I am contemplating taking my 20 month old camping Memorial Day weekend. It is a place you have to boat into so it's slightly rugged. I am looking for advice on what to bring so she feels comfortable napping and sleeping in a tent. Also how do I manage sleeping? I cant fathom 3 of us on an air mattress! Should I bring her pack and play? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the advice! I highly recommend the pack and play in a tent when you camp. She slept comfortably, didn't cry or get scared. We had enough room for our air mattress and our bags too. It was cozy and safe for all of us! The place was even on an incline and she was a trooper. I would never be scared to camp with a toddler...they do better than we do!!
Just bring a pack n play for sleeping. I went camping last year and actually just put my 12 month old on the ground on a few blankets and he was perfectly fine. Good luck!
Hi M.-
We are going on our first camping trip next weekend. My son was born in Nov'2006 so our children are similar in age, too! My little guy is very energetic and inquisitive, and I fully expect that I'll need a vacation from the vacation! I'll let you know how it goes.
We have done several things to prepare, they may sound silly, but we are gaining confidence through them:
*We've been barbequing more- to teach that the "hot" BBQ can't be touched and to walk carefully around it. Status: working well.
*We also have been eating some meals/snacks outside. I bought a kid's chair and he eats at a little table outside. Status: needs more work, he's highly distracted. Is yours boycotting the highchair too?
*Finally, we've started more independent time in our patio. I've got to widen my comfort zone so that I can help put up the tent and stuff. I love to hover, I guess.
Also, we bought a big new family tent and plan to bring the PNP. I am considering buying a foam liner- one of my mom friends mentioned that helped with longer sleep- always a problem in the PNP for us (not in his crib).
Best,
Erika
This isn't sleeping-related, but do you have a baby backpack? We found ours invaluable when we camped with toddlers. It was just nice to know that, at least for a moment, they weren't getting into anything or trying to get a closer look at the campfire.
I have taken my son camping 2 times already. I always bring the pack and play. Just make sure to bring lots of blankets if it gets cold at night. The tent we bought had a screen room in the front, so we let him play in there and not worry about being bitten by bugs.]
HAPPY CAMPING!!!
