First-time family camping: the complete guide

⭐Choose an easy campground

For a first time, pick a campground with services: washrooms with running water, showers, drinking water and, ideally, a lake or beach. National parks and well-equipped private campgrounds are good choices. Stay within two or three hours of home so the drive doesn't eat up the weekend.

• A shaded site is very welcome in summer.
• Close to the washrooms, but not right next to them: kids wake up at night.
• On-site activities: a short trail, a beach, a playground.

📚Book early

Popular campgrounds fill up fast, especially summer weekends and long weekends. Reservations often open several months in advance. If you decide late, look at weekdays, the shoulder seasons or lesser-known campgrounds.

🎒Gear checklist

• A tent rated for one more person than your group: the extra space is useful for bags.
• Sleeping bags suited to night temperatures, which can drop a lot even in summer.
• Sleeping pads or air mattresses: insulation from the ground is key to sleeping well.
• A headlamp for each person, plus spare batteries.
• Layered clothing, rain gear, a warm hat for the night and shoes that can get wet.
• First-aid kit, bug spray and sunscreen.
• A camp stove, a lighter or matches, pots, utensils and dish soap.

Do a practice tent setup in the yard or a park before you go. Finding out a pole is missing at 8 p.m. is no fun.

🪁Keep meals simple

Prep what you can at home: cut vegetables, marinated meat, pasta sauce, pancake batter in a squeeze bottle.

• Breakfast: cereal, yogurt, fruit, pancakes.
• Lunch: sandwiches, wraps, salads.
• Dinner: hot dogs, burgers, pasta, foil-wrapped potatoes on the coals.
• Classic dessert: toasted marshmallows.

Use a well-iced cooler, keep drinks in a separate cooler (it gets opened less), and store food in the car or a closed container at night so it doesn't attract animals.

🧸Activities for kids

At a campsite, kids entertain themselves with very little: rocks, sticks, water. A few ideas to guide without over-planning:

• A nature scavenger hunt: a pine cone, a feather, a heart-shaped leaf.
• A short walk on a marked trail.
• Looking at bugs with a magnifying glass.
• Flashlight games and stories at dusk.
• Stargazing: with little artificial light, you see many more stars.

🦺Safety first

• Set clear rules when you arrive: stay away from the fire, no water without an adult, stay in sight.
• Give each child a whistle to use only if they get lost.
• Follow the campground's fire rules and always put the fire out completely with water.
• Check everyone for ticks at the end of the day.

🌧️If it rains

Rain is part of camping. A tarp over the picnic table makes a huge difference. Pack a deck of cards, a few books and a dry change of clothes for everyone. Sometimes a short walk in the rain, in good rain gear, becomes the kids' favourite memory.

🫧Back home

If possible, set the tent up again at home the next day so it dries before you store it. Make a list of what you missed and what you didn't use: your next trip will be even easier.

Looking for a campground or nature activities near you? FamiSwipe suggests ideas for the whole family in seconds.