FEATURE
CAMPING WITH KIDS By Helene Stock During the Summer months, our whānau love nothing more than to get out into nature and to create memories that last a lifetime. The best times are shared with our close friends who enjoy camping and finding the best swimming holes, just as much as we do. We are a family of 5 (plus our old lady dog); our tamariki are 9,5, and 4,so it absolutely pays to be organised! We make sure before we set off that we create lists of all the essential items that we will need, a food list and extras list.
We get the kids to pack a bag to take along with them too - this usually consists of drawing books, colouring pencils,playing cards and their fidgets. To be honest though, they generally stay packed up as they are too busy going on adventures and immersing themselves in nature. Jess xo
Some great items to have on your essential list are a 20ltr water bottle and a blanket for underneath the beds. A blanket for underneath the beds helps to minimise the cold rising up during the nights. I am someone that needs extra warmth when camping,so I make sure to also pack thermal socks and a warm beanie to prevent heat from escaping. Our top food items are a pre-prepared dinner for the first night, a chilly bin and frozen bottles of water, perfect to keep food cold and use for later on during the camping trip. There is nothing worse than getting to your campsite, setting up, then having to prep and cook food. So be sure to cook a dish that can be heated on the BBQ or over a fire. My top 3 prepared kai are bacon and egg pie, foil nachos, or wraps - such a time and sanity saver after wrestling with tent poles! Our extras list usually consists of fairy lights, a clothes airer and if we are going to a campground with lots of space and tracks,our bikes! Fairy lights are great for creating calming and cozy spaces in the tent and adds an element of home for our kids. The clothes airer personally I would put on the essentials list - they are great for when you get back from the river, quickly strip off the togs to let them dry, before putting them back on again in the afternoon, rather than trying to find a big enough tree to put all your whānau togs on! 24 PALMY PARENT . PALMERSTON NORTH PARENTS CENTRE MAGAZINE
Above all, try and go with the flow, camping with tamariki is beautiful chaos, spending quality time with the ones you love, all while creating the best memories with a heap of experiences to grow with.
