Time Out. Way Out.

Cynics or city slickers might say that camping is nature’s way of promoting the hotel industry. But since we’re SavvyMoms, we know better. In this age of multi-screening and overprogramming children, we have an even greater need to introduce our kids to things that grow in the ground or appear in the night sky and to breath air that is fresh and clean.
 
We like to think that getting close to nature should be part of every kid’s childhood—even if it’s just for one long weekend every summer.

Never camped? It’s definitely doable. And fun.

Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way:

• Keep your menu simple. Don’t bother roasting the peppers or wrapping prosciutto around skewers of fresh scallops. Focus on anything that is easy to prepare: hot dogs (or veggie dogs), hamburgers, pasta salad, and chopped veggies. We use the exact same menu and shopping list and print it out every year. We keep our camping supplies in a couple of bins in the basement so it’s practically grab-and-run.
• Invest in a good inflatable air mattress. Your back will thank you.
• A French press makes excellent coffee.
• Shopping for a tent? Don’t go by the manufacturer’s claims for the number of people it is supposed to hold. If it says it’ll sleep four, it will sleep four skinny minnies without their gear. Supersize the sleeping quarters. The newest tents have vestibules and a separate space for the family dog (you’ll appreciate the extra space for storing shoes and duffel bags).
• It’s a law of nature: little kids will squirm out of their sleeping bags. Getting them back in while they’re sleeping is like putting pantyhose on a snake. At bedtime, unzip the sleeping bag and lay your child on top of it. Cover up with a second unzipped sleeping bag or bring a fave blanket from home. 

• You may not realize it yet, but the tarp will become your new best friend. Bring more than one. Pitch your tent on top of one, bring another to cover your wood pile, another can be set up over the tent to provide extra protection from the rain. But if it’s not set up right it will act as a giant rain catcher—consider yourself warned!
• Pack some food items that don’t need heat to be prepared. We learned this lesson as we ate potato chips for breakfast during the worst rainstorm of the century.
• Dollar store glow sticks and wind-up flashlights make great night lights.

Have a baby or toddler in tow? It will be challenging, but it’s worth it. First, be zen with dirt. Accept the fact that your family is going to be grubby. Your new mantra…everything can be washed. Besides, many campsites have laundry facilities.

Bring a new tarp or two (remember it’s your new BF) and cover the dirtiest parts of your campsite to provide a clean and safe place to crawl around or invest in some portable, free-standing gates to create an enclosed play area to protect your junior campers from wandering away.

Now, where to go? Savvy readers have recommended Fitzroy Provincial Park, KOA campground in Cardinal, Frontenac, and Silver Lake. We’ve had great successes at Charleston Lake Provincial Park. It’s a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Ottawa and features a kid-friendly visitor’s center, a playground, easy trails to hike, canoes to rent, and a lovely beach on a quiet lake.

Use the Ontario Parks Online Reservation System to book your spot. Heed the site descriptions. You’ll want to make note of the site’s quality, privacy (both are rated) as well as the ground cover. If you have a crawling baby or toddler you might want to choose a grassier spot to pitch your tent.

When was the last time you roasted a wiener on a stick in a hotel room and fell asleep under the stars? The Big Dipper wins in our books.

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