Family Camping Fun: Activities, Recipes and Ideas

Family Camping Round-up.

Grab your camping gear and get ready for a great outdoor adventure (even if it's only in the backyard). Here are activities, crafts, recipes and tips that make fabulous family camping memories!

RECIPES

How to Make Emergency S'mores + 21 Different Ways to Make S'mores

CAMPING ACTIVITIES and ART PROJECTS

Camping Scavenger Hunt
If your family is planning to visit a campground, national park or other outdoor destination, be sure to take along a copy of our FREE, printable Camping Scavenger Hunt! Print one for each child in the family, then encourage them to explore their outdoor surroundings (always with a parent or buddy). The kids will love spotting various items on the list and keeping track of how many they find.

How to Make Campfire Crowns
Don't forget to make s’mores-themed crowns (featuring real marshmallows on skewers) for every member of the family before your evening campfire festivities!

Art with Alyssa: Nature’s Paintbrushes

Multiples and More: Nature Crafts

CAMPING SCIENCE FUN

Make a Box Oven!

FAMILY CAMPING TIPS and ARTICLES

Take the Family Glamping in Buellton, CA

Get Started with RV Camping

The Woes and "Woo-Hoos!" of Tent Camping

4 Tips For A Successful First RV Camping Trip

SoCal’s Best Beach Campgrounds

Find more articles and camping tips in our "Camping Fun" Pinterest Board!

Updated: May 2021

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Visit Bryce Canyon National Park

Visit Bryce Canyon National Park

Breathtaking Bryce Canyon National Park offers one of the planet’s most surreal landscapes. Within the park’s 56 square miles, the geological forces of weather and erosion have carved intense sa . . .

Family Getaways in Southern California

Family Getaways in Southern California

Southern California resorts and hotels that families love! Looking for a family getaway where there’s relaxation for adults and fun for the kids? These SoCal resorts offer plenty of a . . .

Discover California National Parks

Discover California National Parks

These national parks in Southern and Central California are within a day’s drive of San Diego.Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service with a visit to one (or more) of these sc . . .

Family Road Trip: 6 Fun Stops Along California's Central Coast

Family Road Trip: 6 Fun Stops Along California's Central Coast

The secret is out: San Diego is amazing. In fact, it’s a top U.S. vacation destination. So while the rest of the country is descending upon San Diego this summer, consider venturing away from the . . .

Visit Dana Point: A Fun Family Getaway from San Diego

Visit Dana Point: A Fun Family Getaway from San Diego

OK, San Diego, I have another great answer to the common question, “Where can I go for a fun getaway that’s not too far away?” It’s Dana Point! Only one hour north of San Diego, you’ll arr . . .

All Aboard! Where to Ride the Rails in California

All Aboard! Where to Ride the Rails in California

Experiencing both the Skunk Train and world-famous Rail Bikes in Mendocino County inspired me to explore what other fun railways exist in California. Thanks to tips from train-fanatic friends, I found . . .

Family Camping Fun: Activities, Recipes and Ideas

Family Camping Fun: Activities, Recipes and Ideas

Grab your camping gear and get ready for a great outdoor adventure (even if it's only in the backyard). Here are activities, crafts, recipes and tips that make fabulous family camping me . . .

Six Snow Play Destinations

Six Snow Play Destinations

photo credit- Big Bear Mountain Resort Ready to play in the snow? The whole family can enjoy a snowy, active vacation with adventures like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snow tubing, ice skating, sn . . .

Winter Family Fun in Big Bear

Winter Family Fun in Big Bear

Ready to take your family on a winter getaway close to San Diego? Head to the mountains for a fun-filled winter vacation at Big Bear. Winter activities include skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and . . .

Visit Zion National Park in Utah

Visit Zion National Park in Utah

Photo by Lisa Pawlak Breathtaking, colorful Zion National Park embraces towering cliffs, glimmering waterfalls, emerald-green pools, blue skies, red sandstone river canyons and massive multihued rock . . .

Road Trip Bingo

Road Trip Bingo

Planning to take a road trip with kids or be in the car for an extended period of time? Schedule a break from screens with this fun game that encourages kids to look out the car window and discover th . . .

Ski Mammoth Mountain

Ski Mammoth Mountain

Take the kids to “shred some pow” at Mammoth Mountain, one of California’s premier winter sports recreational resorts. Families wanting a fun, wintery escape will fulfill mammoth-sized dreams . . .

Visiting the Mendocino Coast with Kids

Visiting the Mendocino Coast with Kids

When I was a kid, my parents went to the coastal town of Mendocino to take a break from—well, me. So, I always assumed there was nothing to do there with kids. Boy, was I wrong. The Mendocino Coas . . .

Family Fun in Oxnard, CA

Family Fun in Oxnard, CA

Oxnard—one of Southern California’s best kept secrets—offers miles of pristine beaches, sand dunes, flat walking and biking paths and a huge harbor to explore by kayak, paddleboard or electric . . .

Family Fun in Lake Arrowhead

Family Fun in Lake Arrowhead

Escape to Lake Arrowhead, nestled in the tree-covered mountains of San Bernardino National Forest, for a relaxing getaway immersed in nature and outdoor fun. It takes just a couple hours to drive fr . . .

Best Family Camping in San Diego

Best Family Camping in San Diego

Ready to embark on a San Diego family camping adventure? Help your kids experience the great outdoors at one of the many family campgrounds in San Diego County! First-time campers? Consider pra . . .

Take the Family Glamping in Buellton, California

Take the Family Glamping in Buellton, California

So, what is glamping? Glamping is like camping—but not. Combining the words glamorous and camping, glamping includes amenities and comforts of home (beds, electricity, indoor plumbing). None of th . . .

Weekend Getaway to Long Beach

Weekend Getaway to Long Beach

Want to get away for a fun weekend? Just a couple hours north of San Diego is the pet-friendly coastal city of Long Beach, which offers water activities, popular attractions and a lively night scene . . .

SoCal’s Best Beach Camping

SoCal’s Best Beach Camping

Southern California beaches are a popular destination year round, so why not spend a few days at a beachfront or bayfront campground? “Southern California has some of the best ocean-front campgro . . .

Fun Things to Do with Kids in the Bay Area

Fun Things to Do with Kids in the Bay Area

Planning a road trip to the San Francisco Bay Area? Here are five kid-friendly stops from Gilroy (south of San Francisco) to Fairfield (north of San Francisco). Each super fun spot will entertain, e . . .

Get to Know Lake Gregory in Crestline, CA

Get to Know Lake Gregory in Crestline, CA

I had never even heard of Lake Gregory in California’s San Bernardino Mountains until a couple months ago. But now the secret is out! Bustling with fun lake activities for families, it’s a perfe . . .

Plan a Family Adventure to Catalina Island

Plan a Family Adventure to Catalina Island

What do wild bison, an awesome zipline, a casino and walking on the ocean floor have in common? Catalina Island, of course.Looking for a fun family day or weekend trip? I’ll let you in on a little . . .

Finding Fall in San Diego County

Finding Fall in San Diego County

If you have a hankering for autumn’s chill, it's closer than you think. Take your family on one of these festive day-trips, and celebrate the season. Day Trips Balboa Park1549 El Prado, San Dieg . . .

Family Travel to Arches National Park

Family Travel to Arches National Park

Arches National Park, located in southeast Utah, offers an abundance of geological wonders waiting to be discovered by visiting families. The park’s scenic, red rock landscape is home to more than . . .

Make Traveling with Kids a Lifelong Adventure

Make Traveling with Kids a Lifelong Adventure

Travel is loaded with benefits for families. It awakens curiosity and helps kids and parents feel more at home in the world while creating strong bonds and lasting memories. As kids grow, the fun of . . .

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