Guest Post by Kate Ricketts. Follow along with her adventures on Instagram at @thatgirlkricketts
My husband and I grew up camping at Ontario provincial parks every single summer. His family would spend the maximum allowed time at each campground, go home for one night to do laundry, replenish supplies and then set up at another campground for another maximum allowed stay. Our childhood's were filled with campfires, mosquito bites and sandy days at the beach. We knew, without a doubt, that we wanted to continue this tradition with our daughter, and so we took her on her first camping trip when she was six months old.
Camping with a baby can seem intimidating but it's an inexpensive vacation for families, a way to explore the incredible beauty we have in Ontario, an opportunity to introduce kids to the outdoors, and with a little bit of preparation, it can be a fun getaway for parents and kids alike!
Here are my tips to make camping with a baby a success!
Campground and Campsite Selection
Do your research. Whether you are into into hiking, biking, sandy beaches or just relexing in nature, there's a campground that is right for you. Once you've decided on a location, check out the campsite map online to figure out where the bathroom, water spigots, beach and other amenities are located. My recommendation is to find the "radio-free zone" which may be a little quieter, and a site that is in as much shade as possible. Try to choose a location that is close to a water spigot but otherwise as far away from other campsites as possible.
My husband and I grew up camping at Ontario provincial parks every single summer. His family would spend the maximum allowed time at each campground, go home for one night to do laundry, replenish supplies and then set up at another campground for another maximum allowed stay. Our childhood's were filled with campfires, mosquito bites and sandy days at the beach. We knew, without a doubt, that we wanted to continue this tradition with our daughter, and so we took her on her first camping trip when she was six months old.
Camping with a baby can seem intimidating but it's an inexpensive vacation for families, a way to explore the incredible beauty we have in Ontario, an opportunity to introduce kids to the outdoors, and with a little bit of preparation, it can be a fun getaway for parents and kids alike!
Here are my tips to make camping with a baby a success!
Campground and Campsite Selection
Do your research. Whether you are into into hiking, biking, sandy beaches or just relexing in nature, there's a campground that is right for you. Once you've decided on a location, check out the campsite map online to figure out where the bathroom, water spigots, beach and other amenities are located. My recommendation is to find the "radio-free zone" which may be a little quieter, and a site that is in as much shade as possible. Try to choose a location that is close to a water spigot but otherwise as far away from other campsites as possible.
Schedule and Routine
It can be tough to maintain your usual schedule while camping, especially since it stays light well into the evening. If you have a camping trip planned, start getting baby prepared as soon as you can! I found it helpful to ensure that baby's nursery was never completely dark during her naps and that the house wasn't entirely quiet. This will help prepare baby for sleeping in a tent, at her regular bedtime when it will undoubtedly still be noisy and light outside.
We tried to stick to baby's daytime nap schedule as closely as possible, to help ensure she still slept through the night. Try to be flexible about where baby naps. I found the tent to be too hot during the day, so our daughter took her naps on the campsite in the playard (in the shade with mosquito netting over top), in our Tula carrier and on the beach in a Peapod. The Peapod was key to keeping baby in the shade and away from all the sticky sand!
It can be tough to maintain your usual schedule while camping, especially since it stays light well into the evening. If you have a camping trip planned, start getting baby prepared as soon as you can! I found it helpful to ensure that baby's nursery was never completely dark during her naps and that the house wasn't entirely quiet. This will help prepare baby for sleeping in a tent, at her regular bedtime when it will undoubtedly still be noisy and light outside.
We tried to stick to baby's daytime nap schedule as closely as possible, to help ensure she still slept through the night. Try to be flexible about where baby naps. I found the tent to be too hot during the day, so our daughter took her naps on the campsite in the playard (in the shade with mosquito netting over top), in our Tula carrier and on the beach in a Peapod. The Peapod was key to keeping baby in the shade and away from all the sticky sand!
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Keeping Baby Contained
If baby is on the go, you will need a safe place to keep them contained while you are cooking, doing dishes or when you have a fire going. We brought along a small baby seat with a tray. I put the seat on a blanket directly on the ground so when she inevitably threw her toys, they wouldn't get dirty. The tray was super helpful so I had a clean place for baby's food (instead of a dirty picnic table!). It also comes with straps so you can safely secure it to a picnic table or lawn chair. During the day, I also brought the playard out from the tent so she could play in a clean, safe area and not crawl off in to the nearby poison ivy (unfortunately her Daddy was not so cautious with the poison ivy!)
Bug Bites
Don't forget about protecting baby from bugs! Mosquito repellent containing DEET is generally not recommended for babies under 6 months old. There are an abundance of repellents out there with ingredients like picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oils, citronella, and other various ingredients that can be considered "safe" for infants. Consult with your doctor about what is best for your little one. Since I didn't have time to check in with our family doctor prior to leaving, I opted to keep it simple. I dressed baby in long sleeved clothing, especially at dusk and dawn and used a fitted mesh mosquito netting over their crib during naps and bedtime. Also, don't forget to completely zip up the tent so mosquitoes can't sneak in!
If baby is on the go, you will need a safe place to keep them contained while you are cooking, doing dishes or when you have a fire going. We brought along a small baby seat with a tray. I put the seat on a blanket directly on the ground so when she inevitably threw her toys, they wouldn't get dirty. The tray was super helpful so I had a clean place for baby's food (instead of a dirty picnic table!). It also comes with straps so you can safely secure it to a picnic table or lawn chair. During the day, I also brought the playard out from the tent so she could play in a clean, safe area and not crawl off in to the nearby poison ivy (unfortunately her Daddy was not so cautious with the poison ivy!)
Bug Bites
Don't forget about protecting baby from bugs! Mosquito repellent containing DEET is generally not recommended for babies under 6 months old. There are an abundance of repellents out there with ingredients like picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oils, citronella, and other various ingredients that can be considered "safe" for infants. Consult with your doctor about what is best for your little one. Since I didn't have time to check in with our family doctor prior to leaving, I opted to keep it simple. I dressed baby in long sleeved clothing, especially at dusk and dawn and used a fitted mesh mosquito netting over their crib during naps and bedtime. Also, don't forget to completely zip up the tent so mosquitoes can't sneak in!
Bath Time
Have a plan for bathing baby in the woods! Many parks have shower facilities but my juggling abilities were not up to the task of keeping baby off those grimy tiles. We brought a simple dish basin, filled it 3/4 full with soapy water and let baby splash away the day's dirt and grime. Have a bowl or jug ready with clean water for rinsing, a clean towel and warm pajamas for your squeaky clean little one! It is also helpful to put the 'bathtub' on a tarp so you don't end up with a mud puddle on your campsite afterwards.
Have a plan for bathing baby in the woods! Many parks have shower facilities but my juggling abilities were not up to the task of keeping baby off those grimy tiles. We brought a simple dish basin, filled it 3/4 full with soapy water and let baby splash away the day's dirt and grime. Have a bowl or jug ready with clean water for rinsing, a clean towel and warm pajamas for your squeaky clean little one! It is also helpful to put the 'bathtub' on a tarp so you don't end up with a mud puddle on your campsite afterwards.
Sleeping
There are many different sleeping arrangements possible in a tent. If you decide to co-sleep, ensure that the mat baby is sleeping on is firm and there are no loose blankets. If you don't already co-sleep at home, I wouldn't recommend trying to do so for the first time while camping where the "bed" is unfamiliar! We brought our Baby Bjorn Travel crib and I highly recommend it! It easily fit in our tent , and I slept better knowing she was safe (and contained!). I also placed fitted mesh mosquito netting over the top to help keep the bugs away.
It can be stressful trying to keep baby quiet throughout the night so their cries don't wake up the entire campground. Whenever our daughter woke up, I would immediately scoop her up and breast feed her to keep her quiet. I set up touch lights from the dollar store in different locations in the tent so I wouldn't be fumbling around in the dark. It was so much easier then trying to juggle a flashlight and a wailing baby! I also set up a mini diaper changing "station" with a change mat and supply of diapers and wipes right beside her playard for easy overnight changes.
Keep baby's bedtime routine as similar to home as possible. If you use a white noise machine at home, consider popping in some batteries and bringing it along! The white noise can help drown out conversations from around the fire and other noises which may distract baby from falling asleep. In order to ensure she was warm enough to sleep, I layered a onesie, a footed sleeper and the light cotton swaddle. We went camping in August so the nights were just perfect and not too cold. If you are camping in the late spring or early fall consider packing a hat and mittens to help keep baby warm.
There are many different sleeping arrangements possible in a tent. If you decide to co-sleep, ensure that the mat baby is sleeping on is firm and there are no loose blankets. If you don't already co-sleep at home, I wouldn't recommend trying to do so for the first time while camping where the "bed" is unfamiliar! We brought our Baby Bjorn Travel crib and I highly recommend it! It easily fit in our tent , and I slept better knowing she was safe (and contained!). I also placed fitted mesh mosquito netting over the top to help keep the bugs away.
It can be stressful trying to keep baby quiet throughout the night so their cries don't wake up the entire campground. Whenever our daughter woke up, I would immediately scoop her up and breast feed her to keep her quiet. I set up touch lights from the dollar store in different locations in the tent so I wouldn't be fumbling around in the dark. It was so much easier then trying to juggle a flashlight and a wailing baby! I also set up a mini diaper changing "station" with a change mat and supply of diapers and wipes right beside her playard for easy overnight changes.
Keep baby's bedtime routine as similar to home as possible. If you use a white noise machine at home, consider popping in some batteries and bringing it along! The white noise can help drown out conversations from around the fire and other noises which may distract baby from falling asleep. In order to ensure she was warm enough to sleep, I layered a onesie, a footed sleeper and the light cotton swaddle. We went camping in August so the nights were just perfect and not too cold. If you are camping in the late spring or early fall consider packing a hat and mittens to help keep baby warm.
Camping with a baby can be a bit complicated but spending a week with family, outdoors and free of distractions was worth it! My favorite part of the week was watching my daughter, surrounded by her cousins singing "Pat-a-cake" to her while she giggled and squealed with delight. We plan to continue to take a yearly family camping trip and look forward to the challenges that camping with a toddler will bring!