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Camping with kids is a whole lot of fun. I can say that with all honesty- even through the bug bites and lack of sleep and temper tantrums and messy faces. The happiness it brings our family and the unplugged time we get to spend with each other is worth all those less-then-fun moments. There’s always a learning curve when you try anything new with kids and luckily the more you do it the better you get at it. Children begin to adapt to the camping enviroment and eventually everyone becomes more relaxed through the whole process. There is, however, a few of our favourite products that make camping with kids just a little bit easier and a lot more fun.
Natives Shoes-
We are a little obsessed with our Natives around here. They wash up so easily, they pass down from kid to kid seamlessly, they are easily put on (and taken off) by toddlers and they are the perfect outdoor adventuring shoe. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t get asked about what kind of shoes the girls are wearing and I’m constantly singing their praises. Violet’s pair from last year made it through the whole summer, 8 weeks of winter tropical getaways and then passed on to Maeve with only a quick scrub and soak. After Maeve outgrew them we passed them along again, still in great condition. Any shoe that can do that is worth the price tag in my book. And bonus! They’re super cute and my kids always ask to wear them. I think they perfect for camping- they’re hybrid water shoes and if anyone walks through mud (this happens often and usually on purpose) it only takes a trip to the water pump and you’re good to go right away. Comfy, cute and clever? #winning (scroll through my blog to see our Natives in action)
Find them here
Or you can locally purchase them at Oasis Shoes at WEM.
Bug Kit and a identification book-
My girls love finding all sorts of tiny creepy crawlies while out camping. It’s become a staple to bring a bug kit, a net, and our “Bugs of Alberta” book. It’s an easy independent activity they can do around the campsite while I’m making dinner or setting up camp. And they get to learn while having fun. Then the bugs get let go back to their little bug families and we go home without any souvenirs.
You can find simple plastic bug containers and nets at the dollar store, or sturdier ones like this one at MasterMind Toys.
This book has proved to be perfect for our trips (and it’s pretty facincating for mom and dad too!)
Tiny Tent-
Depending on how much space we have in the car we like to bring a tiny tent for the kids to play in. We have a small one person pop up tent we sometimes bring along, but have now started to bring a super simple play tent. Why you ask? Because my girls like to play “house” in our tent. However, I don’t really like the bugs, dirts, sand toys and the like all over our sleeping space. So bringing a tiny play tent for them to go in and out of (leaving the door open as they wish) is a perfect compromise and keeps us all sane.
Ours is similar to this one, but Ikea also has this one
Fun Camping Snacks-
Snacks are very important part of the camping experience 🙂 I’m kinda a s’mores purist and like my s’mores the traditional way, but I have been known to add a little peanut butter or nutella onto the graham cracker. We also don’t head out without Jiffy Pop to cook over the fire or bread dough to make bannock (super easy to just buy pillsbury pre-made dough). We’ve mixed it up and made banana boats and waffle cones full of marshmallows, chocolate and strawberries, but whatever you bring, make it fun and create some memories.
In case you don’t know what Jiffy Pop is, follow this link for the yumminess.
Mini Lanterns-
Every kid I know likes playing with flashlights, headlamps or little lanterns. They make going to the bathroom in the middle of the night fun and story time at bedtime a memorable experience. The amount of times I have to tell my girls to turn off their lights at night is probably a bit ridiculous, but they’re having fun and loving making shadows across the tent. We’ve had quite a few different models and types of lanterns over the past couple years, but our favourite one has a super cute smile and the batteries have lasted for ever. The dollar store also seems to always have different flashlights for kids as well, which is definitely worth checking out if you are trying camping for the first time and don’t want to invest in fancy kid headgear.
Mini Mioche carries our fav, this super cute one
Fire Colour Changer-
Changing the colour of the fire is always a crowd pleaser. It’s cheap, it’s fun and kids (and adults!) can sit and watch the fire change colours contently. I have read there is a way to make this yourself, but for now we will purchase it at Canadian Tire or Cabela’s. Each pack doesn’t last long, so maybe bring a couple, but it’s the perfect way to end a day.
Funky Coloured Flames or Campfire FX available to purchase in store.
Honourable mentions-
-Footie pyjamas for camping early in the season or on colder weekends
-Bikes and helmets for exploring the campground
-Rubber Boots in case of rain or early morning dew
-Our favourite Camelback Water bottles to ensure no leaks and to keep them hydrated (it’s so easy to forget to drink water when you aren’t around a tap)
-Quiet time activities (Kids need downtime after running around all day. Colouring books, notebooks for journalling or simple crafts go a long way in the late afternoon when everyone needs some relaxing. If you are camping at an Alberta Park, most of the campground check-ins or campground hosts seem to have colouring books to give to the kiddos, and bonus, they are themed all about nature)
-Beach toys (ours also seem to double as cooking utensils to make leaf soup or stone smoothies around camp)
-cereal in little individual boxes (Violet added that one in, along with the always welcome “good friends to play with”)
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Did you know there are Yurts an hour away from Edmonton stocked with gear and ready for you to spend a night? Well they’re at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park and they are beautiful. (And the whole time you’re staying there you get to say “yurt” a lot. And “yurting”. And afterwards, “yurted”. It’s almost as fun as staying in the yurt itself.) Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is home to 8 beautiful new yurts, which smell of fresh wood and have lots of natural light. It’s like staying in a tiny cabin, only a little more rustic and a lot cooler. There’s no running water or cooking facilities inside the Yurt, but they do include a Fridge and all the utensils you need. It’s a simpler experience then staying in a tent and a different camping experience then a RV, kinda a happy-glamping medium. Even better, the yurts are all placed in beautiful treed campsites right by the shore of Pigeon Lake so you are still getting the full camping experience, just with better sleep on the big comfy beds. Our medium sized yurt slept six with giant double bunk bed and a futon pull out bed for the kids. It had ample space and was designed beautifully. It was the perfect temperature all the time thanks to its ability to have as much airflow as needed. It cooled off quickly but kept us warm in the cool evenings with the classic and practical design. There was also a small heater inside in case it got extra chilly.
The Provincial Park itself is a great space with lots of walking trails along the lake and through the forest, with a large beachfront playground and modern amenities. Unfortunately, Pigeon Lake had a very early start to the “Green Algae Season” and swimming was off limits. We did see lots of families wading in the water, but I didn’t feel comfortable letting my kids go after seeing the clarity of the water (and to be honest, I’m pretty comfortable with a lot). Instead we looked for Saskatoon berries and rode bikes along the trails. There was even a small bmx course my girls ended up adoring even after a few bruises and scrapes. Another highlight of our trip was renting backpacks ($3 a pack) from the ranger station and letting the girls explore with them. In fact, Violet said her favourite part of the whole trip was making plaster animal tracks with the “Tracking” backpack and Maeve said she loved seeing the bugs with the “Bug Identification” backpack (well, Maeve said she liked making and eating banana boats the best, but the bug backpack was the best non-food related part 😉 ) Overall, the packs were worth the money and I think would have really enjoyed renting the astronomy pack if my kids could stay up much past dark.
Packing for our trip was quite easy. You only really need bedding and food for your stay, but there are a few other things that really helped make our trip easier- steak knifes, (there was nothing more then butter knifes provided), a flashlight to make it to the washroom (there’s a new large shower house a very quick walk from the Yurt sites, but its’ still a dark walk in the night), and extra firewood. One bag is included in your stay and other bags are available for purchase onsite (bring paper and matches to get it going!). There’s a large BBQ and roasting sticks for your cooking needs and there is no need to pack a camp stove. There’s also a large water jug provided to haul water to your site. All in all, it’s incredibly easy to enjoy staying at the Yurts at Pigeon Lake.
Look Forward to-
-The fun and uniqueness of staying in a Yurt.
-The easiest camping experience you could imagine. There’s enough room in the Yurt for a playpen if you are staying with a baby or young toddler, making it a enjoyable experience for young families.
-Each Yurt site being well treed and very private.
-12 km of walking trails to explore and benches along the lake for fishing or relaxing.
But Be Prepared For-
-The campstore and grill being closed on Monday and Tuesdays. They have a quick-service restaurant (hamburgers, sandwiches and breakfast) and ice cream onsite in the park. There’s also a grocery section with lots of camping essentials like marshmallows, hot dogs and other fun stuff, but it’s closed 2 days a week.
-The Summer Village of Pigeon Lake is about a 10-15 minute drive away, so make sure you have everything you need before heading to the campground.
-Blue Green Algae. Check the warnings online before you head out to plan accordingly.
-No pets are allowed inside the yurts or at the sites. Check out the site rules here.
Our Insider Tips-
-Book one of the higher number yurts- 120 or around there for a larger deck. I liked site 122 best. C-112 (where we stayed) and C-114 don’t have a wrap around deck with chairs for relaxing, however these units are a little closer to the shower and the running water bathroom facility. The higher number yurts have more green space in the centre of the loop to run around on and also outhouses in the loop.
-If you are looking for a weekend yurting adventure, book early, even on opening day for the year if possible. Pigeon Lake does still have weekday availability for bookings for summer 2015 but I know that’s tricky for a lot of families. If no sites are showing up on the Alberta Parks booking website, call the camp office. There’s two new yurts (C-112 and C-114) that aren’t listed online but may have availably if you call the office.
-There’s a really cute mini golf course nearby (and 4 traditional golf courses) and on Sunday afternoon’s there’s a market at Ma-Me-O community hall that’s fun to take in. (Think antiques and little old ladies selling jam.)
If there’s no availability for the yurts but you’d still like to get out to Pigeon Lake, check out their Mid Week Camping Promotion. 3 nights for the price of two!
My good friend Andrea ventured to the Pigeon Lake Provincial Lake earlier this year and snagged one of the yurts with a large deck. She a great post about their adventure on her lifestyle blog (which is well worth following along for more cute kids exploring, crafting and creating).jpg)
It’s no secret that I like to keep busy. My oldest daughter loves exploring and learning so we seem to go on our “Fieldtrips” quite often. It can be daunting taking kids to new places, especially when your kiddos are young, but getting out and seeing the attractions Edmonton has to offer is worth the effort. The best advice I was ever given was “don’t set your children up for failure”. I took this as, go and explore with your kids, but do all that you can to keep everyone sane. For us this means scheduling outings around sleep times, always bringing water and snacks, and knowing my girls’ limit at a location before the meltdowns start. I know my children and what they need to have a good day, so I try to work within those limits. Starting a hiking activity 30 minutes before lunch time is only going to fail and will leave everyone frustrated.
John Janzen Nature Centre has been one of our all time favourite places to go when we have an hour or two to spare. The indoor playground, the awesome free programming and the tiny price tag make it one of the best places in the city for value for the kiddos. We can usually spend 1-3 hours here and still only finish a handful of the activities available.
Most people head to John Janzen with the intention of hitting up the indoor playground, the Tegler Discovery Zone. While it is an awesome space, and every kid seems to love running around and hiding those foam pinecones (they somehow have a currency like gold in and the kids protect them like crazies) there is so much more to discover. We typically spend about an hour in the indoor playspace (I tend to get my email done with the City’s free wifi on my phone while my girls run and play independently. Or, errr, I mean play with my children continuously 😉 ). They have a restaurant-style buzzer system that you can take and wait your turn to get into the Tegler, which can get busy with summer camps or in the winter on cold days. While you wait for your buzzer to light up you can head across the hall to the Exhibit Room and see different pond animals, put on insect costumes, climb through a tunnel like a ground squirrel or make some art. We typically try to hit up the free programming, especially in the summer months when there is a ton going on. For example, every day in summer there is
10:30- Nature Nook- a themed programed that usually includes art and stories, perfect for under 5.
11:30- Wild Things– a hand- on sensory exploration outside, like tracking animals or learning about insects. Last time we looked at different bird’s nests and each child built there own out of materials we found on the ground.
1:00pm-Animal Encounter– an interpreter brings out a little creature for the kids to touch or feed. My girls love this and we hear about for the next few days.
2:00pm Wild Things– another sensory exploration.
These programs are run by fantastic staff with the patience of saints. They are all included with admission and they are so good for preschoolers who love to discover.
Our other favourite activity is to sign out one of the Adventure Backpacks. These aren’t advertised a ton in the Centre, but they are a great way to explore outside. There are four different themes to try. The pond dipping kit is our favourite and on our last trip we netted a water boatman, a leech, a tadpole that was nearly a frog, and quite a few snails. My kids couldn’t get enough of it.
The Centre also has a kid friendly “Nature Scavenger Hunt” for them to do outside. After they find all 9 items in nature they can submit their sheet to choose a prize. It took us about 20 minutes and the incentive of a prize made it quite fun (and the prizes are all pretty awesome).
John Janzen has indoor and outdoor seating for picnics and is open 10-5pm every single day in the summer. Admission is $7 per kid and adults get in free with paying kids. A year membership is only $54 for the whole family and it is also part of the super popular Naturally Edmonton Attraction Pass.
Look Forward to-
-Kids getting their energy out in the Tegler Zone
-Lots of hands-on activities with great staff ready to answer questions
-Fun self-lead activities in the Exhibit Room, like puppet shows or making animal track rubbings.
-Seeing your kids learn about nature in a hands on environment- like the working bee hive in the back of the playground. Totally encased in clear plastic it’s memorizing for even adults.
But Be Prepared For-
-Staying longer then anticipating and needing to eat. There’s no real food for sale other then a vending machine. Bring a picnic or at least some healthy snacks. It’s quite easy to spend a couple hours here and my girls whine for chips every time they see those machines. Good thing I bring blueberries because those machines are the bane of my existence:)
-Tegler Zone becoming very busy if a group arrives. We won’t venture into the playground if it’s packed, but instead will do all the programming and rent a backpack or two for our visit instead.
Our Insider Tips-
-BRING SOCKS (you can also purchase them for $1.75 and even adults need to wear them in Tegler)
-Pond Dipping Backback is always the most popular, try to snag it first thing upon arrival.
-On a hot sunny day it seems like the place is deserted. It’s the perfect time to have the playground almost to yourself. Afternoons also seem to have less visitors.
-The free programming is very similar to the paid programming and summer camp activities, so take advantage of it.
-The front desk offers various activity sheets you can take home, just ask!
-Free Admission Day is September 27 2015, but go early to avoid big crowds
*On Thursday night there is a totally FREE bonfire and program. No admission fee is charged at all. They ask you bring your own mug for hot chocolate and your own lawn chair. Programming ranges from Pond Dipping to Bird Watching and it runs for 7-8:30pm every Thursday night in the summer months. If you can’t make it camping but your kids are wanting to sit around a fire and drink hot coco, this is an excellent and free option.*
The City of Edmonton has also just launched a Instagram contest asking to see your best Edmonton Attractions Images with a prize being awarded monthly till December. Hashtag your images #yegfun and check out the rules here.
Sometimes we all just need a little nature and don’t have the time to get out of the city. Thankfully, we live in a city that has endless trails and forests, with never-ending places to explore. I love “hiking” with my kids……and I use the word “hiking” loosely, cause let’s be honest, it’s just glorified walking. But as soon as we get off a paved trail and start exploring nature it becomes hiking to my girls and I’m okay with that.
There’s a couple things to remember before heading out with kids. For starters, it’s not a timed race. There’s no medal if you see the most or walk the furthest. The adventure is in the hike, in the things that you see and things that you teach along the way. We’re pointing out interesting trees, insects, flowers and teaching them each them the basics as you go. I like to try and engage my girls in conversations about pollination, photosynthesis, and root systems without the big words or sounding like a textbook. They are learning basic science as we explore and they couldn’t be happier about it. If I don’t know an answer to a question we make a note in my phone and google it later. I’m always surprised at how much they learn when they recite things back to me at bedtime later. I also never tell them to hurry up if they become interested in a particular flower or insect. It’s the journey, not the destination.
Also remember to pack water bottles, wear good shoes and be ready to take a break if those little legs need it. If your kiddos get bored turn it into a scavenger hunt with finding things like different leaves, pinecones, sticks, bugs or rocks on the list. Also pack snacks. Everything is better with snacks.
Our Favourite places to Hike with Kids in Edmonton-
Mactaggart Sanctuary-
Mactaggart Bird Sanctuary which is also referred to as Smith’s Crossing (or Blue Bridge Park as my family affectionally calls it) is our favourite place to take a walk. This is mostly because it’s close to our home, but also because it’s so beautiful. It’s rarely busy, there’s ample parking and there’s a variety of things to see. The trails are not paved and are definitely uneven, so it’s not a place for a stroller or very young toddlers. There’s also some steep-ish climbs (my 3 year old can manage easily) and a few little homemade bridges. We usually start by crossing the old blue bridge south and following the path on the right into the trees. There’s a creek to explore and if you go far enough (10 minute walk) you’ll find a lake with beavers and ducks. There’s a couple beaver dams to see from the main trail and lots of side trails to explore. This park connects to the Whitemud Ravine Nature reserve if you were to walk North, but we usually stick going south within 20 minutes of the parking lot and see a lot of exciting things.
Park in the lot on 23rd ave at the bottom of the hill between 119ave and Rabbit Hill Road. There’s a blue bridge visible from 23rd avenue.
Mill Creek Ravine-
Millcreek ravine is almost like stepping out of the city and into the mountains. The creek is picture perfect and it’s easily accessible from multiple parking lots and street parking (there’s stairs leading down into the ravine in many locations). Millcreek Ravine is a special because it has options- a paved wide trail for strollers or bikes and a smaller dirt path that runs along the creek. You can explore with either one very easily. The ravine is quite long, with the south end having great old wooden train bridges and the north end connecting all the way to the river and the Muttart.
You could park in the middle at Millcreek pool and explore north or south from there. There are also staircases into the ravine at about 85ave and 97st, or at 86ave about 89t in Bonnie Doon. The entire ravine is easily accessible just from street parking or a lot at 82ave. See the City of Edmonton Website for a map of the ravine.
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park-
So yes, this park isn’t actually in Edmonton, but rather across from the Enjoy Centre in St Albert. However, it is extremely accessible from Edmonton with Anthony Henday. It is actually a protected Provincial Park and is a Duck’s Unlimited protected wetland. There’s paved paths and a series of boardwalks over the water. My girls love the searching the lake for ducklings and heron as well as running around on the boardwalk. The marshland is a great change from the coniferous treed paths of the river valley and a great place to bird watch. The province is opening a new day-use area in the near future for picnics, but for now it’s just a great place to explore nature.
Follow Ray Gibbons Drive North towards the Enjoy Centre. We parked at Rotary Park, which is just north of the Centre, with ample signage leading you to the playground ( which is located at Rodeo Drive and Riek Drive). Follow the paved path under the bridge heading west out of the city. It’s less the 10 minutes to the pier from the parking lot and what seems like an endless trail to explore from there.
(and bonus if you get tired your big sister may ask if you want to be carried back to the car)
Other favourites are Strathcona Science Park, Fort Edmonton Footbridge trail (with a sand bar to play in at the bridge!) Wagner Natural Area (between Edmonton and Spruce Grove)
For more info check out the City of Edmonton Trails Map.
Look forward to-
Easily teaching your children about nature, ecosystems and a love of outdoors
Exercise from chasing your kids around
Fresh air and messy kids
Tiring out your kids!
But be Prepared for-
Kids getting tired out before you make it back to the car (distracting them with a walking game or taking a break helps with this)
Unscheduled potty breaks (go before you start walking)
Extra thirsty kids (bring bottles of water)
Not getting lost (bring your cell phone!)
Our Insider Tips-
The after work “rush hour” is real on the trails too. But early morning and afternoon you may have them all to yourselves.
My girls have a keen interest in Aboriginal Culture. The trips to Writing-on-Stone Provinical Park, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the Aboriginal Culture Exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum have had them talking about tipis and buffalo for the last year. So when I found out about Tipi Camping at Elk Island Retreat, just 30 minutes from the North East side of Edmonton, I was super excited to bring them. My expectations for the campground and experience were exceeded and we loved spending two nights in our Tipi, even through a couple of good thunderstorms.
We loaded up after work on Friday and drove out by 5pm. The best part of Tipi camping is your site is already set up. We checked in, found our site, laid out our air mattresses and then made dinner. Tim met us out there after he finished up work a little later that evening and drove out to find a fire crackling, kids playing in the forest and dinner being made (tough life for him, right?). But the resort made it so easy for me to get set up on my own because included with the Tipi rental there is also a BBQ and a propane camp stove at the site. Each Tipi has a large covered space for the picnic table to protect you from the hot sun (or in our case, the constant rain). They also provided us with a large blue jug of water and a bundle of birch firewood for each night of our rental. We only had to bring our sleeping arrangements (the floor is plywood and off the ground so no getting wet!) and food. We also brought camp chairs for around the fire and our bikes. But it was all incredibly easy to set up and get settled.
The campground is primarily an RV park, but there is a back section with two “trapper’s cabins” and four tipis. They can be rented for the evening or just for the day (great idea for birthday parties or a family BBQ). I was a little worried about the fact that there was no playground for our girls- one of their favourite parts of camping is finding the playground and making new friends. However, we enjoyed walking through the beautiful trail system and catching all sorts of bugs and frogs in our nets. The girls also loved finding wild strawberries on the trail to snack on and having free range to build forts and play around our site. We were quite isolated from the rest of the campground in our Tipi and I loved giving them so much freedom to explore the trails around our site. We brought our bikes, but quickly found the trail system wasn’t great for kids on bikes and the roads were primarily sand which was a little too soft on our rainy days to ride on, so the bikes went mostly unused. Our bug nets and plastic bug terrariums were definitely the hit of the weekend, especially with the creek and the abundance of little critters. Another hit was the horseshoe pit. Violet immediately became determined to win a game and we spent a lot of time throwing old horseshoes at steel posts. Who knew that could be so fun for a five year old?? ha!
There was a small camp store at the check in which had a few very basic amenities (plus ice cream and freezies). The park also has loonies showers and two loonie laundry. I loved the fact that for $8 the host, Pat, will come to your site and make bannock and mint tea. If you arrange it beforehand you can even have someone come to your site to make Aboriginal Crafts for an afternoon. We also enjoyed our Saturday afternoon at the nearby Elk Island National Park, but that will be another post 😉
Look Forward to-
-being close to the city but it feeling like you’ve really “gotten away”
– the tipi’s being inexpensive at $60 a night
-great hosts that are fantastic to deal with during booking and check in. It’s a family run campground so all the staff we talked to were very nice and helpful.
– being less then 5 minutes away from the lesser-used west gate to Elk Island National Park for an afternoon at the lake
-not actually being inside the National Park, so no park fees unless you choose to go in for the day
– the outhouses being extremely clean (and not smelly).
-even the smallest tipi at the retreat being very spacious for our family of four
But be Prepared for-
-no playground
-the tipi’s aren’t bug proof at all, there is a gap between the canvas and the ground, as well as a small opening in the centre of the roof. I was worried we would be covered in bites during the night. Maeve ended up getting one good one on her head, but otherwise we put on a little bug spray before bed and all was well. I’m sure later in the season the bugs would be much worse though.
– no electrical outlets at sites
-no pets allowed at Tipi sites (not a negative for us as we don’t have one, but worth a mention for lots of families)
Our Insider Tips-
-bring an air mattress unless you like sleeping on hard plywood
-bring a BBQ lighter, it was really hard to light the provided BBQ with matches
-request the single smaller 18 ft tipi if you want extra privacy and have a smaller group. We had no neighbours surrounding us and literally no traffic at our site at all since it was at the end of the road.
-come ready to explore and enjoy nature with your kids. It’s a quiet space perfect for just enjoying your family.
Happy Camping!
Kelsy
Elk Island Retreat- www.elkislandretreat.com
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Chantelle Doll - Great list! We’ll have to get a copy of the Bugs of Alberta book for future trips.
And how the heck do you do Jiffy Pop on the campfire? Any tips? I attempted again on our last trip and it was another epic fail!
Kelsy - So make sure you take off the cardboard part on top (haha, I’ve seen people forget that part!) and then put it over the grate across the fire. I think the trick is to continually shake it as it cooks. Usually needs a minute to heat up and then I shake it for the next 4 minutes until it’s all popped. I usually will use a oven mitt in case the metal handle gets hot. I’ve had good luck so far! Have fun!