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Going for winter camp with your children helps you create exceptional family memories. Your kids will be excited to try something new, especially if it’s their first camping trip. While the planning process can be challenging, the benefits are overwhelming. Here’s what you should do to maximize your camping experience.
Before the Trip
Involve the kids in the planning phase. This enables them to understand what to expect from an adventurous trip. For first time campers, start practicing at home before you can finally head out for the winter camp for kids.
Winter is a season filled with risks. To have an effective and enjoyable trip, it’s important to understand and practice safety tips as we shall see later on. What should you do as a family before the beginning of your camping trip?
· Make the Kids Excited about the Winter Camp Trip
Start talking about the camping experience and what to expect. Describe some of the exciting activities that you will engage in as a family. For instance, do you prefer exploring a winter camp?
· About Les Elfes
Les Elfes offers a wide range of winter-related activities for the entire family. Apart from learning different winter sports, children can enroll in new language lessons. The camp strives to nurture kids in various aspects of life such as leadership.
Having been in the industry for more than 30 years, the winter camp prides itself on having sufficient experience. The camp hosts up to 5,000 campers from different countries and nationalities.
Your children will be excited to meet and interact with other children from different parts of the world. What’s more, it will be the perfect opportunity to learn about new cultures and make new friends. Discuss these features with your kids and you can be sure that they will be looking forward to the trip.
· Read and Watch Movies about Your Destination
Today, you can access information with ease from the internet, books, and movies. Read books and watch winter camp-related movies as a family. Find relevant stories about kids who are passionate about camping.
Such stories will encourage your children to drop any fear, embrace change, and experience winter camping for kids. Carry the books and have the kids read them while in transit and after you arrive at your destination.
· What to Pack
Packing is an activity that many people dread. However, you can make it more exciting by involving the kids. One great way of easing the process is by preparing a packing list for each of your kids. Inspect their packages once they are done to ensure that they have the right items.
Remember, camping with younger kids is usually quite different compared to camping with older children. Still, you will need almost the same things regardless of their ages. Some of the essential items you will need to prepare to include:
- An extra pair of warm socks’
- Extra batteries
- Clothes pegs and a clothesline
- Trash bags
- Umbrellas
- Rain ponchos
- Can opener or corkscrew
- A dish drying rack
- A clock
- A camera
If you will be camping at Les Elfes, there are various items both for sale and rent. This means you can still access some of these items at affordable prices.
· Consider the Weather
While you may be preparing for winter camp, you may want to know that Les Elfes offers all year long camps. Winter camps for kids, however, are ideal for families for different reasons. For instance, many people prefer camping in the summer. As a result, Verbier ski resort is a buzz of activities in summer making it congested and difficult to navigate, especially for kids. Many people, however, dread winter. A big percentage of the camps are nearly deserted and this would be the right time to visit as a family.
Remember to monitor the local forecast for the time you are planning to visit. Sometimes there will be strong rainfall and extremely cold conditions during winter. You may want to reschedule if the weather is not friendly.
· Test Your Gear
Don’t wait until the camping day to test your camping gear. Start testing your equipment early to make sure everything is working well. Check whether your sleeping bags have functional zippers and ensure that the air mattress has no leaks.
Test your flashlights and change the batteries. Purchase an extra set of batteries for emergency purposes. Will you be setting up your winter camp for kids tent for the first time? Start learning how to do it by pitching it in your backyard. This is a great way of preparing your family for the actual camping process.
· Involve Kids in the Preparation Process
Don’t dominate the planning process. Remember, your kids may have practical suggestions for you. Sometimes, you may have to slightly adjust their ideas. However, give them credit for their contribution. This will encourage and make them feel appreciated. Incorporate their contributions to your plans.
For instance, your son suggests carrying the family piano along. You can choose a more winter camp for kids friendly item such as a swinging rope or even a hammock. You can find these in Verbier ski resort and some of the winter camps at Les Elfes.
Including the kids in the planning process makes them feel like they are part of the camping trip. Older kids can help with collecting and packing gear and other essentials. Your young kids, on the other hand, can prepare their items in readiness for inspection and packing.
· Keep Talking about the Forthcoming Trip
Continue discussing the camping trip to give each family member to raise any ideas and questions. This way, you will have sufficient time to handle any pressing matters and make adjustments accordingly.
Discuss the activities each member will participate in. will you go for winter hiking? Will there be a campfire? What activities will you engage in during the day and in the evening? Remember, kids can read your mood and your attitude will influence their perception about the trip.
Maintain a positive attitude throughout and they too will be excited about it. The positive perception will play a big role in navigating any setbacks you may encounter at the campsite.
· Camping Trial at Your Backyard
If you’ve never had a backyard camping experienced, you are missing a lot. Adults who had this experience remember it to date with lots of nostalgia. Kids enjoy pitching a tent in the backyard and perceive it as a wilderness camping experience.
The only difference would be that there are more conveniences for backyard campers such as gadgets and home-cooked meals. Camping in the backyard is an ideal way of preparing the kids for the winter camp for kids experience.
Pleasing young kids can be effortless seeing that every out of the ordinary activity seems adventurous to them. Further, they are genuinely excited by the little things. For instance, it doesn’t matter whether they sleep in the latest designer sleeping bags. They will be happy to sleep in a simple sleeping bag especially if it’s the first time.
· How to go about it
Begin by letting the kids pick out what they need for the camping trial. Some of the items can include: glow sticks and flashlights. Throw in some other cheap and exciting accessories such as bracelets and necklaces made with glow tubing for more lighting and fun.
When night falls, walk around the forest close to your home and teach the kids how to use their flashlights. You can also opt to light up the surrounding area and your path by wearing headlights. Set up other things inside the camp just to have an overview of how your actual tent will look like.
You can also light up a fire at night and burn some marshmallows in preparation for the actual camping experience. Have your kids sharpen their sticks in readiness to cook food over the fire.
Ideas for Backyard Camping for Your Kids
Make your camping realistic by sticking to the backyard tent unless one wants to use the bathroom. Put sufficient food to last for the days you will be camping inside a cooler. You can either light a fire in your backyard or have a small stove that you can use to grill food.
Backyard camping provides an opportunity for the entire family to share duties, bond, prepare meals together, and share stories. Leave all your electronics inside the house to facilitate interaction with minimal destruction.
Children can try exciting activities such as jungle adventure or scavenger hunting with surprises hidden across the backyard. This will not only be fun, but it will also be ideal for your camping experience with the kids.
Organizing a Parody Camping Trip
To better prepare for your upcoming winter camp for kids, organize a parody camping trip to a campsite within your locality. This means you will be closer to home and will be in a position to dash and pick anything you may have forgotten. This will help you identify things you may have missed out on in your previous preparation list.
Finally
Have you chosen your next camping site? If not, why not explore Verbier ski camp or any of the numerous winter camps for kids in Les Elfes? Camping at Les Elfes allows you to enjoy excellent services from experienced and qualified staff. You will also be able to rent camping and ski gear where necessary.
The main language spoken at the camp is English. Both the kids and adults will have an easy time communicating with the staff and their newly found friends.
