Winter has its own magic and transforms the world outside into a new realm. That’s why camping with your children in the winter will be an incredible experience for them. However, you’ll need to prepare them even better than you would normally because the terrain and weather hide more dangers now. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

Make the rules

Laying out the rules before setting out on your trip is very important. You need to do that with some time in advance too because:

• It gives you enough time to think. Some things might seem obvious to you, like not jumping around on the edge of a cliff because you might slip and fall. But these aren’t as obvious to kids, so make sure you write down everything.
• It helps you see how children react to the rules. Kids need to understand that camping is a fun activity, but that doesn’t mean it lacks discipline or consequences. You can have fun in an organized way, respecting safety rules. Behaving erratically hurts everyone involved, including the environment.
• It helps kids learn and practice the rules. You can organize some practice-camping in your backyard before the actual trip, so you can see first-hand how the kids behave.
• You can revise the rules. A practice-camp helps you too because you can see how responsibly the kids behave. You can then consider adding clearer rules, explaining things more or even giving kids more space.

It’s a good idea to involve children when you write the final rules before going to the camp. They’ll be glad to be seen as valuable members of your group and they’ll likely follow the rules better.

Get them the right equipment

You don’t want to mess around with your chances especially in inclement weather and on very rough terrain. That’s why you need to start with the best cold weather tents to make sure you get the proper insulation. Getting warm sleeping bags and a comfortable sleeping pad will also help.

Speaking of insulation, make sure everyone has extra clothing, starting with a waterproof, windproof and warm jacket. Your children should be dressed in three layers, just like you, so don’t overdress them. Chances are they’ll run and play and get all sweaty, increasing their chances of catching a cold if you do that.

You’ll also to add the right sun protection that includes sunglasses and sunscreen. Each child should have their own headlamp and flashlight, and you should pack a first-aid kit for everyone. It’s best to get extra food and extra water, a sturdy hydration bladder and a water purifier in case you run out of water supplies.

Don’t forget your map and compass at home, even if you have a GPS. The batteries might run out faster in colder weather and at high altitudes, or the GPS itself might backfire if water gets inside accidentally.

Teach them some survival skills

This can be immense fun particularly if you’re organizing some outdoor trips they can practice their newly acquired skill set. The first thing you should start with is climbing on difficult weather, how to hold their balance and how to improvise a walking stick. You can take the chance now and reinforce some rules, like no running.

Kids should know how to read a map and use a compass to determine where they are and where they’re going. Teach children how to call for help in case they get lost, that they should stay put and signal their position and tell them when it’s time to move in seek of assistance.

You can also show them how to build an emergency shelter from a tarp, leaves, and branches. Kids will absolutely love practicing building these things and spending the night there too.

Pack with them

Involving the kids in the organizing process is great for them and for you. On the one hand, it makes them feel respected and important. It also teaches them discipline and how to prioritize their needs. For instance, it’s ok if a child wants to take their favorite toy with them, but it’s not ok if all they want to take is toys.

You can explain that they need to pack some water, a few energy bars, and some winter coats for extreme cold too. The other option is to let them pack what they want, while you arrange a secret pack for them. Once you’re outdoors, you can ask them to survive with the items they brought. When that proves impossible, you can get out the proper gear and use this as a teaching moment.

Packing with your kids is great for you too, especially if you have older children that know exactly what to get. That’s because you’ll have less work to do and more fun doing it. Your kids might also surprise you with some good ideas for the gear.

Decide on games and activities

This is definitely something you need to plan in advance and involve your children in. If they won’t like a certain activity, they won’t play it and they’ll be in a bad mood. Conversely, games can help ease the mood and can prove great learning tools.

One idea children of all ages will appreciate is geocaching. This is like a cool treasure-finding game, but you should check the available locations on the trail before going. Or you can check if there are skiing, skating or snowboarding facilities near your camp. You can sing, dance and tell stories, as well as take the chance to teach children about how the cold winter weather impacts the landscape, the animals, and the plants.

Other tips and tricks for winter camping with kids

Hopefully, this article helped you in devising the right mindset so you can plan and prepare a great trip. But the key is to have fun doing it, involve the kids and put yourself in their shoes when making decisions. Otherwise, if you have any other ideas about how to prepare, leave us a comment below. We’re also waiting on a comment when you get back .

 

Author Bio

Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com.