flame inside the tent.

  • If there are intense thunder and lightning, stay away from towering trees.

Related: Axes and hatchets for camping

Extra Supplies to Pack When Camping With Kids:

  • A map of the place you are going

  • Flashlight with extra batteries

  • A pocket knife

  • Matches in a waterproof box

  • Sunscreen

  • Pocket knife

  • Insect repellents

  • An extra blanket for super cold nights

  • First aid kit for kids

  • Butterfly bandages

  • Sterilized gauze pads

  • Wounds dressings

  • Band-aids

  • Thermometer

  • A cold pack

  • Antibiotic cream

  • Tweezers to remove splinters or ticks

  • Antiseptic soap to wash wounds

Check out the key things needed for camping.

So, now that you are well aware of everything you need when camping with kids and you are prepared for it, you and your family will have great outdoors.

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Comments 2

  1. Hi there! Although it can be amazing, camping with kids can turn into a disaster real quick. I have experience with scratches and bruises in places I never imagine they can be. Needless to say, a first aid kit is a must for us. Do you take your kids to camp and if so, how old they were when you first went for it?

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Marcia,
      Camping can be rough but also easy. It really depends on where you go and what you do. The same really applies for taking kids. If you are prepared and match the trip to the capabilities of your family any age is fine. If you have young kids and are prepared, it can be just like a picnic where you sleep in a tent.

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