Camping with babies and kids: Why and how

So we are back from another epic camping adventure and I shared on my socials what that looks like for us. It has become such a special part of our family traditions and I am so keen for you to all have a go too! We did a Q+A and lots of similar questions keep coming up. Like.. where will my baby sleep? How can we safely co-sleep? What if the tent isn’t dark enough? What about white noise? What if my baby waking in the night wakes the camping neighbours?

So, I’m giving you a bit of a lowdown. We are not pros by any means, which means that I can relate to where you might be at - we only started a couple of years ago and really got stuck in this year (all the gear and no idea, you might say).

If you’re nervous about camping with kids, you might start somewhere easy and relatively un-intimidating. When we first started, we went to a fab spot in Hastings Point which was across the road from the creek and a playground, and it had a deli/ coffee shop at the end of the campsite. It had powered sites and all the toilets and facilities you needed. You might start not too far from home, so that you know that you can bail early if you need to (but you probs won’t). I would definitely go for at least 2 nights. The first night can often be rocky as everyone settles into tent life.

Gear

You need a tent, obviously. We have trialled a few different tents and our current is definitely our fave, but it’s expensive and it took us a year of regular adventures to justify spending the money on it!

Beds - you can do inflatable or self-inflating mattresses, stretchers. We have bunk stretchers for the kids which they love but we find they sleep better when they are alongside each other rather than on top of one another. I sleep with Zali in hers, and my husband sleeps on a single inflatable mattress in the middle. Admittedly we haven’t really perfected the sleeping arrangement yet, but knowing how long it took us to perfect it at home over the years, I am hardly surprised.

Grab a big floor/camping mat because it cleans up the space a bit - especially if you have a crawler.

Kids love their own little camping chairs! And you can get camping high chairs from Kmart for the babies.

If you have older small children, I really love a fold-out table and bench seat setup for meals and lego etc. Kids eating out of bowls on their lap is very messy! This isn’t a mandatory requirement to start, but I think it’s really good to have.

Grab some lighting - you can just get cheap solar string lights from Kmart or you can get the real deal from the camping shops. Torches for the kiddos, too - there are some cool UFO ones from BCF with a remote control, our kids love ‘em.

Take some insect repellent, sunscreen, bandaids, pain relief and Stingose or another sting thing. There are MOZZIES. My daughter reacts badly to mozzie bites so we also take Telfast for her to keep her from blowing up.

Of course there is more to add - and if you want our packing list for camping, you can get in touch and I can share it with you. But this is a start.

Sleep

Let go of any expectations that sleep will and should look the same as at home - it probably won’t. I have heard from so many people that they want to go camping but can’t imagine how they will nap in a tent, or if they will sleep at night.

Sleep may not be as predictable as at home, but one of their favourite sleep associations is totally portable - you. Camping is a great opportunity to have a nap together in the tent, to let them fall asleep in a cuddle around the campfire, or to sleep in the carrier in the day.

When we go camping, my daughter (2yo) will often be having too much fun to have a day sleep. On those days, she falls asleep with a cuddle at 5/6pm. If we go for a drive, she has a nap. She takes what she needs. She is flexible.

We find that all of the kids are ready for bed reasonably early. They play hard all day and crash out once the sun goes down. Of course, a baby may be different. Try to draw upon some of your sleep cues that you have around bedtime - you can shower at a campsite or use a bucket bath (boil some water on a gas cooker), or wipe down with a cloth, OR skip the wash all together - then pyjamas and sleep sack if you use, some white noise if you use, and your normal way of supporting to sleep. You may be surprised at how adaptable our babies can be when we are confident and relaxed around sleep.

Of course you can try to follow your usual daily rhythm, but try not to worry if it goes to shit. You can get back into a rhythm when you get home. Take the path of least resistance while you’re away, don’t worry about bad habits and enjoy the extra contact naps if that’s what works for you (all the same advice I give at home really, too).

As for safe co-sleeping - bed-sharing on an inflatable mattress is not recommended. If you bedshare at home, go to a camping shop and find a mattress that is relatively firm. We have a DUNE camping mat which is I tihnk a good option - but test them out for yourself and use your maternal wisdom to know what’s safe - obviously being a lot more critical of the sleep surface for younger babies.

Food

We have a baby Weber BBQ that we cook most of our meals on, and a gas cooker for boiling water, cooking oats etc. 

Our kids have oats for breakfast, maybe a chocolate milk for stats - some eggs and bacon on the BBQ.

Lunch is often another BBQ - sausages in bread with sauce etc, sandwiches. Dinner is you guessed it - a BBQ. On the nights when they are ready for dinner before us, we might chuck on some tinned spaghetti (don’t judge me!) or be really fun and give them a ‘breakfast dinner’ (oats or weet bix again). They have heaps of fruit and snacks, we take a buttload of drinking water and make sure their water bottles are never too far away. 

Again, lower your expectations about what your kids eat whilst away. Every family has different values around this, and I totally respect that. But personally I don’t worry if there has been minimal vegetable intake, we can get back on track when we get home. I just want to know that they are eating, because being outdoors all day especially when it’s hot, it’s easy for them to start melting away.

Play

We keep it pretty minimal. If it’s a campsite that you’re staying at and you have older kids, bring their bikes or scooters (we haven’t worked out a way to fit them in our car yet).

Every time we go away I take a canvas bag and throw in a whole heap of miscellaneous items that they can get creative with. It might be a few pieces of lego or duplo, some figurines, cars, monster trucks, some activity books, etc. Take some more open-ended toys that they won’t master and get sick of straight away.

If you have older kids, glow sticks can be fun at night - just watch they don’t damage them and risk ingesting it.

If you’re beach camping, a few simple beach toys.

Safety

• Teach your kiddos about fire safety and to walk behind the chairs if they are moving around at fire time if you are all sitting around it. If you have a crawler or a toddler, you might wait until they are asleep before you light the fire or just hold onto them. They will be drawn to it!

• If you are staying in a tent, make sure the zip is at the top when you put them to bed, so that they can’t let themselves out. I wouldn’t recommend leaving them in there unsupervised (i.e. if you’re camping with others and your tent is away from the communal area).

• Tents get really hot in summer - consider that babies overheat and use your wisdom as to whether you think it’s too hot in there. Defs don’t leave them in a hot tent by themselves.

• On the summer heat - up fluids, breastmilk and everything on a hot day. Spend some time under shade - awning of the tent, or under a tree.

• When your kids are younger you might be selective about a campsite - away from the road or from water.

So, why should you have a go at camping with your babies?

We are our best selves when we are camping, our kids included. They find their own fun and adventures. They build resilience in living without their usual comforts. There is no rushing - no yelling to get dressed in the morning, no stressing about getting in the car on time, or to clean their room.

They learn about the land and nature and the wildlife. They learn about fishing, fires, heck - our kids were practicing tying knots with rope on our recent trip.

I know you might be anxious about it - but that’s not enough reason to not do it. Just have a go.

And if you need any help to get started, send me an email or let me know on Insta - pop into my DM’s! I have been there with you before and I would love to help you.