What to Have in Your Camper for Kids

Clothes

• While your kids may be able to survive wearing swimsuits, shorts and sandals camping on a hot, sunny beach, mountain vacations require hiking boots, layered clothing and jackets, even in the summer. Leave your daughter̵7;s party dress at home. Camping clothing might get dirty, stained or wet. Remember, your children can never have enough socks. Dry feet mean happy children. Include several packages of cheap disposable rain gear, sun hats and shades.

Recreational Equipment

• Headed to swimming areas? Gear up with inflatable inner tubes, life jackets and sand toys. Pack fishing poles for lakes, basketballs for campground courts and kids' goggles and headgear for off-the-road fun. Include family favorites, such as a soccer ball, soft football, baseball and gloves, and Frisbee. Bring bikes and helmets, sending older kids on a campground tour.

Hobbies and Activities

• Purchase Dollar Store toys, musical instruments and drawing supplies. Include an empty shoe box with air holes to collect bugs. Place a smaller plastic container inside the bug box loaded up with pens, washable markers, crayons and colored pencils. Bring along a clipboard for each child along with writing and sketch pads, so they can document the trip. Leave library books behind, especially if family organizational skills tend to be somewhat challenging. Instead, pick up cheap kid̵7;s books at your local thrift store. Include a magna-doodle or etch-a-sketch if you want to promote quiet time, and don̵7;t forget family-oriented board games and playing cards.

Preventive Measures

• Make sure your first-aid kit contains antibiotic ointment, anti-itch cream, gauze pads, Band-Aids and nail clippers. Check out the geographic region online, confirming your bug spray will protect your kids from nasty mosquitoes, flies or whatever creepy-crawly is in the area. Don't forget your children's medicines. Pack a reliable sunscreen, lip balm and sunburn cream, just in case you forget to coat the kids with a new layer. Keep a flashlight handy for midnight bathroom runs. Assess the drinking water situation beforehand, bringing extra H2O in places where water will be hard to come by. Continue to fill kids' water bottles on the trip, avoiding dehydration. Tie a whistle to a string for each family member, instructing your children to wear it and use it, in case of separation from your family.

Other Items

• If you camped as a child, chances are you may have roasted marshmallows and eaten delicious s̵7;more treats. Add marshmallow sticks and s̵7;more fixings to your food box. Verify campground fires are allowed before bringing a fire-starter kit, including a lighter, newspaper, kindling and firewood. Pack your kids' favorite pillows for car naps and sound sleeping in the camper. Grab a disposable camera, encouraging your children to record all camping adventures. Transport folding chairs, so everyone has a comfortable seat. Bring hand sanitizer or baby wipes. Keep a kid-size pair of binoculars nearby, ready for viewing wildlife, birds and insects. Throw in a rubber mat, helping alleviate dirt and nature's clippings from your camper.