Planning a camping trip but struggling to get the kids excited about it? Although most children revel at the idea of spending time in the outdoors, there is also a small fraction of tots that find camping boring or unappealing. If you’re looking for ways to get your little one stirred up about nature, then this is the article for you. Today, we have a look at 7 ways to get your family excited about nature while camping, so read on to find out more!
Family Camping Tips To Get Your Kids Excited:
1. Involve Them in The Planning
One of the best ways to get your kids excited about their trip to the wild outdoors is to involve them in the planning stages of your family camping trip. Giving your little ones the autonomy to pick their favorite campsite is one of the best ways to get them excited about their outdoor adventure. Select your top three choices and then let the kids make the final decision on your camping destination. You could even let them pick their favorite tent, camping equipment, sleeping bag, and snacks to bring along on the trip to keep them feeling involved and enthusiastic about the great outdoors.
2. Bring Some Friends Along
Kids love sharing experiences with their friends, and bringing a few of your child’s buddies along is one of the best ways to get them excited about their outdoor adventure. Do keep in mind that you will need to keep other parents informed of your plans, location and activity schedule in order, and don’t forget to make it easy for them to get in touch. Alternatively, you could plan for a shared camping trip with another family which will offer double the fun for all. Exploring through nature and taking in the sights and sounds of your chosen campsite will be that much more exciting for your kids with the company around!
3. Teach Them How To Build a Fire
Building a fire is a camping skill that everyone should master, and the same goes for your children. By teaching your little ones how to build a fire from scratch (and without the help of flint or a lighter), you’ll not only be giving them a science lesson but you’ll also get them to understand the wonders and beauty of nature.
Teach them how to build a fire. Photo from Unsplash.com4. Plan A Treasure Hunt
A nature-oriented treasure or scavenger hunt is something that almost every child is sure to love. Children naturally have the urge to explore, and coming up with ideas on what to search for on a scavenger hunt is a simple job that will reap a bounty of benefits.
When planning your scavenger hunt, remember to keep the kids’ interest a high priority. With a little help from the adults, your team of scavenger hunters will be both entertained, engaged and full of wonder until every item gets checked off the list!
5. Plant Something
Part of enjoying nature is also understanding the ecosystem. By allowing your kids to plant something on their family camping trip, you’ll be able to teach them about plants, life, nature and stewardship. Bring a couple of seeds, a small spade and a few other bits and bobs and then let the kids go wild. By giving them the responsibility of watering their seedlings during the entire duration of your camping trip, you’ll also be instilling a sense of responsibility and pride when they witness their plant growing.
6. Utilise Photography
Kids these days cannot live without technology, so why not kill two birds with one stone and allow your child to explore their photography talents on your camping trip. If you’re wary about letting your child handle your phone during the trip, purchasing a disposable camera is a fantastic alternative. Tell your kids to take photos of any interesting plants, trees, or animals they see and create a scrapbook at the end of your trip that they can feel proud of!
7. Choose A Good Time Of The Year
Poor weather has the potential to dampen the mood for kids and adults alike, which is why picking the best time of the year to go camping with the kids is so important. The ideal camping experience should be during a time when there is plenty of sunshine and no signs of rain, heavy wind or snow. Ensure that your camping site of choice isn’t too hot or too cold and be sure to have contingency plans should the weather shift all of a sudden.
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Getting the family excited about nature while camping isn’t as daunting a task as it may seem. We hope that this article has equipped you with a few new ideas that will get your kids excited for their glorious family camping adventure.
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Alex is a computer geek, programmer, who loves traveling. Not the usual mix, but Alex is always with his laptop – no matter how high the mountain he’s hiking on. On every peak he reaches, he writes a story that captures it all.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram