3 Kids and Us

10 Camping Essentials To Remember On Your Next Trip

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Taking your family camping is a great opportunity to spend quality time with them and reconnect. Here are 10 camping essentials to remember on your next trip.

An increasing number of families are choosing to spend quality time together on camping vacations.

It’s easy to see why going on a camping trip as a family is so popular. You get to reconnect and bond together while spending time in the great outdoors.

But for all the fun and excitement of going camping as a family, there are also so many different things to bring camping.

Even if you pack your car full of camping gear, it’s easy to forget some camping essentials back at home.

To make sure you have everything you need on your camping trip, we’ve created this list of the top 10 essential camping gear for you to use on your next trip. Keep reading to find out more!

1. First Aid Kit

On any camping trip, there are always bumps and scratches along the way. They’re nothing to worry about if you’re prepared with a first aid kit.

You can either purchase a first aid kit or create your own wilderness version, with the essential items.

If you go on any day-trips and venture away from the campsite, make sure you take your first aid kit along with you.

2. A Box of Matches

Unless you know how to start a fire out of nothing, you’ll definitely need to take a box of matches with you.

After all, a fire is a great way to keep warm during the evenings. It can get quite cold out there in the wild. Sitting around the campfire singing folk songs and telling scary ghost stories is a tradition.

With a fire, you can cook lots of different things. No camping trip is complete without marshmallows on the open fire.

It’s simply not worth the risk of camping with a box of matches handy. They’re also cheap and small. So you can easily keep plenty of matches in your camping bags for years.

3. A Long Piece of Rope

Ropes also deserve a place on our list of camping necessities. There are so many useful purposes for a camping rope, you can’t afford to go without bringing one.

You could use it either to hang wet clothes or create a shelter from the rain. But it’s also a useful item to have if you find yourself in an emergency. For instance, if someone finds themselves in the tight situation.

But of course, you need to be able to take advantage of the many uses of ropes, by being able to tie different kinds of knots yourself.

4. Peanut Butter

Unless you have a nut allergy, you should totally make sure you bring a jar of peanut butter along with you to every camping trip.

There are so many excellent benefits of peanut butter.

It lasts for ages without going bad. It’s also a great source of protein and fat.

Whether you’re eating it straight out the jar with a spoon, or spreading it on bread, it’s a great energy boost on your camping vacation.

5. Travel Spices

Part of the joy of camping is having yummy food while living outdoors. But just because you’re living in a tent, it doesn’t mean you have to eat unseasoned meals.

By bringing a box of travel spices along with you, you no longer have to eat food without any flavor.

There are plenty of portable travel spice racks that you can take with you on your camping trip. They are easy to store away in the bottom of your backpack.

Next time you want herbs and spices on your barbeque, you’ll be prepared.

6. A Flashlight

Have you ever arrived at your campsite after dark? All your problems are solved if you have a flashlight!

Yes, I know you have your cell phone. But you really can’t beat a proper flashlight when you go camping.

After all, you never know when your cell phone is going to run out charge at the worst moment when you’re trying to get back to your tent.

The best flashlights are headlamps. This frees up your hands for doing other things during the night.

7. A Map

Of course, we have Google Maps on our cell phones now. But your cell phone GPS really isn’t as reliable as a map.

This is especially true if you’re camping in the middle of nowhere. It might be news to you, but Google hasn’t quite conquered every path in the world yet. Besides, just getting signal in remote areas is sometimes impossible.

8. Compass

That’s why you not only need to make sure you have a map, but you should also have to make sure you have a compass.

This way you’re not solely dependent on your cell phone GPS telling you the difference between your North from your South.

9. All-Weather Wear

What do you do before you set off on your camping trip? You check the weather forecast of course.

But anyone who casually follows the weather forecasts will know that they occasionally get it wrong.

Then you could be up the creek without a paddle. But also wet.

The best way to prepare for a camping trip is to ensure you’re prepared for all weather scenarios.

Make sure you pack a waterproof coat, a sun hat and a spare set of clothes if things take a turn for the worse. Find all the camping gear you need, click here for more.

10. Swiss Army Knife

Swiss Army Knives are certainly the most popular choice of pocket knife. But any pocket knife will do the job.

Whether it’s opening a bottle or carving something into a stick. It’s always useful to have a pocket knife with you on your camping vacation.

Ensure You Have The Camping Essentials

Camping is a wonderful way to spend a family vacation, or a romantic break away as a couple.

But it’s also important to make sure you have your camping essentials to ensure everything goes smoothly.

If you found this blog post interesting and useful, check out our other blog posts of travel.

Exploring the Surroundings: Are Your Young Wanderers Safe on Their Adventures?

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Scooters are an excellent way to let your kids explore the surrounding. But as a parent, safety is always a consideration. You don’t want to let your boy or girl go out without ensuring that their adventure scooters are safe and all precautions been put in place.

  1.    What size are they riding?

Scooters vary largely in size and weight. Not all scooters are meant for kids. Be sure to confirm the weight & height restrictions of the one you’re buying for your prince or princess. Having one of the best scooters for kids is the first tip for safe scooting.

Manufacturers provide safety suggestions for different child ages assuming that most kids within then the same bracket can comfortably handle the same height and weight. But this is not the perfect way to get what fits your son right. In fact, it’s advisable to take your kid with you if you’re buying from a physical store.

  1.    Never let them go out without a helmet!

This is an overstressed safety tip for almost all riders. If you don’t go out on your bike without a helmet why then would you let your kid go scooting without one?

Head injuries are a big deal; it is no wonder most states have it as a requirement for scooting.  Let them choose their favorite color or style; it might be the motivation to have it on every time they go wandering.

  1.    Can they stop their Scooter?

Bunny hop and kick-out are tricks that they can learn later. Being able to stop the dime as fast as possible is a must-have skill. The ability to make quick turns is an added advantage.

You don’t want to let them wander in high traffic areas before they have these basic scooting skills. It can be quite risky. Don’t let them go to congested areas until you confirm they can comfortably control their scooters.

Keep them scooting around until you’re sure they can take care of themselves.

  1.    Are their Knees, Elbows, and Hands Protected?

These three parts of the body are obvious parts of the body to hit the ground in case of a normal scooter accident. Make sure to check if they have the pads for knees, elbows, knees, and hands before they go roaming the estate.

  1.    Shoes Matter!

When it comes to choosing shoes for scooting, fashion shouldn’t be much of a consideration. Instead, you should worry about the safety of your child’s feet. What would happen if the scooter wheels strayed? Can the shoes they have on protect them from anything that could cut, poke, or scratch their toes?

So, when picking shoes for a scooting adventure then go for close-toed shoes with thick soles and some ankle support.  And if the pair looks awesome, then that’s a plus!

Lastly, a rule of thumb for kids’ scooting is to let them wander out in numbers. Apart from making the experience unique and fascinating, it serves is a safety measure as they always watch out for each other. And the company doesn’t have to be siblings; you can let your daughter join her pals or neighbors.

15 Fun Summer Activities for The Whole Family

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Beautiful sunny days and warm weather are on their way, so be prepared for them with this list of fun summer activities for the whole family!

The summer season is coming. Finally, we will be able to enjoy the sunshine, the beautiful long days, and breathe the fresh air we’ve all been longing for.

But wait! Now that summertime is right around the corner, how do you and your family plan to make the most out of it?

If you are like most people, you probably think that you have to spend huge amounts of money on vacations or do extravagant things for you to enjoy the summer season.

But that’s not true. There are many low-cost, fun, and memorable outdoor activities that you and your family can do together to make the most out of this season.

Here is a list of 15 summer activities that you and your family can enjoy.

1. Do Magic Tricks

Become a magician this summer. Learn a few magic tricks and put on a show for your whole family.

Will they love it?

Well, everyone loves the feel of wonder. If you have some good magic tricks up your sleeve, you can be assured that they will be wowed by your performance.

Don’t know any magic tricks? Well, worry not. All you need is to spend few hours on the internet and you will learn some amazing magic tricks.

You can also teach one of your kids some magic tricks he or she can perform in front of the family. This will not only help make summer enjoyable and memorable but also help improve your kids’ self-esteem and confidence.

2. Eating Out

Eating out is one of the popular summer fun ideas. Find a nice restaurant you’ve never been to and take your family there this summer.

Once you visit the restaurant, don’t eat the foods that you are used to; try new foods such as Thai or Portuguese foods. Being adventurous will automatically bring fun to your holiday.

Eating out will also help create a distraction-free environment so you can enjoy the company of each other.

You’ll also have time to laugh and bond with each other. This will help make your family’s summer fun and memorable.

But that’s not all. According to a recent research, having regular family meals will also improve your family’s health and will lead to greater happiness.

The research shows that children who eat with their parents regularly have better mental health and are happier than those that don’t.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering should certainly be included in your list of summer activities.

There are many ways your kids can volunteer and help transform their community. For instance, you can take them to a local retirement home, where they can play games, sing songs, and talk with “grand-friends”.

There are also gardening clubs that your family can join to help spruce up public spaces.

Another option is to visit the sick, cook for them, or help them out with various tasks.

Volunteering is fun and very satisfying; it will help make the most out of this summer.

Volunteering will also help teach your family about empathy, gratitude, compassion, and community responsibility.

4. Watch a Sunrise

There is something so incredible about watching the sunrise. It’ll help brighten your family’s summer and make it more fun.

Watching sunrise will also give your youngsters an opportunity to see how beautiful and magnificent our world is. It will help them realize the complexities and simplicity of life.

If you and your family watch and take pictures of sunrise regularly, you’ll be happier and will have an awesome time together.

5. Treasure Hunt

Treasure hunting will wow your family with an awesome adventure that they’ll never forget. It’ll give your kids something fun to do and make their summer enjoyable.

Treasure hunting will also help you get more involved with your family, allowing you to learn more about their interests.

How do you plan a treasure hunt? Well, here is how.

On your own, hide some treasure in your house or garden. Ensure it’s a place where your kids will find easily if they follow the clues you give them. After that, draw a map with directions and clues.

The map should be easy to read for your kids to understand. You can give the map an ancient look by pouring coffee on it. You can also rip around its edges to make it look old.

Once you are done, hide the treasure map somewhere in your house or your kids’ room and make sure you hide it in a place where they’ll find it when playing.

6. Tour Your Hometown

Think you know your hometown?

Well, think again. If you do an in-depth research, you will note that there are many places in your hometown that you’ve never been to.

Make a list of all these places and visit them together with your family if they are safe. You can also take a road trip together.

It’ll be an awesome and fun adventure.

You’ll create a source of wonderful memories and make this summer unforgettable.

7. Watch Fireworks

Watching fireworks is a satisfying experience for the soul. It’s fascinating.

If you want to make the most out of this season, take your family to a fireworks show this summer. They will certainly love it.

You kids will be excited to see the sky light up.

There are also other fun things in fireworks show that will help you kill boredom and make your summer season memorable.

8. Sporting Events: The Most Popular Summer Activity

Take your family to a sporting event this summer. These events offer a high level of thrill, drama, and suspense every single minute. Your family will have a good time your ties will also be strengthened.

Don’t have money to take your family for a major sporting event?

Well, don’t worry. There are local teams in your area that play during the summer season. Conduct a research and find out which games are being played in your hometown.

Take your family for these sporting events. Yes, they offer the same excitement as other sporting events.

You can also engage in fun summer sports like swimming with your family members. All you need is to visit Ninja Shark and obtain quality full face snorkel masks for them.

9. Go Camping

Camping is a fascinating summertime activity, and you should not forget it when coming up with your list of summertime activities.

Take your family for camping this summer. It will help create a distraction-free family time since you are away from everyday life.

Camping with your loved ones will help you bond and understand each other better. You’ll also be able to create lifetime memories together.

If you have a toddler, however, camping is not for you. It’s a fun summer activity for adults and older children. Put your baby’s health first!

10. Check out the stars

Gazing into the skies and seeing the stars can also be a great way of making your family’s summer fun and memorable.

Start by buying a star chart. Then select a location in your yard where you can see the heavens clearly.

If you live in a city, you’ll have to find a place outside or inside the city that offers a darker sky. This will give you a better view.

Regardless of where you live, the location you choose should be safe for your family.

If you include stargazing when coming up with a list of things to do in the summer, you can be assured of a fabulous experience.

Your family will love the whole experience.

11. Visit a Fire Station

Children, especially those who have toy trucks, love fire trucks and fire stations. You can, therefore, decide to take your family to a fire station this summer.

They’ll be very excited to see the modern fire trucks. They’ll also love meeting real firefighters and hearing firefighting stories.

It will be an exciting and memorable field trip. That’s not all; your kids will also learn safety measures and the dangers of playing with fire, which might save their life.

12. Outdoor Concerts

If you want to make summer exciting for your family, go to an outdoor concert.

To enter most outdoor concerts, you’ll be required to pay a small fee. However, there are places that offer free outdoor concerts. If you have a tight budget, you can conduct a search and find out the places in your hometown that offer free outdoor concerts.

Whether you’ll be charged or not, going for an outdoor concert can help add fun into your lives this holiday.

You and your kids will have a blast!

13. Cooking

Cooking together is fun, and your kids will love it. You should, therefore, decide to include cooking on your list of fun summertime activities.

Where do you start?

Start with simple recipes. Kids especially love to cook pizza and biscuits because they can squish the dough with their tiny fingers.

Cooking together with your kids will help them learn how to prepare common meals. Also, it’ll help cultivate a good relationship with them.

14. Learn a New Skill

If you are planning to learn a new skill this summer, make your kids part of it. They will have a good time learning a new skill with you.

The summertime activity will also give you an opportunity to learn more about your kids and their interests. The relationship between you and your kids will become stronger.

When your kids see you struggling to master a new skill, this teaches them not to give up.

15. Art and Craft

If your family loves art and craft, try to incorporate it into your summertime activities schedule.

Talk about the things they make; this can be an opportunity to make learning fun. This will also give you a chance to interact with your kids, discover their talents and interests, and become a better parent.

Take pictures of the things they make; this will show them that you are supportive and that you care. It will also encourage them to have fun.

Takeaways

You don’t need huge amounts of money to make your family’s summer fun and memorable. All you need is a little imagination and creativity.

With this, you will be able to come up with low-cost, memorable summer activities that will enable your family to have a blast this summer.

Remember to check out our informative website for family travel and lifestyle related posts.

RV Friendly Craft Ideas to Keep Your Kids Busy

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Do your kids get restless while traveling in the RV? This list of RV friendly craft ideas will help keep them busy and out of your hair.

Traveling with younger children is always a bit of a challenge.

However, when you’re traveling in an RV?

That challenges increase tenfold.

You want to be able to find ways to keep your children busy and entertained (and to prevent them from asking “Are we there yet?” one more time.) However, you also don’t want to have to spend half of your vacation time picking up after their crafting decisions.

Before you cancel your trip, read this post.

We’re sharing our best RV friendly crafting ideas with you and your family.

Origami

When you’re in the market for RV friendly crafting ideas, your main priority is looking for options that will keep your kids entertained and won’t have you cleaning up for hours afterward.

One of the best solutions?

Origami, which requires nothing more than paper, a YouTube tutorial or other how-to instructions, and a whole lot of patience.

Your child can learn the art of paper folding without getting glitter and glue all over the interior of your RV. Plus, they can also create affordable and handmade zoo animals, hearts, and much more.

This means that they’ll have toys to play with throughout your journey, and you’ll save tons of money in the process.

One of our favorite creatures to fold is the traditional bird. Get inspiration and instructions from this list of the top origami bird creations to inspire your child at any level of folding experience.

Stringing Beads

Another RV friendly craft that won’t break the bank or cause you to spend half of your vacation scraping craft glue off of your furniture?

Beading bracelets and necklaces.

All you need is string, a few awesome beads, and maybe a kid-friendly plastic needle to help with the threading.

Encourage your child to express themselves by stringing together lots of different colors and shades. You could even “commission” them to make you something special to wear around the campfire.

Now, we know what you’re thinking: how can I prevent these beads from ending up all over the floor?

The solution?

Tupperware and beading trays.

You can store beads and other supplies in Tupperware, or even old baby food jars if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly option.

Then, you can use a beading tray or board to help your child to string out and design their jewelry. Many of these trays also come with a cover, so you can click it shut and avoid disaster if you’re going over any bumps in the road.

Do your research online before your trip starts to gather inspiration, and even bake some clay beads so your child’s necklace will be all their own!

Making Paper Chains

Continuing on our theme of paper crafts that are RV friendly (like the origami example above) let’s talk about another favorite: paper chains.

Especially if you’re on the road frequently, it can sometimes be tough for your kids to feel like their space is their own. They don’t have a “room” to decorate with stickers or line with posters.

So, give them the next best thing — the ability to decorate a tiny section of your RV with paper chains!

To avoid a mess, we suggest cutting the strips of colorful cardboard paper ahead of time. You can also look for tape dispensers that give out smaller strips of tape to loop the chains together, mess-free.

If your child is old enough, of course, they can also use a stapler.

In addition to standard paper chains, we also love the idea of making this paper chain caterpillar. Invest in some googly eyes for a truly fun look!

Rely on Coloring Books

When all else fails, the truth is that few RV friendly crafts work as well as the classic coloring book.

They entertained you as a child for hours on end, and we’re confident that they’ll be able to do the same for your kids.

Make sure to get a variety of coloring books, so that kids don’t get bored. Get themes related to their favorite cartoon characters, books, or even toys. To keep them guessing, pick up lots of different drawing materials.

We love the fun look of glitter pens, stamp markers, and colored pencils.

To make sure your children know that you appreciate their artwork, hang up a few of your favorites around your RV’s interior.

If your child is a little bit too old for coloring books, but still enjoys painting and drawing?

Maybe it’s time for them to graduate to paint by numbers! They can choose to copy famous paintings, landscapes, or even their favorite mythical creatures! To avoid a mess, use basic watercolor paint on the canvases.

These are especially awesome activities to do outside in the sunlight when you’re camped out for the afternoon. Then, let them dry on the picnic table.

Want More RV Friendly Lifestyle Ideas?

We hope that this post has helped you to realize that it is possible to find affordable and fun RV friendly crafting ideas for children (and yes, even adults) of all ages.

From creating paper chain creatures to encouraging your child’s inner artist with coloring books and paint by numbers, the possibilities are limitless.

Of course, we know that you also need lots of other advice on how to cook, clean, and generally get the most out of the camping lifestyle.

We’ve got you covered.

Spend some time on our website and blog to get access to how to conquer and thrive in the nomadic lifestyle!

Working out a Budget for your Vacation

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Planning a trip away with the family is a very exciting process, and looking forward to the vacation keeps everyone happy and optimistic. What’s not so great is when you return from vacation and have a look at your bank statement, only to see you’ve spent far more money than you thought you would while you were away. It takes the shine off the post-vacation glow and gives you something new to worry about just as you’ve relaxed and de-stressed. To avoid falling into the overspending trap, get your calculator out and create a realistic budget for your trip.

Booking costs

You might want to take a view of how much the entire vacation is costing rather than just deciding what you can afford to spend when you’re out there, in which case you need to have the figures for all the pre-booked costs. The price paid at the time of booking your travel tickets and accommodation won’t change so your figures will be accurate for these costs. Don’t forget taxes and gratuities that may be added to the booking fee, and add in any extras you’ve paid for like excursions or guided tours. There’s also travel insurance, overseas health insurance, car rental, kennelling or house-sitting costs for pets, and the purchase of any equipment or clothing you’re going to need for the trip. If you want to see how much the vacation has cost in total, don’t leave any of these expenses out.

Spending money

To work out how much to allow for expenses while you’re away, first calculate how much you can afford to spend. This means the spare cash you have after all your bills and normal running costs have been taken out, but don’t take it to the wire. If you have $1,000, leave a couple hundred in the bank for emergencies and work out your budget on the $800. Food and drink will be your main cost, and eating out can be an expensive way of feeding yourself on vacation.

Rather than booking a hotel only, compare what it would cost to go all-inclusive and see how much you could save this way. Many travel websites will give you information to help you make comparisons, like Viajacompara hoteles todo incluido en Acapulco, which compares all-inclusive hotel deals in Acapulco.

When you’re calculating food costs, don’t guess – have a look at the kind of prices you’ll be paying at your destination, and find out how you can save money by shopping around. You then need to look at what else you might spend money on, such as tickets for entertainments and trips, drinks, snacks, emergency supplies, sports lessons, souvenirs, gifts for the folks back home, tips, public transport and taxis, and any of the other things you normally spend your money on when you’re away.

You’ll now have a good estimate of how much you’ll be spending, which you can compare to how much you’ve got to spend. If you’re under budget, all’s well. If you’re over budget, you need to look at ways to trim some of the estimated costs. Once you’ve done that, simply divide your total by the number of days you’re away, and you should then have your daily spending budget. Hopefully, barring disasters, you’ll be returning home happy, relaxed, and still solvent!

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!