Camping with Toddlers

Camping trips have started to change as our daughter gets older and enters the toddler phase. We don’t need to pack as much gear as we did when camping with her as a baby. For details on how you can make your camping trip successful without getting a babysitter, see Camping With Babies. 

Sleeping:

Our daughter at two years old is still in the pack ’n’ play. We have had to pull her out toward the middle of the camper floor because now she can reach the handle to the oven. During nap time we put the pack ’n’ play on top of the bed. We have also successfully moved her (in the pack ’n’ play) from the bedroom to the living room in the middle of the night.  Baby Delight sent us their bungalow cot to try out and we have loved it. She sleeps on a cot at daycare for nap time so we think this will be a great option when she grows out of the pack ’n’ play. On our most recent beach trip she napped in it every day. Baby Delight has given us a 15% off (entire purchase) discount code to share with our followers! imaginecamper15

When she is sleeping we use the Hatch sound machine. I was wondering if it was needed because our air conditioning is so loud, but she uses it at home so it is a must-have for our family.

I was packing her baby monitor every trip, but the camera in it is expensive and I did not want to damage it. We purchased a separate baby monitor for the camper—one less item to pack from her nursery. Our friends recommended the AXVUE baby monitor . This monitor was purchased from Amazon and comes with two cameras. It is less expensive than our monitor at home and seems more durable.

Potty Training:

At home we use the potty training step stool ladder, but it’s a bit too big for the camper. At the beginning of the potty training phase we used the Summer Infant portable training toilet that doubles as a step stool. This one is great to keep in the car as another option, but it does require a lot more cleaning.

A friend recommended the Travel Folding Potty Seat for when we are using public facilities, but it is perfect for the camper too! This provides a smaller toilet seat for our toddler as the camper toilet is a bit too big for her. Now the only thing we have to teach her is to make sure she doesn’t hold down the flush too long. 

Recreation: 

I had never heard of the Baby Delight Go with Me camping chair until we received it as a gift at one of our baby showers. What a wonderful present! The chair grows with the child, from three months old to a 75-pound kid. It has quite a few features for babies, but it works just as well for toddlers.  The chair is as easy to fold up and store in its bag as any fold up camping chair. This one also comes with a snack tray and a sun shade that we do use. Our daughter especially likes to have ownership over her chair and uses the cup holder every time. Baby Delight gave us a code to share with our followers! 15% off total purchase with code imaginecamper15

What is a requirement to pack for our toddler? The bike. Our daughter was given the Jollito Balance Bike for her 1st birthday and she loves it. This bike is the first step toward a balance bike. For her second birthday we upgraded to the next level balance bike, but she has yet to move on from the Jollito. Hopefully by next season she will be cruising on her Strider Balance Bike.

Clothing:

Pack more clothes than you need for the days as babies have blow outs, spit up, and get dirty in general. If you’re looking for camping specific clothing we LOVE the brand Keep The Littles Wild. They have clothing for ages 6 months to 7 years old and many of the items are the soft bamboo material. They even gave us a discount code to share with our followers! Use code Imaginecamper15 for 15% off your order.

Toys:

Toys aren’t a necessity for the campground. You can spend hundreds on toys and your toddler will still be happiest playing with rocks. In the under storage we keep a small bouncy ball, a bag of chalk, and a couple small trucks that she can play in the dirt with. In the camper we switched the ottoman storage from dog toys (they weren’t playing with them anyway) to toys for our daughter. The ottoman now holds camping books, small animal figurines, the Little People Camper, and a coloring book. 

Helpful Tips:

1. Be prepared with more clothes than you think you will need. Toddlers are known for walking right into the lake when you’re just trying to skip rocks, falling in the mud, or having accidents. 

2. Lots of snacks.

3. Remember that even in the tough moments, you are making lots of memories.