Taking caravan trips with little ones can seem like a daunting idea, but with these tips and tricks you can make your camping experience fun for everyone!

The idea of going on a fantastic family caravan is both exciting and terrifying.

What would be a spur-of-the-moment trip in your twenties is now loaded with precautionary measures, back up food, emergency protocol, calculated budgets, and little kiddies to think of.

It doesn’t have to be that scary. If you can pull it off(and you definitely can), a family caravan is something that you will thoroughly enjoy. All you need is a plan.

Organizing and executing a family trip can be stressful, but the rewards are obvious. Think of a world without screens between faces. Pretty tough to do nowadays, huh?

The benefit of successful caravan trips is an authentic connection with your family. No distractions, just quality time and great memories.

How to Plan for Great Caravan Trips

If you’re considering different ideas for caravan trips, these tips are sure to improve your family’s adventure.

Do Your Research, Have a Plan

If you are worrying about all the little things, you aren’t going to be enjoying your family’s company. In an ideal world, you’ll have a concrete plan for how the trip will go.

First, you’ll need to figure out how you are going to get around! Maybe you have a camper or a lovely mini-van. Maybe you’ll be renting an RV.

Consider how far you’ll be traveling, for how long, and where your destination is. The answers to those questions should dictate a lot of the logistics of the trip.

Where is your destination? The fun lies in the journey, but it always helps if you have something beautiful like the Grand Canyon to look forward to. Maybe you want to drive to Key West for a weekend and drive back.

Who knows? That’s up to you and your family, but it’s the bedrock of the rest of the trip.

Depending on your family and your intentions, you should way the pros and cons of staying in a hotel, camping, or renting an RV. Each family is different, so choose carefully and accordingly.

Camping is going to open up your options. Campgrounds offer a whole host of different activities for the family. They are also cheaper and you aren’t as tied to hotel reservations or check-out times.

Camping is also a fantastic option for families looking to simply get away. If you want to wake up, go on hikes then fall asleep after some s’mores, camping is your best bet.

A lot of the stress and trouble that goes into planning caravan trips comes from the fact that you have to tote three kids around a bustling city every time you make a stop to grab some food or see an attraction.

Not to mention, the cost of eating out three times a day (and driving 6 hours just to pay $75 for a museum on the world’s largest baseball) begins to get out of hand.

Camping kind of solves all of those problems.

Unless you have thousands of dollars to blow, you’re going to want to consider the food you bring on the trip. Caravan trips don’t have to be bogged down by the dreadful peanut butter sandwich. It’s ok, you’re allowed to branch out.

You’ll want to plan your meals in advance and budget a few trips to restaurants. Plan to prepare snacks in advance, while meals should be heated up or cooked at the campsite or on the road.

It might seem difficult to make a nutritious meal on the road for the entire family, but it is not as hard as it seems. Search the web for a couple of tasty options and go from there.

The next thing to consider is packing. Do your best to plan in advance so the little things don’t slip through the cracks. The more time you leave to consider what you’ll need, the less likely you are to forget the important stuff.

Maybe one of your children has an illness or allergy. Maybe your husband’s mother has always mentioned that “his stomach doesn’t agree with those s’mores!” She might be right!

Have all the precautionary medicine you’ll need in case of disaster. Buying a medical kit or creating a customized medical kit is a necessity.

Think up a Few Fun Activities

Remember when I mentioned the world without screens? That world is also one where kids aren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Phones and computers have tied up so much of our children’s time that they sometimes don’t know what to do without their beloved iPads.

This will require you to access your inner kid and remember the things that you did to pass the time when you were young.

You may want to kick back and relax by the lake, but imagine how exciting this trip is going to be for your kids! There is definite value and letting them explore and imagine on their own, but having a few family-friendly games in your back pocket certainly doesn’t hurt.

Things like scavenger hunts, role-playing games, and cards are tried and true methods.

Consider bringing a few supplies that can have multiple uses. I’m talking hoola-hoops, baseball bats, and big buckets.

I’ll never understand why a plastic bucket is such a fantastic toy, but some things don’t need explaining. You can use these multi-use tools to create an obstacle course or invent your own sport, then put all of the materials in that handy bucket.

Do Your Best to Involve Everyone

Adults need to have the final say in how the trip goes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advice from your kids.

Planning in advance and making sure everyone is on board and exciting is crucial for a trip that the whole family will enjoy.

The options are really endless for caravan trips. Your family is bound to have unique interests, so don’t be afraid to personalize your trip as much as you want!

The world of caravan destinations is endless, so check it out! Looking through the internet can be an extremely valuable resource for ideas.