Things To Do At Naples/marco Island Koa Campground
We booked our stay without knowing a lot about the area and loved that we didnt have to spend a ton of time researching activities. At the Naples/Marco Island KOA you can swim in the large pool, go in the hot tub, go fishing, walk on the nature paths, rent a canoe, play on the Fishing Shack themed playground and rent bicycles without having to leave the campground. There are even manatees in Henderson Creek that campers have seen while canoeing and kayaking!
In addition to the activities on site the owners also highly recommended checking out the local beaches and explained that the area is known for their shelling and white sand beaches. Yay!
There are also airboat tours of the Everglades nearby that we hope to check out on our next visit.
Learn & Practice Some Survival Skills
One of the benefits of camping is learning and putting your survival skills to the test. Things like starting a fire, setting up your shelter, and even creating potable water will help you loads on your future adventures once you learn them.
There are dedicated survival schools you can go to get started. Alternatively, you can also ask family, friends, or experienced campers for help in learning these skills.
Take Glow Sticks Lots Of Glow Sticks
There are several reasons that glow sticks are awesome for camping.
As mentioned at Living on a Latte, glow sticks are excellent for seeing your kids at night, and kids happen to think glow sticks are awesome. If you have a dog along with you, attach one to the collar so you can see pup coming before you trip over him.
Hang a glow stick on tree stumps, tent pegs, or other obstacles that are obvious in the day, but are dangerous in the darkness. Nothing takes the fun out of family togetherness like Dad getting his foot impaled. Again.
You can also color-code stuff, and glow sticks can help you keep that going at night. If Kid #1 has the green sleeping bag, attach a few green glow sticks to it so its easy for him to find his spot at night.
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Dress Your Kids In Layers
Check the weather and dress your kids for those outdoor conditions. If theres a chance of rain, be prepared with rain jackets . Temperatures can drop at night even if its hot and sunny during the day. Think layers so kids can put on or take off clothing as needed to adjust to temperature changes. Babies and infants dont move around as much as older kids so they generally need one more layer than what you would wear. Read more clothing tips in our article on how to dress kids for the outdoors.
What Should You Not Do While Camping
Ten things you should never do when camping
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How To Pack For Family Camping
- Storage Containers are best for keeping things organized and dirt, bugs and animals out.
- We use packing cubes to keep clothes free from dirt and organized. A kids camping essentials item that must be brought.
- Get the kids involved with packing and helping organize them. Cut up the Kids Camping List Printable into sections and have them gather the items.
- Have each of your kids plan a camp meal if they are old enough this will get them engaged and they will have to write out the ingredients.
- Packing a few days before there is always something that slips your mind and as I run through my days I add things that I have used that I need to add to my list.
- Keep your packing items together after you are done using them. We have dedicated bins that are for camping so the next time we go we do a quick double-check with the camping printable and off we go!
A post shared by Passport Kids | Family Travel on Aug 16, 2019 at 7:26am PDT
Games Around The Fire
Sometimes at the end of a long day you just want to sit back and enjoy some quieter time with your family. Playing games around the fire is a nice way to end the day. Choose games that dont require any set up and then everyone can play as theyre sitting around the fire pit.
Some simple game ideas for all ages include:
- Charades
- Card games, such as Uno, Go Fish, and Old Maid
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Camping Activities: 65 Things To Do While Camping
Many people go camping to simply enjoy quiet time in nature. A good book and a comfortable camping chair makes for a very happy camping getaway. However, not all of use are wired that way. We need some camping activities at the ready to keep us entertained and to help us get the best out of our time in the wild.
To help make your next camping trip as easy and enjoyable as possible, weve put together a list of camping activities for kids, adults, families and groups that should keep you going for weeks! Youll even find ideas of things to do at night, day out activities, and camping activities for couples to do at camp.
Find The Perfect Picnic Spot
Find the perfect picnic spot near your campsite, pack a traditional wicker basket with your favorite picnic foods and enjoy the feast as well as the weather. Real Simple magazine can help you out with their Picnic Packing Checklist. And if you want to set up an Instagrammable picnic, heres a cute red checkered picnic basket.
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Enjoy Some Bonding Time When Camping With Your Teenager
It can be hard to find time to slow down and connect with your teens. But one of the best things for teens to do when camping is to reconnect.
Take your child on a one-on-one hike or excursion, and create a space where they can talk. Even if they dont open up, it is a chance to show them you care about them and want to spend time with them.
Ideas 17 21 Of Hacks For Camping With Kids
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Fun Camping Games For Kids
Here are 30 busy bag ideas for kids that you can make and take to keep kids away from boredom. Think little play kits that are portable with a simple game or two. Playing together is the best way to get quality time with kids no matter what great place you might be with a little fresh air!
If you would prefer to have it already made up, then check out these travel activity bags for kids packed with fun activities.
Camping With Kids Printable Checklist
Print this camping checklist off before your next camping trip and easily check things off as you pack them up so you dont leave anything behind. An easy camping packing list for families!
Hope you love the camping with kids packing list!
Is there anything that we missed for camping with kid? If so, add them in the comments below!
Looking for some other Camping Ideas?
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Write A Nature Poem Or Story
Time in the great outdoors isnt all about exploring our physical surroundings. It can also be an excellent opportunity to get inspired by the external to explore the internal. Whether its a scorching or rainy day, find a quiet spot close to some trees or the water and see what materialises in your notebook. Setting aside quiet time in nature may just get the wheels in motion for something profound and groundbreaking, or something sweet and simple. Either way, its a perfect camping activity for go-slow days.
What Age Is Good For Camping
Kids who are anxious about being away from home and their parents must discover out how to deal with their anxieties, and a week or two at camp is a great place to start! When you join camp at 9 or 10 years old, its much simpler to work through those unpleasant homesick emotions without having to deal with puberty at the same time.
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Camping First Aid Ideas For Camping
Prepare single use packets of antibiotic cream with this idea from Brians Backpacking Blog. This idea also works with hydrocortisone lotion. Both ideas are perfect for the times that your kids *will* get scraped knees and funky plant-induced rashes. You can also buy a box. Make sure you have glow sticks in your first aid kit and cotton balls! Duct tape is also great for first aid.
Fun Things To Do While Camping With Family
If you are staying at a campground, and I recommend this if you are traveling with littler kids, there are normally lots of different things to do. Whether it is hiking, exploring the wilderness, playing in the pool, on the playground or playing ground games like bean-bag toss or lawn darts, their day can be filled with things to do without them getting bored.
However, after the sun goes down, it becomes more difficult to keep them entertained. This article offers suggestions to cover that part of the day.
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Camping Activities At Night
Evenings at camp are an opportunity for reflexion, relaxation and recuperation for more fun the following day. But the darkening skies also offer a change of scene for making magical memories that will last a lifetime. Organising camping activities at night means you get the absolute best out of your trip. Here are a few that we love:
Nature Scavenger Hunts And Nature Journaling
If your kids need a little encouragement to explore, a scavenger hunt is a great tool to get them moving and looking with curious eyes. There are so many different types of hunts you can do: touch and feel hunts, color hunts, insect or animal hunts, seasonal scavenger hunts, even great big find everything type of hunts.
Take them outside has quite a few different scavenger hunts to choose from. . We even have a few camping scavenger hunts specific to safety and getting oriented at the campsite, as well as one for a fun group activity at the campground.
Heres a bug scavenger hunt you can print and bring along. I love that this one by Messy Little Monster because it is just images making it easier for littler kids.
Vacation and camping trips are perfect times to take some time for nature reflection. Im not into regular journaling in my day-to-day life, but on vacation or when Im out in the woods for a length of time, I start to want to write and draw more.
And, your kids might enjoy some prompting to also get creative while outdoors. There are so many nature journal templates and printables available these days. But, the simplest is just to bring along a little blank notebook .
For you or your older kids you might ask them to record their observations and activities for the day, for littler kids you could ask them to draw what they see or what theyve done at the campground.
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A List Of 8 Things To Do On Family Camping
When drawing up this list, the emphasis remains on competence and comprehension, as earlier mentioned. You can decide to add convenience to the considerations as well.
I mean, you wouldnt include skydiving if you and your 60yearolds were camping together, would you?
Below are eight common things to do on family camping.
Our Favourite Kid Binoculars:
- Fit kids small faces
- Good magnification
On another trip, our guy gathered up all sorts of rocks by the riverbank, then brought them back to the campsite to see if he could break them open or identify them. I think he was a little disappointed he didnt find any gold or gems, but it still kept him occupied for a few hours while I enjoyed an ice tea and quiet reading.
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Camping Activities For The Whole Family
Sometimes it is hard to find time for families to spend time together with parents working and kids in school. Camping is the perfect excursion to encourage loads of family time.
One simple activity that can get your family working and playing together is learning to identify plants and animals. Give the kids some plant and animal identification books and go for a walk or hike. See how many things they can identify and mark things that they want to learn more about later. Its a great way to get kids more familiar with nature and teach them about stewardship.
Looking to put together a more elaborate game during your trip? Try inventing a camping Olympics challenge. Family members compete in different events. You can make medals and awards out of twine and materials you find around you campsite like acorn caps, leaves, and stones.
Try making a film of your whole trip, documenting everything that happens from the time you leave to the time you arrive back home. When you get back, use a video editing app to create a title, fade-ins and theme music. Have a teen who isnt that interested in participating? Ask them to do the filming and editing.
Have A Positive Attitude
Be enthusiastic. Why should kids get excited about a family camping trip if you’re not? The first rule of camping with kids? Be prepared to cope with inconvenience. Everything is in a different place. The bathroom is no longer down the hall running water may or may not be available. Lead by example with an upbeat, can-do attitude and your kids will pick up on your vibe.
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Tips For Camping With Kids
- Buy kids camping gear as gifts for Christmas or other special days throughout the year. This is one of my favourite camping tips and the best camping with kids hacks! My kids love to get camping gear for gifts!
- Look to see if there are any apps for the camping area that you are going to. Sometimes either states, provinces or areas have dedicated apps. You can find out all the travel apps that we use including the one that we used for booking all our campsites while in New Zealand for 4 weeks.
- If you are just getting started camping, look for camping gear that is used or buy at the end of the season for the best deals. You can also search and find some great deals on or with easy delivery this is a great way to shop and compare prices. Start with just the essentials for camping with kids and build up as you start camping more.
- If you are buying a previously used trailer from someone privately, ask if the kitchen gear and any other camping items can be included in the price.
Family camping trips can be some of the best moments that you spend with your kids and build some lifelong memories doing the simplest things. We hope youve found this family camping packing list valuable and makes camping easier for you and outlines all of what to pack for camping.
Camping is great for children of all ages from babies, toddlers, school-age kids and even older kids love camping too!
Happy Camping with this family camping list!
Things To Do In Or Near The Water
1. Go fishing // Whether its recreational or youre trying to catch dinner, fishing can be a great way to unwind and shed the stresses of life. Grab your rod, fishing line, sunglasses, waders, a beer, and some buddies and spend a few hours enjoying the serenity of the water.
2. Go swimming // Put on your swimsuit and hit the shores of your favorite lake or ocean. Jump off the dock or pier, use a noodle, float in the water, or have all-out races to the buoy.
3. Go snorkeling // This camping activity works best with bodies of water that arent too murky, which makes it perfect for camping near the ocean! I know its a long shot here but if youre ever in Hawaii, theres some great camping and snorkeling on Oahus world famous North Shore. In particular, check out Pupukea Beach Park.
4. Canoeing, tubing, kayaking, bodyboarding, surfing, or other local watersports // No beach camping activity list would be complete without mentioning the local watersports. Canoeing, tubing, and kayaking are the big ones, but your campground may also offer bodyboarding, surfing, jet skiing, kite surfing, or standup paddleboarding. Make sure you use a kayak roof rack to safely transport your kayak.
5. Skip rocks // Youre never too old to skip rocks! It can even be a fun competition to see who can get the most skips or the furthest distance. I distinctly remember getting 11 skips once as a kid .
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