Snail Pace Transformations

I will admit that my husband and I are not what you would call camping fanatics. We camp because our children love it. We camp because it is inexpensive. We camp because it is quality time together. We camp because we were able to pay cash for an air conditioned tent trailer with two king sized beds and a pop out dinette.

Yeah, we don’t rough it at all. Our lack of roughing it skills aside we do camp at least 2 or 3 times a season for 3 to as many as 5 nights at a time. We also camp with 3 children and a dog.

 Here are 8 tips we have learned to camp with children and keep our sanity

1.Have a good list

I have a master list that lists all the things that we need each and every time we camp. Things like the sheets for all the beds, pillows, campfire supplies etc.

I also make up a menu and a grocery list each and every trip and double check that I have all ingredients before I leave.

If we are camping far away I do my grocery shopping when we arrive, as my family sets up camp.

2.Plan Simple Meals

I have access to a microwave and a large toaster oven, and I can bring my crockpot along if I need too. Still I prefer to keep meals simple so that I have more time to hang out with the children.

Our dinner might be pork chops and a salad, or mac and cheese and hot dogs. Lunch is sandwiches and breakfast is instant oatmeal or cold cereal.

3.Pack Plenty of Snacks

The first time we went camping I was alarmed at how fast my children went through our snack supply.

Being outdoors creates the perfect environment for more physical activity. My kids are out biking, swimming, hiking, playing at the park and generally running around everywhere.

Basically they become calorie burning machines, so I quickly learned to bring double the snacks that we normally require at home.

I often bake up big batches of muffins and cookies, and pack along precut cheese and crackers. I buy a huge bag of baby carrots and lots of fresh fruit.

4.Bring Games For Rainy Days

If it rains you want something to do. I always make sure we have at least 2 or 3 family games along. If you are short on space a deck of cards and a few printed off instructions for card games will work.

 5.Keep a Few New Things Hidden

Boredom strikes even at campgrounds, or two brothers end up playing boy games leaving a sister out.

In these situations I try and have a stash of new sidewalk chalk. Or a new shovel and pail, or perhaps an inexpensive squirt gun to start a water fight with those brothers.

 6.Practice Safety

When my children were little  whenever we went places they might get separated from us we made sure they had a card with all our contact numbers on it and explained to them who to seek out for help.

When we go camping I  take the children for a tour of the campground once we arrive and point out the camp host spots telling them to seek them out if they need help.

Now that they are older I make sure they have a cell phone in their pocket before they take off biking, and have them tell me where they are headed and how long they expect to be gone.

Beside what to do if you get lost you also need to go over the safety rules for open fires, approaching wildlife, how deep is deep enough when open water swimming, and any other set of rules that makes sense in the area you are camping in (pointing out poison ivy so as to avoid it is another great preventative talk).

7. Relax Some Rules

When we are at home we tend to eat a fairly clean diet. When we are camping our clean diet is a little less clean and I am okay with that.

I also relax the rules for bedtime, and whatever other rules I can to make the experience fun and relaxing yet safe for the children.

8. Have a Servant’s Heart

When camping with children I try to remember that this is time to make memories with them. This is not time for me to relax (although now that they are older I do generally get to relax some, often reading one or two books per trip).

Especially when they were younger I would mentally be prepared to spend the weekend serving my children often making sure I had a me time event planned before we went and some more me time planned for when we returned. Planning this me time before and after helped me to be able to be in the moment and enjoy the precious gift of 3 lives God has given me.

I would also try to get out of the tent trailer (or when they were little tent) before they awoke to have a few moments alone before the mommy requests started.

 Do you camp with children? What are your tips to share?

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One of the first things I noticed about being a mom in the summer time is how little the children actually want to stay home. That is until I came up with a few ways to make our own outdoor space just as much fun as the city park or pool.

10 ways to Create A  Summer Fun Backyard

1. Have a swing set.

It does not have to be fancy nor expensive, I have known people who have even found them free on free cycle. There is just something about having a swing and a slide in your own back yard

2.Have a sand area

It can be a small storage tub with a lid if you live in an apartment and a deck is your only outdoor space, or a huge sand box if you have a large backyard. Just add some hotwheels to drive in it , a few plastic animals to bury, a shovel, a sifter and a pail and the children will keep busy in it for hours.

3. Include a water feature

Sprinkler, small wading pool, slip and slid, really it does not matter what, just include water in your outdoor space. Last year I bought my daughter 2 $8 wading pools one for her and one for her friend and they played for hours in them.

4. Let them have a ball

Basket balls, tennis balls, beach balls, even ping pong balls will work. Several is best. One trick I learned in my daycare days is to buy two inexpensive  beach balls cut out the top of one, and stick the other one inside and blow it up. This makes for a very strong ball that will last all season long (as long as you put it away when they are finished so the wind does not blow it away).

Another fun idea, is to fill a child’s wading pool with inexpensive plastic ping pong balls found at dollar stores. Just the bottom will do.

5. Bubbles are a must

Whether you make your own or buy them bubbles are always a hit. I suggest investing in a large spill proof bubble pot, as well as a few battery operated bubble guns for less mess and extra fun.

6. Sidewalk chalk is always a hit

If you don’t have a concrete area for sidewalk chalk consider painting a board or even a portion of your fence with chalk paint.

7. Wheels are fun at any age

Toddlers love push cars, preschoolers love tricycles. Older children love not just bikes but scooters, skateboards and roller skates. Yard sales are great places to pick up these items, and if you can swing it a spare for visiting friends.

8. Places to Sit

This is mostly a tip for moms and dads. You will want to have a place to sit and supervise that preferably  has some shade.

Children also love seating areas. I know when I ran a daycare one of the favorite spots outside was a plastic child sized picnic table where I placed play dough or sometimes I taped paper to the top of it and set out crayons. These tables can often be found at yard sales or through Craigslist.

9. Paint brushes and water pails

Let the kids paint each other and the whole yard…with water! Toddler’s love this. You can get huge paint brushes in the paint aisle at the big box stores for very inexpensive prices, and an empty ice-cream bucket with a handle works just fine as a bucket.

10.A tent

Every child loves a fort, and if you don’t have a perfect tree in your backyard for one buy an inexpensive easy to collapse tent instead (keep your eyes out at yard sales for these too). Add a few old blankets to the inside and you child will have hours of fun.

 These are just 10 things to add to your yard for summer fun but I am sure there are more, what would you add to the list?

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Although a lot of summer fun can be free, such as attending library programs, and visiting local parks there are other events that do cost money, such enjoying a swim in the local pool, or going camping for a weekend.

Here are 4 ideas of how to come up with funds for summer fun

Hold a Yard Sale

Tell the children that all the funds from the yard sale will go to summer fun and you will be amazed what they will be willing to let go of.

Checkout my article on tips on how to hold an successful yard sale.

 Have A Craigslist Weekend

My family has done this 3 years in a row with different projects in mind. This year we are earmarking the funds for a summer anniversary trip for just mom and dad. However, summer fun would be another great use for the cash.

Spend one 2 to 3 hour period combing through your home and storage areas for large items to sell. Spend a bit of time cleaning them up and listing them and then plan to stick close to home for a few days as you answer calls, emails, show items and sell.

Checkout my article on tips for selling on Craigslist

Drop An Expense Over The Summer Months

I once met a family who ditched their cable every summer and spent what they saved on family summer activities. When the weather turned cold again they turned the cable back on.

You could also try eating out less, or stopping children’s activities over the summer months and earmarking those funds for summer fun. Perhaps you belong to a gym but you tend to exercise outdoors all summer long; could your membership fees be dropped during the warm weather months?

Pick Up Extra Items At Yard Sales To Resell

One summer I made enough for our family to go camping for 4 nights and buy the supplies we needed by simply picking up inexpensive items at yard sales that had more value on eBay than what I paid for them.

You will need to be willing to study up what sells well before you attempt this, and be willing to take a bit of a gamble (sometimes things I thought would sell for sure didn’t). My rule was always if I could not resell it at my own yard sale for more than I paid for it I was not buying it to try to sell on eBay that way I at least made some profit somewhere.

Check out my article on tips for selling on eBay

Are there any ideas for  making room in the budget for summer fun that I have missed?

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linked to Thrifty Thursday at Living Well Spending Less

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What I like about summer is the time it allows for spontaneous fun.

I have been know to jump into swimming ponds clothes and all with my children when the mood strikes. We have even once driven just over our states board….just because.

In order to enjoy these events without regret (driving home in wet clothes after jumping in a pond is not fun) I create a summer to go kit to keep in the back of my SUV all summer long.

My Summer Fun Kit Includes

A Blanket

For spontaneous picnics to wrapping up wet moms after they jump in the pond.

A Towel

For drying off feet that have dipped in the lake to entire bodies that have jumped in them.

Extra clothes

I try to have packed  an extra top and shorts for every member of the family, although now that we are almost all the same size just two extra outfits usually suffice (it is not often we all jump in the pond together).

These outfits usually consist of inexpensive yard sale finds, and are not the prettiest but they do in a pinch.

Extra Flip Flops

My daughter breaks flip flops faster than most people can buy a pair, and it never fails that she does it at the beginning of a day long outing. I learned quick the best way to avoid her walking around shoeless is to pack an extra pair in the vehicle.

Money

Not much but a couple of bucks for a round of Md’s ice-cream cones or gas station slushes can really make my children’s day.

Sunscreen

Burns are not summer fun.

A collapsible chair or two

Watching children play at the park is much more relaxing when you have somewhere comfortable to sit.

A good book

Now that my children are past the age where I have to watch them every second in case they wander off or drown I like to make sure I have a book in the back of the car in case we stop for them to explore and I feel like hanging back and reading.

A large sports umbrella

Summer showers do happen but if they don’t a sports umbrella also makes a good shade cover.

 Socks

I don’t keep these in my kit anymore but when my children were little enough to play in fast food indoor play areas I use to make sure each summer that I had enough pairs of socks to go around should we stop off to enjoy some fun in the cool of air conditioning with their friends.

Sand Toys

A pail and a shovel and a sand sifter are all that is needed for hours of fun with little ones during a last minute decision to take the road to the lake.

Swim Suits

My daughter is not willing to jump in the lake clothes and all like her crazy mom. For her I pack whatever inexpensive swimsuit I can find to keep in the car for summer. My boys are okay swimming in just their shorts, since they tend to dry quick.

What would you add to my summer to go kit list?

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