Planning our first real camping trip for next month with a 4 and 7 year old. We've got a decent tent and sleeping bags but I'm nervous about cooking over the fire and keeping everyone entertained. Should I bring a camp stove as backup? Any other tips for not having a disaster? We're only doing one night at a state park about an hour away so not too ambitious.
Pro tip: bring way more activities than you think you'll need. Fishing, cards, something low key for around the campfire. The 7 year old will keep the 4 year old entertained if you set it up right.
The tent you've got should be fine. Just make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before bed because getting them back out in the middle of the night is rough.
First camping trip is huge. What part of the country are you going? That might help with gear recommendations. We're always rainy here in Seattle so I've got some tips if you're dealing with moisture.
We just got back from our first camping trip with our 3 month old and let me tell you, it's doable but bring way more diapers than you think you need. For the 4 and 7 year old ages you should be golden though - old enough to actually enjoy it.
Definitely test your tent in the backyard first if you can. Nothing worse than setting up a new tent in the dark with tired kids. We learned that the hard way.
Those are perfect ages for camping. My advice - bring more snacks than you think is necessary and don't stress about keeping them entertained. Nature does a lot of that work for you. The 7yo will probably want to explore constantly which actually makes it easier.
Test everything at home first. We didn't set up our tent beforehand and spent 45 minutes figuring it out in the dark with two tired kids. Not fun.
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First camping trip with those ages is doable but have a backup plan. We did it with similar ages and my 4 year old got homesick the first night. Brought some comfort items that helped. Make sure you've got easy snacks they like.