Do you have camping or “glamping” on your family fun to-do list? Or does taking your kids into the great outdoors makes you a little nervous? Don’t fret! I’ve got a few life hacks for camping with kids that will make your camping adventures a lot more fun. Just don’t forget, making S’mores every night is a camping requirement.
- Kids won’t miss a minute around the campfire once they turn a 10 gallon bucket with a lid into own their personal camping seat with a hidden surprise. Let kids personalize their own “seat” with markers, stickers, and attach a small pillow for extra cushion. Their seat can do double duty by storing their games, clothes, and special camping treasures inside the bucket.
- Is not showering for a few days making you and your stinky campers nervous? This hack and a box of wine is for you! The inside bag of a box of wine (called a bladder) can be cleaned and refilled once all the wine is gone. When you hit the campsite, fill the bladder with water and leave it in the sun to warm the water. Attach the wine box bladder to a PVC pipe or tree branch with clothes pins or clips (high enough above your head but you can still reach the spout) and you have a shower with WARM water! Refill with water and have your shower ready for the next day.
- Now you need your shower supplies camping friendly. Create a shower necklace by using a lanyard and attach a loofa (a bath sponge) to the metal hook. Fill small travel bottles with shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and shaving cream, and use thin plastic string to attach the bottles to the lanyard. Now all your shower supplies are in one, portable place, and it never has to touch the ground.
- Outdoors good. Germs bad. Create a handwashing station from a large laundry detergent dispenser (the kind that has a spout and you can control the pressure), attach a roll of paper towels to the top with a bungee cord, and attach a bottle of soap with string. Now go wash your hands!
- Multitasking moms need multitasking camping gear, so grab a large tarp (the kind with metal grommets), some plastic PVC piping and elbows, and plastic ties. You can create some privacy for the shower or potty, shade from the sun, a waterproof tent, and a dozen other uses. Super versatile and super helpful!
- Before putting down your sleeping bags, lay foam tiles (the kind for playrooms and outdoors) down on the floor. The tiles keep little feet safe and make a more comfy sleeping space.
- One of the best parts of camping is the food! Make cooking easier by organizer all kitchen supplies in an over the door shoe organizer so everything is visible, clean, and within reach.
- Don’t forget the spices but save space by putting them into a plastic seven day pill organizer.
- Need to bring eggs but don’t want an egg mess? Clean out a plastic bottle (we used a coffee creamer container) and add your cracked eggs. Use a sharpie too mark measurements so you know how many eggs you are using.
- Time for S’mores! Get that fire started with these fire starters: cover cotton balls in petroleum jelly and store in an egg crate or fill empty toilet paper rolls with lint from the dryer. Light that fire!
- Bugs be gone! Here’s a safe and effective homemade bug spray: Combine the following in a small dark-colored glass spray bottle: 15 drops Citronella, 15 drops Lemongrass, 15 drops Peppermint, 1 tsp Witch Hazel, and fill the rest tap water.
