Camping with an 18 Month Old

I think as long as you make it fun for her, she will be fine!! Remember to take along some of her outdoor toys and some of her comforts from home. I would not put her in her own tent or in her own room of a two room tent. It seems that it would be safer to have her with you. If she still fits in the pack and play comfortably, you could still use that or have her sleep with you. Let her help you pack so she knows whats going with her. She can help do other things to (like loading and unloading little things from the car, gathering twigs for firewood, etc...) Have FUN!!!

My husband and I are very experienced campers but had to change quite a bit once the kiddos came along. We can't exactly do our once-normal 5-10 day backpacking trips in the middle-of-nowhere with a 5 year old, 2 year old and 9 month old! :-)

Our two older kids are old pros at camping. My son (the oldest) could put the tent up by himself before his 3rd birthday! Anyways... taking kids camping is fun. Now we do what you described... car camping. But it's still fun. We have a one-room tent and it's fine. At 18 months, the kids were still in the pack 'n play for camping. It was in the tent. It's also easy to move outside during the day to keep them contained for a few minutes when you need it. We haven't bought one of those portable playyard things but I see them alot at campgrounds. The kids go to bed late because of it being light so late (who the heck decided that IN should be in the Eastern timezone instead of Central... we dont need light at 10pm!!) and they wake up early. We do try to get them to nap in the afternoon but it's hard. Basically they are very tired and don't get anough sleep for 2-3 days but oh well. It's part of camping. :-)

A stroller and pack 'n play are almost a must, IMO. You need a way to contain her for a few minutes because you will have times when you can't watch her. And if she's 'loose' you need to keep an eye on her at all times. A curious toddler can get into much trouble at a campgrounds... being close to a road and other cars, getting too close to fires, etc. I'm super-paranoid about youngsters and fires. We don't even have a campfire when we have a child under 2 that's walking. I've seen too many 1 year olds accidently get burned on the fire or the hot fire grate put down nearby.

We also have a stay-out-of-the-tent rule. Unless it's afternoon naptime, no kids are allowed inside the tent during the day. Trust me. Camping kids are dirt magnets. Never allow shoes in the tent, either. We keep a box of wipes right inside the tent door. The kids sit down on the tarp we have outside tent to take off their shoes and get wiped down - hands, face, arms, feet, whatever - before entering. Baby wipes are also great for cleaning up before meals. Take make meals easier, bring along a feeding seat. The kind that straps onto a normal chair will strap onto a picnic table bence. The ones that clamp onto the table also work, but only certain ones. Some brands won't fit on the thick tops of picnic tables. Expect her to get really dirty and let her explore as much as is safe. Also let her help... even a toddler can bring you small pieces of firewood from the pile or 'help' carry a bucket of water. Above all - have fun! And show her how great it is to be in the outdoors.

Hi J.!
I think the 2 room tent would be much more better. Gives her an area to play when mosquitos start getting bad and more room for you guys to enjoy each other. It'll probably be a much more better trip this year for you guys than it was last year, she'll enjoy it when you guys show her nature and help her understand it better. :) GOOD LUCK & Have lots of fun and be creative!

My roommate has taken his daughter camping since before she was a year old. The pack & play went and had no problems at all. He took it for two years, just as a backup for any unforseen issues of wandering or not wanting to sleep on in the tent in her own space (fear, etc). That is a familiar space that could be used for sleeping if necessary.

At that age, have a plan and a back up plan. You're not sure how she'll handle the tent situation. If she has a sleeping bag, (some kids do at that age) bring it, too. Attempting one option and having it fail will not make for a fun camping trip. Plan and a back-up plan and play it by ear.

We have 4 kids, and they all have gone camping since they were just a few months old. I recommend taking the pack and play and bringing it outside the campsite with you, that way she can see what is going on but still be in eyesight and not getting into trouble! One of our greatest purchases was a 2 room tent with an attached screen house. When our kids were small, they were able to move about the screened in area and still see what was going on outside. Also gave nice shade.

I camped quite a bit with my boys when they were young, I took his playpen and that's where he slept, unless he slept with me. I think the best thing I did was maintained his schedule. When it was bedtime, I laid down with him, when it was nap and eating time, then......well you know.
You're daughter will have a great time! Just enjoy your time away!

I have been taking y 5 and 6yr olds camping sence they were little.....All I did was take the pack and play...I currently have an almost 16 month old as well and he's going to be going too...Just don't change bedtime or anything for her...It should be a good experance for her....Just let her know that it's okay if she is uncomfortable about going to sleep in the tent....If she has favorite bedding take it with...If it's a blanket, a stuffed animal, or a pillow whatever helps her sleep...

We took ours camping at that age and the best thing we found was the high chair. They wouldn't stay in the pack in play outside the tent without screaming, so when the fire was up and we couldn't pay close attention to them, I put them in the high chair with crayons or a snack and let them sit for a few minutes. That way they could see us, they were in a familiar place and didn't feel caged and they had something to do. They enjoyed being outside so much, there was stuff to look at all the time, so that helped with the boredom of the high chair often.

My best advice is to sleep in front of the door and any windows that unzip. We went camoing with our little boy and woke up to him climbing out of the window he was sleeping next to. Other than that it was a good time. Plan on her staying up later than usual unless you are in a site away from other noisy campers.

hey

my lil one will be 14 months when our family takes are anula camping trip were paking sun block we have a two doom tent and my lil girl like to do what we do am take some toys only that she like the most and its a vaction if she to happy to go to sleep on time late her stay up a lil late she is wan t to be looking doing and apart of everything because it s going to be so new to her keep cold whater around and sun block and water her body down if she dont co go and play in the tent for cool down ime or lay in the shade my camp site is only 15 min out so if need be i can come back home if it to cold out etc and good foods and n=snack that she like. my lil one like to do the sam also take a stroller whne i push her she has not a car in the world she loves it and is happy to i hope u enjoy ur trip and yall both jut try and relax

Hi J.,

Do the flaps fold down in your tent? If so, it might make it more dark in the tent. We are having the same issue this year too. Our son is 16 months old and we are camping next week. I'm not sure if I would buy your daughter an extra tent for herself. I would be afraid if she wasn't in the same tent as me. But, that's up to you. I guess I watch too many Dateline and 20/20 shows and it scares me. Good luck. I guess I would try to bring towels to put over the windows or anything that would make the tent darker inside from the sunlight. Have fun!

HAVE FUN !!! We went camping a lot when our kids were little. I agree with the others about keeping her in the tent/room with you. We also used the other section for extras and storing stuff. About the bedtime - we just ALL went to bed at the same time. Our kids were used to sleeping with us, so it probably made it a little easier-? Sometimes we spread our sleeping bags for all of us, sometimes we put them in their own between us. If it was early, my husband and I just got back up ... but usually WE were just as tired from so many hikes, etc. Don't forget your first aid kit with baby stuff too (our first born started running a fever due to cutting teeth one year); but, it sounds like you guys are campers so you will go prepared :-)
Enjoy!!!

Hi,
Pack-n-play still sounds like a good idea if she still stays in it. You'll have a blast! Just please be very careful of the fire. I fell in a fire when I was 30 and I was burned very badly and I would never want a child to have to go through that. Have fun!!!!

I probably wouldn't give her too much space. Toddlers tend to wander off very quickly. I would probably keep a pretty close eye on her. She's old enough now she can explore many new things in her surroundings. Perhaps get a bug cage and bug magnifier and she can look at all kinds of things. You can pick up lady bugs, lightening bugs. You can also look at leaves and other things under the magnifying glass and I'm sure she'll love that. You might also get her a flashlight. Kids love lights. You can make shadows on the tent wall at night.

We took our oldest son camping while he was very young also. On the 2 room tent: We have a 2 room tent however; we used the other room for our things like coolers, clothes, etc. We slept on an air mattress and he slept with us. I don't really support co sleeping but without a lock on the door, it seems the safest option. We just got a bigger air mattress. Having your daughter in the same room is especially important because of the chance of her getting out of the tent and wandering off.
As far as awake hours, we never had any trouble with this. We set boundaries and made sure that he always had something to do whether that was playing with toys, going to the beach, watching the raccoons, or playing in the park area.
Make sure that you have plenty of easy snacks handy too. Something about all that fresh air will make little ones hungrier and sleepier.
Let her be involved with the tasks. She will feel like she is contributing more to the family trip. Let her help find twigs for your fire or something similar.
I hope this helps you some. My son still loves camping! Have a nice time. If I can help you any further, please don't hesitate to ask me. Shannon G.
PS. Make sure you are not camped to close to any water. That is just an accident waiting to happen!! And don't forget the bug spray, sunscreen, and a first aid kit (just in case)!