Planning a holiday with the kids can prove to be very stressful. Camping has always been a popular option for a normal family on a budget. However, as the world becomes increasingly connected with cell phones, social media, and the internet being used for hours a day by kids, it is now a lot harder to get kids excited about experiencing the great outdoors.

Tip 1: Get the kids to do the initial research on the internet, and assist in the decision of where to camp. This utilises what they love to do – surf the web, as well as includes them in family decision making, giving them a valuable sense of being part of the team.

Tip 2: Extend this help with campsite selection to other things, such as food provisioning. Get their help to plan meals, and compile a checklist of foods they would like to have on their holiday.

Tip 3: If possible, allow your child to bring a long a friend. Kids are very sociable, especially in the case of young teens, and often have strong friendship groups which are extremely important to them. Taking a friend will guarantee that they will have a more enjoyable camping experience, making them much more pleasant to be around.

Tip 4: Have a test of all equipment in the yard. A great way to get younger children excited for camping is to have a practice run in the back yard. The change from their regular routine is rousing to them. This can also prove beneficial to your overall camping trip, as it will allow you to ensure all equipment is in working order. There is nothing worse than not having enough tent poles, or having no gas in your gas cooker.

Tip 5: Provide entertainment for those long rainy days. One of the realities of camping is that, it will rain. So bring along some family favourite games to stave off boredom, and more importantly, make sure your tent is waterproof! No one likes to be bored and wet.

Take these tips on board and you can almost guarantee a much more pleasurable experience had by all. Bored and restless kids are not very fun to be around, but by including them in planning, and getting them exciting for a trip into the outdoors, can make a real difference. Be sure to stay at family holiday parks to ensure children are catered for in the parks facilities.