Camping can be a wonderfully rewarding, enjoyable, character-building activity for kids. It can also be one heck of a challenge! Taking children out into the woods away from their PlayStation and Wii while insisting they leave their handheld PSP behind already puts you in quite the hole in terms of helping them have a good time and keeping them entertained. Thankfully, as you and I both know, once they get out there and brighten up their attitude, they’ll see that camping can actually be quite fun!

Here are some ways to help make camping rewarding and enjoyable for your kids and their friends.

1. Build enthusiasm about the trip by including them as part of the planning. Take them to the grocery store so they can choose what snacks to bring and what games to play.

2. Make them have some modicum of responsibility during your camping excursion. Even if it’s something as simple as helping set up the tent or collect firewood. Give them some type of task that will help them feel like they’re a contributing hand in making the camping a success. Reassure them that there will be plenty of time for fun and games but that before you can do that, a little work must be done. This work-reward pattern is something many kids in this generation miss out on which is a shame because it’s very character building. You can make the camp chores fun by having awards for most sticks collected, fastest clean-up, etc.

3. Have an array of activities ready that your kids will enjoy. When I was a kid, my Dad brought out a bb-gun and had us shoot at empty cola cans from 30 feet away. I was only about 7 at the time and still remember how awesome it was to shoot a “real gun”! There are so many possible camping activities for kids and many of them are things they never get the chance to do in the city. Consider some of the following:

• Scavenger hunt (first kid to find all items on list wins)
• Rubbing souvenirs (place a leaf vien-side-up under a piece of paper, rub a crayon over the leaf)
• Frisbee, baseball, or football to toss around
• Camping races (one-legged race, sack race, backwards race with teams and partners)
• Alphabet nature hunt (have to find something that starts with each letter)
• Constellation and satellite search at night
• UNO, checkers or other picnic-table games
• Camping Olympics (organize a series of games with points awarded based on finish)
• Hide and seek (nature makes a great place to play hide and seek, just be sure to establish boundaries)

With any competitive event, be mindful of everyone and keep it fun for all. Winners should not be praised too much nor losers chastized. After all, it’s just camping!

4. Use your time out in nature to instill valuable skills with your kids. Teach them about fire safetey. Show them poisonous leaves so they know what to avoid.

5. When in doubt, have fun! I think you could agree that some of the best memories you form as a child take place while camping, so have a blast!

Camping is no easy chore. For beginners, you can save a lot of headaches by learning from the camping mistakes of others. Consider avoiding the following common camping mistakes on your next trip to the woods for a better time!

1. Arriving at your campsite exhausted and near dusk. Setting up camp in the dark can be a complete nightmare. Be sure to arrive with a sufficient amount of daylight left so you can get everything situated.

2. Leaving the mattress pad at home. If there’s nothing but the bottom of the tent between your sleeping bag and the ground, be ready for a restless night!

3. Leaving food or trash out overnight. Do this and you can almost certainly expect to wake up and find that an animal of some sorts has ravaged through everything.

4. Thinking a tent for four people will comfortably fit four people. Unless you like sleeping on top of your friends and family, always buy a bigger tent than you think you’ll need. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.

5. Bringing too much stuff. People, you’re camping! You don’t need to bring your kitchen sink with you. Unless it’s an essential item, leave it at home and rough it up a bit!

6. Letting the dog off leash. Even the most obedient dogs will find it hard to contain themselves in an area full of new smells. Unless you want to be walking through the woods calling out “Sparky!? Sparky?!” all night, consider keeping your best friend curbed.

7. Setting up camp near a cliff. Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night should not be a life or death matter.

8. Bringing insufficient drinking water. If there’s one thing you don’t want to skimp on, it’s drinking water. Think about how much you think you’ll need and bring double.

9. Not bringing enough blankets. Do you know how cold it gets at night when you’re sleeping outdoors? Oh, double up on the socks too!

10. Leaving the flashlight at home. Bring several flashlights and spare batteries for each of them.

11. Forgetting bug repellent and/or sunscreen. Both of these items are crucial to enjoyable camping.

12. Not cleaning up. Camp responsibly. Clean up after yourself before you leave. The only evidence of you having been there should be your fond memories.

13. Building a fire or using a stove inside a tent. This is incredibly stupid. A torrential downpour is still no reason to start a fire in a tent. Never start a fire in a tent.

14. Setting up a beach campsite below the high water mark. Usually high tide is around midnight. If you set up camp close to the water line during the day, you’re likely to wake up to a wet campsite. You should be able to detect evidence in the sand of the high tide point from the night before. Set up camp considerably behind that mark.

15. Cooking elaborate meals. Even if you have a stove or grill, cooking at a campsite is nowhere near as nice as cooking in your kitchen. Keep the meals simple and easy!

Backpacking isn’t for the faint of heart – instead of pulling into your designated 20′ x 40′ campsite and unloading your camping equipment from the car, you’ll have to be prepared to camp in uncertain situations, carrying everything you need on your back. Therefore, preparing for a backpacking camping trip involves a little more preparation than traditional campground camping. Read on for more tips on getting ready for a backpacking camping trip.

Invest in a good backpacking frame

Of all the places to scrimp and save, your backpacking frame isn’t it! Think about it – every day of your trip, you’ll be counting on your backpacking frame to hold all the gear you’ve brought with you. Therefore, it’s important to visit a specialty camping store with a knowledgeable staff that can help identify the best choice for you. The ideal backpacking frame should be made of light, sturdy materials, and should be fit to your individual body type. A 5′ tall woman will need a different frame than a 6′ tall man, and choosing the wrong size frame for your body could result in serious injury on your backpacking trip.

Pack small and light

Obviously, a backpacking camping trip isn’t the time to bring along your three room pop-up tent or your heavy down-filled sleeping bag. Instead, invest in light weight equipment that’s specially designed to be carried in a backpack. Typically, these items will be made of durable materials and will be designed to fold up into smaller spaces. In addition, look for collapsible mess kits and cooking equipment that will easily fit into one of the pouches in your backpack. Take a good long look at everything you intend to bring and ask yourself if it’s really necessary, or if it’s a luxury you could live without.

Plan your route

If this is your first backpacking trip, consider trekking to a local state or national park that you’ve visited before. The familiar territory will help you to feel more comfortable about venturing off with nothing but the items on your back. Better yet, plan your first backpacking trip with a more experienced friend or guide, or take a class to help you prepare for your journey. Some adult education programs or specialty camping shops offer these classes to help introduce you to the sport.

Even if you’re a more experienced backpacker, it’s still a good idea to plan your route ahead of time, instead of wandering off on the trails on your own. Having a planned route will help you avoid any dangerous geographic features you aren’t prepared for – like rivers or ravines – and will help rescuers find you, should you become lost. On that note, it might be a good idea to invest in a portable GPS device that will help rescuers locate you, especially if you’re an experienced backpacker taking more challenging routes.

Practice makes perfect

Once you’ve assembled all your gear, practice unpacking and repacking it all several times before you head out on your trip. Your first night on the trails isn’t the best time to discover that it isn’t so easy to fit your tent back into the tiny bag it came in! Plus, it’s important to get used to the feel of the backpack on your shoulders before you embark on your trip. Try walking around the block a few times with your backpack on and loaded to be sure it’s adjusted properly to your body.