I agree that there are some events and festivals that children should not attend. Obviously if a place has an age requirement and your child is under that requirement, then they should not be there. However, Summer Camp is not one of these events and we have been enjoying it as a family for quite some time.

Things You Need to Know Before You Go

Summer Camp involves a lot of walking. You want to make sure that your children have good shoes for walking. I have noticed on multiple occasions children running around with flip flops or barefoot and this would not be something that I would suggest. There are any number of things that your child could end up stepping on that could result in an injury. As a parent who always aims to protect my child and be proactive, I would highly recommend a good pair of closed-toe sandals. We typically pick up a pair of Keens for each of our kids. If you do not have RV camping or VIP you are likely going to be waiting in a line that is really long. On top of this, you are going to need to carry all of your camping gear into the festival. This means that you need to be prepared for all of this with your kids ahead of time. Ideally you will be able to utilize things that can be used with your child when you are walking…like wagons. Babywearing is also a lifesaver when you have young toddlers and infants. Being able to just wear them will leave your hands free to help carry or pull things through the gates. In addition to good walking shoes, I always try to make sure that my children have the right clothing…and plenty of it. Depending on the weather and the conditions, you will want to have a few changes of clothes for your kids throughout the day. My kids generally wake up and put on a pair of pants and a hoodie or something that is nice and warm in the morning. As the day heats up, they can be seen in shorts or dresses. Then as the evening comes, it’s back into warmer clothing. From time to time you might need a rain jacket or umbrella for them as well. Rain boots are always great during the rainy weather too. Depending on how much rain there is, you will find that there are some great options out there that are not only going to keep your kids’ feet dry but will also be comfortable for them. We personally love Bogs boots for our children. They are another mainstay and something that we always make sure that we have when we are at Summer Camp.  

What You Need to Know About Camping Options

There are many different camping options at Summer Camp. Family Camping has been around from time to time but lately there has not been a separate family campground. This does not mean that there are not places that are better for families to camp. We have personally found that we like to use a Primitive RV Pass (you can get yours here) so that we can camp next to our vehicle. This just makes it much easier with our children. If you are lucky enough to own an RV then you can choose between a Primitive RV Pass and an Electric RV Pass. Both of these make moving through the lines just a little bit easier as your little one is likely going to be sitting in their carseat the whole time. With VIP camping, you do get the benefit of smaller lines and not as much of a walk. VIP camping is quite close to the VIP parking and this is something that I have personally appreciated when we did not use an RV pass in the past. It has made our Summer Camps as a family much easier. VIP also has shower access and bathrooms that remain a lot cleaner than the port-a-potties!  

On-site Activities That Are Child Friendly

There are many fun on-site activities that your children are going to love. Each year there seems to be something that is new and fun for your little ones. My kids have progressively gotten more excited each year as new things have been added. One thing is for certain though and that is when your kids are at Summer Camp, you MUST visit Kids Camp. Kids Camp is an amazing, fun place where your littles are able to play and enjoy being a kid. They are able to choose from a wide variety of art projects and fun activities to take part in. On top of that, there have been a wide range of activities taking place throughout the day there. Just stop in and ask if there are any special events taking place…you might find that your child can learn something new to love. Last year my kids loved the bounce house and the water balloon launchers. They loved trying to shoot water balloons at the SCampers as they walked by. Another thing that my kids have really enjoyed has been the addition of carnival rides on site. There are not a lot of rides and you have to pay by the ride. I have personally chosen to use rides as rewards for good behavior throughout the day. This means that when the kids are being extra polite and extra well-behaved, we stop off for a ride or two. This makes them happy and keeps me from going broke trying to pay for rides the entire weekend over and over again. Last year, there was a really cool area with swings, a hammock lounge, and a miniature golf course….all of these were free and my children loved each one. We had so much fun playing with them at each of these!  

Things You Need at Summer Camp with Kids

I have just created this fun Pinterest board for families going to Summer Camp 2016. If you are going and need something there are several local stores that will carry many of the things that you might need. My best plan for not having to spend extra money on these items is to make a list of the things that I am going to need and check it twice before leaving home. I have put together my list and thought that I would share it with you all.

• Clothes – Seven warm weather outfits, four cold weather outfits, extra hoodie, fleece, rain jacket, four pairs of pjs, pullups/night time pants (if needed), eight pairs of socks, extra shoes, sandals, rain boots, hat, sunglasses
• Headphones/Ear Protection
• Shade Tent for Play
• Chairs
• Wagon
• Baby Carrier
• Stroller (larger wheels work better)
• Small Child-Sized Backpack
• Small Personal Sized Cooler
• Umbrella
• Small Toys
• Coloring/Activity Books, Crayons/Markers/Colored Pencils
• Books
• Flashlights
• Sunscreen
• Water Bottles
• Snacks
• Bottled Water
• Easy Breakfast Foods
• First Aid Kit
• Basic Kid’s Medications (this like Benadryl for those with allergies and Tylenol)
• Kids Potty Chair or Bucket with Bucket Toilet Seat (Trust me having a clean place for your child to go to the bathroom is a must when you are at Summer Camp!)

 

Things to Watch For

As a parent there are a few things that I would caution you to watch for when you are at Summer Camp. You want to have a good time with your family, but that is not going to happen if you end up with a child that is sick, injured, or worse. The best thing to remember is that there are some people who are there with the primary intention of partying. You need to make sure that your child is protected while you are at the festival and it can be easily done by knowing what to look for. Make sure that you are always keeping a close eye on your child. You want them to be safe, so make sure that they never pick up something off of the ground and put it in their mouths. This is hardest with children around the age of one and two. Once your kids are older, they know that they should not do these things. Talk to your kids about accepting candy and food from strangers….while we all hope that no one would ever give something intentionally to a child that could harm them, we really do not know everyone so make sure that your kids know what they should and should not consume. I have talked to my kids at length about this before going to Summer Camp….so much in fact that when a fellow Camp Counselor offered them a sucker and I told them that it was okay, they still said no. Know your child’s allergies and be sure to talk to food vendors about their ingredients. If someone says that they do not know if a particular food is used choose another vendor to buy food from. I promise you that there are enough to choose from that your child will not notice. I always suggest that parents who have children with allergies make sure that they pack enough food for their children. If you do this, then even if you cannot find a vendor to get food from then you will be able to avoid the allergen. Awareness is growing for those with allergies but so far I have noticed that food vendors (whether at a festival or in the streets) are not always prepared to serve those who have allergies and often foods are cross contaminated in these small spaces. Check out the layout of the festival before doing anything else. One cool thing about Summer Camp is that the layout pretty much stays the same each year. I find that if you know where everything is one year that a quick lap to the important places will tell you that they are generally in the same area or close to it. One area that I would be sure to locate and familiarize yourself with is the medic area. If your child were to be injured or hurt, then you want to know where to take them to get the help that they need. Another thing that you can do is make sure to introduce yourself and your children to your neighbors as you are setting up camp. We have been so lucky over the years as we have always been around great fellow Summer Campers. I would recommend being respectful as a parent though. We try to keep our kids quiet in the morning….this means that we get up early with them and that we take them away from our campsite where they can be quiet. Remember to have a fun family experience, you might not get to do everything you want to and you might have to do things that you don’t want to….in the grand scheme of things it will be so worth it. Finally, I do find that by making a basic schedule with my kids that we are able to prepare them for the day. We schedule out time for Kids Camp and other activities. We also schedule out relaxing and rest time at our camp site. We talk to the kids about what type of music they want to see. Since we always have music playing in the house, each of the kids usually has someone that they want to see play….this year they are hoping to see Keller Williams, Still Shine, The Roots (yes, they were on Yo Gabba Gabba and the kids are pretty pumped to see them!!!), Yonder Mountain String Band (my girls think that Ally is the coolest!), and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.  

Be Respectful of Other Summer Campers

One thing that parents can do when they take kids to Summer Camp is always keep in mind that Summer Camp is not a kids’ event. While you can have a great time as a family, many Summer Campers choose to leave their own children behind to have a nice adult weekend. Be appropriate with your children. Make sure that they are your main priority and that you are not just there to party and hang out with friends. I have seen this happen a few times where parents were making other things priorities. No judgement here….have a great time, but leave the kids at home if you are not going to spend your entire time making sure of their well-being. Keep in mind that people do not want to hear crying children while they are listening to their favorite band. If your child is crying, take them somewhere else and leave where you are at. No one is going to have fun if your child is not having fun. This might mean that you have to miss your favorite band, but again it is something that is going to be worth it for you to have an amazing family experience. Another thing that you should be sure to consider is that your child should go to bed at a decent hour. Many of the crazy times at Summer Camp are late at night and while things are a little wilder, people are drinking and partying, and it is dark….it is just not a good combination for a child to be around it all. Be willing to take your little one back to the tent at a decent time and to put them to bed. Not only will other Summer Campers thank you since they don’t have to worry about stepping on or tripping over your child, but your child is going to be so much happier the next day and ready to face their next adventure.  

Want to Give Back with Your Children?

There are some pretty cool ways that you can give back with your children when you are at Summer Camp.

Donate Old Art and Craft Supplies

One great thing that you can do is to clean out your old art and craft supplies.  When you do this, you will be able to donate back to the fun and exciting things that your children are going to be taking part in at Kids Camp.  Kids Camp is run by volunteers and on a limited budget so giving back by donating your old art and craft supplies can really help create a very fun experience for all of the children at Summer Camp 2016.  I know that my own children and I are going through things and putting them into a tote to donate.  Totes are also a great thing to donate supplies in so that they can stay organized and really help the Kids Camp area to stay neat and picked up.

Give Your Kids a Lesson on Picking Up Trash and Recycling

While I will admit that picking up trash is not something that I would always encourage at Summer Camp, there are ways that you can pick up trash and teach your child about recycling.  Picking up your own campsite and showing your children which bins should contain their different used items is a great way to start.  From time to time if you see garbage lying on the ground, you can lead by example and put that in the correct bins.  This is something that will rub off on your children and will teach them that it is never okay to just throw their trash on the ground.  ]]>