A weekend camp-out can be a great adventure. Sleeping under the stars, getting back to nature, and teaching kids about the great outdoors — wait, kids? Who said anything about kids? While camping with kids isn't exactly a relaxing experience, it can be fun. These tips, ideas, and lists will help you plan and enjoy your next family camp-out.

Packed and Prepared

The best way to avoid problems and make more time for fun is to plan ahead. Know the weather forecast for your destination and pack accordingly. Keep the following lists, along with park maps, websites, and nature guides, packed with your camp gear for future reference.

• Personal Items

  Weather is rarely dependable, so each camper should pack clothes that can be layered. A hat, bandanna, and jacket are items you may also need. It is wise to take closed-toed shoes for hiking and sandals for the shower. There are no dirt-free environments at campgrounds, so pack toothbrushes and soap in plastic bags. Remember, you may have to carry your clothes and toiletries some distance to get to the restrooms, so use a waterproof bag or bucket for easy transport. Every camper should carry a whistle. Whether they get lost in the woods or need to ward off wildlife, a simple whistle can be beneficial.

• Equipment:

  Sleeping Bags and/or Air Mattresses, Blankets, Pillows, Flashlights, Lantern, Extra Batteries, Hammer, Tent Stakes, Rope, Trash Bags, Cook Wear (specifics below), Bug Spray, Insect Repellent (for kids over 6 years of age), Sun Screen, Towels, Matches

• Set Up Tips:

  At the campsite, choose a flat location, free of rocks and debris, and away from trees, to set up your tent. Trees are homes for bugs and animals, and rough ground makes for rough sleep. Kids will want to help, so let them gather small twigs and sticks for fire kindling while you hammer tent stakes. Assemble your tent on a tarp to reduce moisture, conserve heat, and minimize damage to the tent floor. Should your tent incur a tear, a piece of duct tape will control the rip until you can get it patched. A doormat placed outside the door can cut down on dirt tracked inside. Make sure everyone zips up the screens when coming and going, to keep insects and critters from invading your sleeping area. Soap on zipper teeth helps the zipper slide freely. Always leave a campsite cleaner than you found it.

• Entertainment:

  Kids will need games and activities to play around the campsite or in case of rain. Cards, board games, trivia, coloring and activity books, and storybooks are great to have on hand in the car and in the tent. Most entertainment will be in the form of outdoor activities.

• Safety and First Aid

  In addition to plenty of bottled water, sunscreen, and insect repellent, you'll need to pack a first aid kit. These can be purchased pre-assembled, or you can make a basic kit yourself. Be sure to include bandages, rubbing alcohol, and antibiotic ointment. It's also wise to include butterfly stitches, calamine lotion, and allergy medications. Print photos of poison ivy and poison oak from the Internet, and teach kids why they should avoid these plants. Also warn kids to stay a safe distance from wild animals and to blow their whistle if they are scared or lost.

Campfire Cooking

Cutting wood from trees in campgrounds is usually prohibited, so plan to take firewood from home or purchase it at the park store.

At night, nocturnal animals will scavenge for food on your campsite, so be sure to take trash to the dumpster before going to sleep. Keep food packed in the car when you aren't cooking. Animals will get into ice chests and storage bins. Raccoons have small hands that can open boxes and containers.

If there is a threat of rain, store some wood in the car or wrap it in a tarp.

Always watch kids near a campfire. Make sure they stay a safe distance from the flames and do not walk around the fire pit, because they could stumble and fall. The best place for a young child to enjoy a campfire is in the lap of an adult. A bucket of water and a stir stick should be used to extinguish the fire before bedtime.

• Cook Gear

  Most campgrounds have a barbecue grill and a fire pit, but some campers prefer to cook on a propane stove from home. A thick layer of soot will build up on cookware used over an open flame, so it's a good idea to have pots and pans that are reserved solely for camping.

  Cast iron cookware is heavy, but it is also very durable and evenly distributes heat from a campfire.

  Potholders, towels, and sponges get ruined easily, so retire a few of your older kitchen towels to camping duty.

  Long handled spoons, knives, and spatulas will keep your hands a safe distance from the flames when cooking. Barbecue tools work well. Paper goods will cut down on the cleanup.

• Menu Ideas

  Hot dogs and hamburgers are quick campfire favorites, but there are many other options for campfire cooking. A cast-iron Dutch oven and tripod are wonderful cook gear because they allow many menu options—from scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast burritos to one-dish meals and fruit cobblers. Dutch Ovens can be used to create delicious campfire meals. Many Dutch-oven recipes can be found on the Internet.

  Pre-cooked sausage links, available at most grocery stores, can be roasted on the end of a long stick over the campfire, just like hot dogs. A heated sausage link, tucked into a potato roll, is a tasty and filling breakfast.

  If you do not have a campfire percolator for coffee, purchase coffee bags and boil water in a lidded pot. Steep the coffee bag just as you would a tea bag, and remove it when the coffee is as dark as you like it.

  S'mores are an all-time favorite dessert for campers. They are made by placing a roasted marshmallow and a chocolate square between two graham crackers.

• Cleanup

  A solution of vinegar or lemon juice and water makes an environmentally safe cleanser for cookware. Steel wool and a scrub brush also help with cleanup. Soot on surfaces used over open flames will stain fabric, and can be greasy, so it should be removed as soon as possible. Usually, a water source is located on or near campsites.

  A wagon is helpful for transporting dishes to and from the water source. Keep soiled towels and potholders in a plastic bag and store them in the car.

Activities

Depending on your family's preferences, you can plan a weekend packed full of activities, or a more relaxing time of rest and solitude. With kids, it's a good idea to have at least one physical activity planned per day, so that they will be ready to hit the sack when the sun goes down.

• Park Events

  National and state campgrounds often host activities for campers. From guided nature walks to demonstrations and stargazing, there are a number of activities you can enjoy as a guest of a campground. The ranger station or park store will have a schedule of activities and a campground map.

• Nature Study

  Kids and adults enjoy studying nature. If someone in your family enjoys photography, take a camera or video recorder on your nature hike. Drawing animals and plants on a sketchpad is another way of capturing nature to enjoy later.

  For hands-on adventurers, pack tongs, tweezers, Baggies, and rinsed spice jars to store specimens for later inspection.

  Rocks make a nice collection, sticks are good for whittling into figures, and leaves and flowers can be pressed between book pages for scrapbooks.

  Binoculars are essential if you have a bird-watching enthusiast, and birds are beautiful subjects to sketch.

  For kids interested in aquatic life, an underwater viewer can be a useful tool. Make an underwater viewer by cutting both ends from a strong, light colored, waterproof container, like a butter tub. Attach plastic wrap with a tight rubber band to one end of the container. Place the window side of your viewer just beneath the surface of a pond, stream, or lake, and you can investigate underwater life with the fish.

  Nature guides cover subjects such as birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, flowers, insects, rocks, and trees. Some feature full color photographs for easy identification of specimens. They are also available for specific regions, so check your local library or bookstore for guides on subjects that interest your family.

• Water Fun

  If the park you are camping in is near water, you may enjoy activities such as swimming, canoeing, or fishing. Check the park map to find preferred locations for these activities. The camp store will have information, too, like where canoes can be rented, and where the best fishing spots are. You should also know the laws and safety issues for activities you participate in.

  Adults often must have a license to fish, but for children, a license is not usually required. Boating laws pertain to canoeing, so a whistle and life jackets are necessary. Always swim in designated areas because motorboat and Jet Ski drivers cannot see swimmers easily.

• Nighttime Activities

  Short nighttime nature walks can be exciting and educational. Take a flashlight and whistle if you want to study nature at night. Stay on paved paths, like streets or bike trails, and do not take a night hike near water. Because there isn't a lot of light pollution near remote campgrounds, the stars appear brighter, and more of them can be seen. For stargazing, take along a telescope if you own one, or a book of constellations to identify.

  Campfire games are fun after-dinner activities, too. Share spooky tales (the ones that end on a silly thought are best) or take turns making up fictional camping stories.

  "Best of Times, Worst of Times" is a fun campfire game. Campers tell "Best of Times" memories, like a marriage proposal or the winning goal of a high school football game. Then everyone shares "Worst of Times" stories, like most embarrassing moments.

  Inside the tent, kids may enjoy making shadow puppets with a flashlight or singing favorite songs.

• Rainy-day Activities

  Even if you checked the weather, rain showers can pop up at any time, especially in the spring. As long as it is a passing shower and there is no threat of dangerous weather, you'll only need to find activities to occupy campers temporarily. Most tents come with rain tarps, so attach the tarp and duck inside for some quality family time. The same games played in the car and around the campfire can help entertain campers on a rainy day.

  If you are not concerned about getting drenched, take a walk to explore how nature looks in the rain. What do spiders do when it rains? Kids and parents may learn from the experience. Rain makes beautiful patterns on water. Tell the children to remember what they see and draw it when you return to camp. When the rain has passed, dry off, change clothes, and enjoy the rest of your trip.

Tips for Next Time

The adventure is over and you're ready to collapse into your bed. Wait a minute! You still have to unload the car and unpack. If you take care of camping equipment, it will last a long time. A little extra time invested at the end of a camping trip can save hours of preparation before your next excursion.

• Drying Out

  Dishes will rust and fabric will mildew if it is not completely dry before being stored. If your tent and tarp are damp, lay them flat on the driveway or over a trampoline until they dry.

  Repair tears in fabric and holes in air mattresses before storing them.

  Cookware should be washed with dish soap and hand dried.

  Dishtowels and potholders can be cleaned in the washing machine, but if they are caked with soot, they should be discarded and replaced.

  Sleeping bags and blankets may fit in your washer and dryer. If they don't, commercial washers and dryers are available at most laundromats.

• Restocking

  Make a list of consumable items that are necessary for camping so that you can take inventory and restock before your next trip. Items such as paper goods, trash bags, matches, soap, insect repellent, and first-aid kit supplies should be on your list.

• Storage

  Plastic storage bins with lids fit easily into the trunk or SUV, and they can also stack neatly out of the way in the attic or garage. On the outside of each bin, tape a list of what is stored inside. If any items are missing, pencil a note next to the item's name. You won't forget anything next time you go camping, and you'll know which boxes to take with you. For instance, if you were staying in a cabin during a winter trip, you would not need the storage box that holds the tent, tarp, tent stakes, and rope.

• Lists for Kids

  Keep kids occupied with constructive activity and teach them responsibility by creating lists of items for them to pack. These lists could be for clothing, toiletries, games and toys, or a nature-hike backpack. Be sure to check their work before leaving the house.

  A little preparation and planned activities can make camping with kids an enjoyable experience, even for parents. A weekend with the family at a state park campground is affordable, but the memories you'll make will be priceless.