You see other people’s gorgeous camping photos and feel a little envious, but when you try it yourself the preparation alone seems endless,
and one rain shower leaves you covered in mud. Here are gogoout’s five reasons why family camping is worth it,
And here’s a little secret: every worry you have can be tossed out the window! All you need to do is enjoy time with your kids and sink into the arms of nature. Tents, food and all the other gear? There are simple tricks that make everything click into place!
Five big benefits of family camping
Let gogoout walk you through the pros and cons of camping. No matter how hard we thought about it, we couldn’t come up with any “cons” — but the “pros” came to us effortlessly!
Benefit 1: Enjoy life and experience the outdoors
The world out there is so big — why trap yourself in a concrete jungle? Out on the grass you and your kids can build your own picture of the good life together. Sure, you’ll run into more problems outdoors than you would at home, but isn’t that part of the experience too?
Benefit 2: No need to race from one sight to the next
Another great thing about camping is that once you’ve driven to your spot, all that’s left is the freedom of camp life. You’ll spend almost the whole two days in the same place, and it still feels full even without an itinerary — you set your own schedule. Just cooking and prepping ingredients can take a few hours. The process is fussy, but feeling life in the small inconveniences of travel is exactly the point.
Benefit 3: More time together as a family
Out on that big lawn there’s nothing but insects chirping and birds singing — no other distractions. Look up and you see a sky full of stars; look down and you see warm family moments. After all the daily hustle at work, you finally get uninterrupted time to be with your kids and bring the family closer together.
Benefit 4: Sharing the chores and building a sense of responsibility
Camping always comes with plenty of odd jobs: pitching the tent means hammering stakes, cooking means washing vegetables, and bedtime means laying out sleeping pads.
None of it is hard, but it all takes hands. This is the perfect chance to have your kids pitch in, so they learn early that family responsibilities are shared rather than something you leave to Mom and Dad while you take it easy.
Benefit 5: Social manners and getting along with others
On a camping trip you’ll sometimes go with friends and relatives, and there will be other kids at the same campground. Letting children be part of a group from a young age gives them plenty of stimulation from the outside world, and they can practice social manners with their parents right beside them.
Tips for family camping
Camping really isn’t hard, and gogoout has a few tips to make your trip even easier!
Gear for family camping
How much gear you bring depends on the campground’s location and how challenging it is. The key point: if you’re heading out with kids, remember to pack activity props and toys! You can ask the children to pack their own before you leave, which gives them the feeling of completing a mission, or have them design a game for the trip — just don’t forget the gear it calls for!
Who you camp with
“The worst thing about raising kids is a useless teammate; for your first camp, pick good camping buddies.” The most important thing about family camping is that both adults and kids come away with good memories. If you’re booking out a whole site for a big group, let everyone contribute what they’re good at and assign the ingredients each tent brings — when everyone has a role, the trip turns out great.
For example, while the tents are going up and dinner is cooking, one of your camping buddies can take charge of arts and crafts for all the kids on site. In winter that could be snowman clay figures, Christmas wreaths, painted hand warmers or DIY slime. Meanwhile the adults can cook, chat and pitch tents, and the kids get to know each other faster — it’s another great way to create family interaction!
You can even tie it to a holiday and throw a themed camping party: a Halloween party, a night-market party, an open-air movie night and so on. If it’s a small group with just a few tents, you can share meals; a lot of the gear and ingredients can be used together, and once you’ve divided things up you’ll have extra space and time. Bring along a bug net
and take the kids on a little nature-exploring adventure.
Choosing a location for family camping
Family campgrounds with full facilities and reliable water and power usually have better children’s amenities and safety measures too. Many also offer tent setup and rental services and have plenty of staff on hand. They tend to be easier to reach as well, so a parent flying solo with several kids — or holding the fort alone that weekend — doesn’t have to worry about driving themselves or renting a car to get there. Some even have food delivery to solve the meal problem and save the day whenever disaster strikes! The catch is that campgrounds like this usually need to be booked six months in advance. And these days there are even six-star glamping sites where you basically just have to show up — as convenient as checking into a hotel.
(Text reprinted from Teacher Hei Niu)
Recommended family camping spots
There are countless campgrounds to choose from, and beginners can also start with an RV. Here are a few easy, highly rated campgrounds gogoout recommends — come camp with us!
Yunshui Hot Spring Resort Forest (Miaoli)
Besides RVs, the grounds also have bald cypress trees to admire — one sweep of your camera and you’ve got dozens of photo-worthy shots.
There’s even a hot spring known as the “beauty bath” to soak in, so filling two days and one night is no problem at all!
Phone: 03-782-5285 Hours: Weekdays 9:00-18:00; weekends and holidays 9:00-19:00 Google Maps: How to get there Parking: On-site parking lot Official website: Official site, Facebook page
Photo source: IG/@hazelsayhello
Tian-E RV Camping (Yilan)
Lie in bed, open your eyes and you’re looking at a starry sky; step out the door and the lake is shimmering in front of you. This kind of view doesn’t come along often, so if you’d like to go, remember to book six months ahead.
Phone: 0956-699-666 Hours: 10:00-18:00 Google Maps: How to get there Parking: Free parking for overnight guests, on the gravel lot behind Tian-E Cafe Official website: Facebook page
Photo source: IG/@joanna87122
Bunker Campground (New Taipei)
Just an hour’s drive from Taipei, this is a great place to get away from the noise, with unobstructed sunrises and sunsets and the sound of waves breaking. It’s a bit tricky for a first-ever camping trip, so we suggest going once you have some experience — but we strongly recommend adding it to your camping bucket list!
Phone: 0911-225-109 Google Maps: How to get there Parking: On-site parking lot Official website: Official site, Facebook page
Photo source: IG/ @nero1014 @berry_824
Maple Valley Campground (Taoyuan)
It’s a compact campground, but it has all the basic facilities, and the nearby Tiemu Waterfall is only 20 minutes away. Beautiful mountains, clear water and fresh air, plus a warm and welcoming owner — a great choice for family camping!
Phone: 0921-167-390 Google Maps: How to get there Parking: On-site parking lot Official website: Facebook page
Image source: IG/ @v_t_g_c_a_m_p_m_a_n
For a great family camping trip, you need to do your homework before you set off — and divide up the jobs within the family. Camping is something the whole family does together, so the work should be shared. Giving your kids a few small tasks and responsibilities not only creates wonderful family memories, it also builds their sense of achievement and social skills. Stop envying other people’s photos and start planning your own trip!
Head out camping now — renting a tent is so convenient! No need to spend a lot of money on gear you use once and then leave to gather dust.
Now you have a smarter option!
👉🏻Rent a tent or roof box now 👈🏻
This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
