Finally the winter snow has melted and the trees are starting to spring back to life. Nature is practically calling your name and May Long Weekend is just around the corner! It’s the perfect time to plan a little getaway with your family before the school year ends and the craziness of summer begins. Make the most of it with these simple tips that will help keep your sanity in check.
Plan Ahead
This might go without saying, but when you are planning any kind of family getaway with young children it is imperative that you give yourself as much lead time as possible to ensure you have all of your bases covered. Are you looking to stay in a cabin or a tent? What additional supplies will you need with a little one in tow? What site might offer you the best experience with small ones? Planning ahead means more options, and more options means less stress. Leave the spontaneity for parents with kids would are a bit older.
Pack Smart
You don’t have to pack everything but the kitchen sink in the off chance your little one might need it. For starters, leave all of the toys as home. Your little one will be happy to survey nature, play in the mounds of dirt and mud, and build with the many rocks and sticks around the campsite. As far as clothing, bring only what you’ll need for a few days: a few onesies, t-shirts, and a sweater or two will likely suffice. Keep it simple and it will dramatically cut down the list of things you’ll need to bring with you.
Combat Picky Eating
With small children, their appetites can be unpredictable at the best of times. The good news is that sometimes a change of scenery can also provide a enough of a change in the daily routine to spark some more adventurous eating habits. Take this opportunity to introduce your kids to some local fare of fruits and veggies or wild game meat. Frame it as an adventure in tasting they won’t want to miss out on. You might just be surprised by what they are willing to try while they are out in the wilderness!
Explore the Unknown
One of the easiest ways to keep children entertained is simply engaging them in the unknown. Go exploring on a path they haven’t been down before. Create a mini scavenger hunt for things like: the craziest looking stick, a rock in the shape of a heart, or something yellow and orange. It will not only keep them occupied for hours, but they will be learning how to carefully explore the environment around them and enjoy each moment along the way. Kids have a way of finding wonder in the little things. Don’t miss out on enjoying it with them too!
Bring Along Some Creature Comforts
And if all else fails, be sure to pack some creature comforts that will make your camping adventure feel a little more like home. If it happens to involve an iDevice, so be it. If it’s an air mattress for your tent so everyone has a restful night’s sleep, that’s cool. If you’d rather skip the true camping experience entirely and rent a cabin, don’t even give it a second thought. Do whatever you have to do to ensure your family will have a good time. It’s the memories you create together that will truly last a lifetime.
XO The Good Enuf Mommy
Tiffany Austin is a mom, a wife, writer, and educator living in Canada. Tired of never feeling “good enough” as a new mom, she began a blog to encourage other moms to feel confident and empowered in their own decisions. Her blog, The Good Enuf Mommy, includes everything from helpful parenting advice to product recommendations aimed at making the lives of moms just a little bit easier.
