Helpful Tips For Camping With Kids And Children

A camping holiday is one of the more exciting and affordable ways to get the family together and create a lifetime of memories. With any luck, your kids will actually learn something from your camping adventure, and the experience may spark a love affair with camping and the many wonders of nature that they'll take into adulthood.

As well as a heathy supply of baby wipes and other anti-bacterial cleaning products, a well-stocked first aid kit, batteries and the necessary recreational items - deck of cards, board games, football, frisbee, binoculars, just to name a few - there are purpose-designed products and accessories especially for the kids to get yours even more revved about the family camping trip. Keeping the young ones happy will also make things easier for Mum and Dad too.

Here are some suggestions from the experts at Anaconda:

Bedding For Junior Campers

Enjoying the sights, sounds and fresh air of the outdoors while camping can often drain the reserves of even the most energetic kids by the time the sun sets. That's not to say they'll want to go to bed though (boo, bedtime time!), so there's a great range of kids-themed sleeping accessories to help entice them into slumber.

Uniquely styled to appeal to younger campers, kids' sleeping bags are made from the same long-lasting and durable materials as those for bigger people, and they come in variable fill ratios that make them excellent value for money for both the cooler and warmer weather. They also fold away into backpacks and the like, which can help with teaching the kids about the benefits of responsibility for their camping gear.

Consider collections such as Spinifex kids' sleeping bags that can have them turning into animals (like turtles!) and novelty camp beds that blow up into magical shapes (like unicorns!) to encourage the kids to hop into bed and enjoy sweet dreams while they sleep.

Outdoor Furniture & Camp Dining

Quality outdoor furniture isn't just the domain of the grown-ups - the range of Spinifex kids' camp chairs and outdoor furniture is sure to keep the kids comfy and entertained while camping. Maybe their own director's chair is just the thing at the beach or around the evening campfire to give them a sense of pride and ownership.

Additionally, child-friendly dining and picnic tables give the kids a space to call their own at mealtimes, and doubles as somewhere for the kids to entertain themselves with boardgames, books or their electronic devices when the weather, or the unexpected, prevents them from exploring the natural environment around them.

Fun After Dark

Unwinding under a starry sky after a day full of fun and adventure is one of the joys of outdoor living, not to mention the peace and tranquillity of an evening campfire - where the regulations allow them, of course - for fostering some family bonding.

While telling scary or fantasy stories around the campfire, you might like to surprise the kids by adding some mystical fire to the flames, which is sure to delight and impress them with a spectacular array of colours.

If you're the kind of family that likes to combine fun with learning, make the most of the nights away from city light pollution by including a telescope in your camping pack. Teach the kids how to identify constellations like the Southern Cross, or just have fun stargazing at star clusters, faraway planets and The Moon.

Showering & 'Going Potty'

Getting the kids familiar with the use of portable shower and toileting facilities when they're young is a great way to demonstrate that hygiene shouldn't be compromised when you're getting back to nature.

Choose from an extensive range of portable shower and toilet facilities (including essential, in the eyes of some, cleaning and odour-prevention products), as well as toilet and showering tents to help maintain their privacy and keep clean while on holiday.

Socially Responsible Campsite Etiquette

Taking the kids camping is an exceptional way to develop their appreciation of nature and their understanding of how humans can impact on the environment around them.

Although cleaning up is hardly entertainment for the kids, getting them to appreciate some of the basic, yet important, principles behind campfire management, recycling and waste control, respect for other campers and taking care of the local habitat is not only good etiquette - it helps produce better human beings.

The camping experiences we have as youngsters are sure to have a lasting impression on us for years to come. Take some time to ensure your camping holiday is the best it can possible be for your kids and, by extension, the whole family benefits.