Family Camping Made Easy - Tent Camping with Toddlers

This post was kindly sponsored by Coleman, but as always all opinions are 100% our own! 

Ryan and I recently took the girls (and Dexter-our Golden Retriever) for their first camping trip, and we had a blast!  I am honestly not a camper, but I love being outdoors.  When I was little, I belonged to Campfire Girls and went camping almost every summer.  It always brings back such happy memories, so I want to make sure to give the girls the same experiences that I had growing up.  Tent camping with toddlers doesn't have to be stressful, as long as you have the proper gear and plan, plan, plan ahead!  The girls love being outside, so they were really excited to head out for our camping adventure.

Tent Camping with Toddlers

Coleman sent us some amazing camping gear for our trip and we couldn't wait to put it to use.  The girls even got their own and they still ask if they can sleep in them at home.  We're so lucky to live super close to a ton of awesome campsites, it was hard to choose the one.  We ended up booking a campsite at Tollgate Campgrounds in the Mt. Hood National Forrest.  It's right off highway 26 and around an hour from Portland.

Tollgate is also super close to Rhododendron if you happen to leave something at home, you can run out and get it.  The camp site felt super secluded even though it was fully booked.  You couldn't hear anyone around you or see other campers.  It sits right next to Zigzag River and it offers a lot of easy hiking trails.

Setting Up our Tent

We brought the to sleep in and the girls were able to help Ryan set it up.  I seem to remember tents being really difficult to put together, but this one literally took them less than 10 minutes!  The top of our tent was all mesh which let in a ton of light, but then when zipped up was really dark inside.   It also helped to keep things cool inside the tent since our weather was fairly warm.  It was also comfortable enough for us, the girls, and Dexter!

I can't say enough good things about how easy everything was to put together.  I was really nervous that we would get to our site and spend hours getting set up.  It took us all of 30 minutes to unpack the car, set up our tent, and pop up the grill.  We ended up setting the tent up first by the water (there was a downhill trail from the top of our campsite down to the water), and quickly realized that probably wasn't a great idea.  Dexter jumped in the water the second we got there and we were slightly worried the girls would want to get in the water on their own.  Ryan moved the tent up to the top of the site and it worked out great!

Setting Up our Campsite

When tent camping with toddlers, you especially need to come prepared!  I felt like we had packed enough for an entire weekend, but luckily everything fit perfectly into our car.  We brought our which keeps ice cold for seven days (it really does!) and packed it full of snacks, snacks, and more snacks!  Fun fact; my mom still has her Coleman cooler from when she was my age and it is still in great shape!

we love this and have gotten so much use out of it this summer

We kept things super simple and brought hot dogs, salads, fruit, and chips/crackers to eat.  Coleman sent us their .  I am obsessed with it!  It was SO easy to set up and use, and it cooked everything just like our normal grill at home does.  I can see us using it all summer long for family cookouts at the park.

Camping Activities

We set up a campfire at our site which the girls loved helping out with.  Ryan had the girls help him roast marshmallows for our s'mores, and they were thrilled to make them on an actual campfire (vs. our grill at home!).  We really didn't bring a ton of things for the girls to play with because they have a great time exploring and making toys out of their surroundings.  We did bring bubbles to play with, but that's about it!  Our campsite was nestled right next to a river.  We had lots of fun playing in it and throwing rocks.  Dexter jumped in pretty much the second we go there.  Other than that, the girls had fun jumping and playing make believe.  There was no cell service and we really needed a break from our electronic devices!

getting comfy in her

foxgloves grow wild all over Oregon

Nighttime

For those unseasoned campers such as myself, you might forget that there is NO electricity which means no light when the sun goes down.  You'll want to make sure to bring a lantern and several flashlights so you can see at night.  Especially while tent camping with toddlers who might need to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water.  The girls' had a pocket for a small flash light and a glow in the dark bug so they could see where their sleeping bag was.  Our Coleman tent really was a dark room.  It helped block out the bright sunlight when the sun came up so you can sleep in a bit.

We can't wait to get out and camp again and are all set with our camping gear from Coleman!  I really want to make this a tradition each summer.  Since this spot is less than an hour from us, it's easy to head out for just a night.  I think one night is just about all the girls can handle right now, but we'll have to do a longer trip when they get older.  If you are looking for more ideas for things to do in the Oregon, check out our post here where we spend some time in Hood River and The Dalles!

How old were your kids when you took them camping for the first time?  What is your favorite camping activity?  Thank you so much for reading!

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