Camping with Kids and Keeping Your Neighbors Happy

If you’re camping with kids, you may feel like you need to remind them of the campground rules frequently. “Wear your bike helmet.” “Don’t leave your popsicle sticks everywhere.” “No, we can’t wash the car at the campground.”

But what about campground etiquette? You know, the more subtle rules that kids can forget in an instant. Here’s a quick guide on navigating campground etiquette with kids.

Define the Campsite
When you’re camping, your site is your home. And it’s your neighbor’s home. That means kids need to respect the boundaries of the campsite. But do they actually know the boundaries? I find that I have to go out and show my kids the boundaries on a regular basis. Here’s what we do.

When we first set up at a campground, I have my kids show me the boundaries. I ask, “Where is the electric meter? Where is the side of the parking pad? Where does our rug end? Where’s the back of site? Where’s the front of the site?”

This little geography lesson helps them learn how to be better neighbors in a campground.

Show Them Where to Walk
Want to hear your neighbors whine? Let your kids use their campsite as a cut-through! I’ve seen kids do this so many times, and I think it’s because they forget where to walk.

As part of our new campsite setup, I remind my kids that this campground has these walking areas – sidewalks, roads, grassy fields between sites and empty campsites (but only if you know it’s empty).

To reinforce this teaching, I ask my kids to answer two questions before they head outside, “Where are you going? Where do you walk?” They have gotten really good at pointing out when other people cut across our campsite.

Keep Your Stuff in the Campsite
Ever backed over a kid’s bike? I have! We have a little verbal checklist when the kids come in from playing. This is designed to keep the campsite neat and to keep their stuff from bothering other people. Here’s that little list:

1. Did you park your bike under the hitch?

2. Did you bring in all of your toys or at least put them on the picnic table?

3. Do you have all of YOUR toys (Nerf guns, laser tag controllers, baby dolls and accessories, etc.)?

Pro Tip: Put your family name on items that may be used in a group setting. It helps you avoid disagreements over whose toy is whose.

Watch the Noise
We all know about quiet hours, and I hope (for your sake) that your kids sleep during these hours. However, despite quiet hours some campers aren’t going to like loud kids running around. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with kids running around, but they do need to be mindful of the shared spaces.

Here’s a little etiquette checklist for kids playing together in groups.

1. Take the Nerf battle to a big field away from other campers. This is so much easier than dealing with disgruntled neighbors.

2. Take the ball to the playground or basketball court. This helps contain the ball and again keeps kids from accidentally entering campsites.

3. Go to the common areas to chat or play games. Lots of voices can disrupt neighbors, and that’s why so many campgrounds have common areas. Encourage your older kids to take advantage of these areas and use them with respect.

Bathroom & Shower Etiquette
Having just one bathroom in an RV or a camper without a shower can be daunting for families. That’s why so many RV parks provide shower and bathroom facilities. However, these are common areas and we need to make sure our kids know a few rules about how to respect the property.

I recommend that you always accompany your kids to the bath areas unless they are older. I like gathering the whole gang up to go get showers out of the way. And here’s our system for minding our manners.

1. Always flush the toilet.

2. Keep your stuff in your shower caddy.

3. Wipe up water that you spill around the sink when you wash your hands.

4. Don’t forget to turn off the shower.

5. If someone is waiting, get bathed, and get out.

The Pool & Common Areas
The pool and common areas are designed for all campers to kick back and have fun. And that’s what kids need to know. They also need to know that they have a responsibility to follow the safety rules and have courtesy with others using these facilities. Here are a few etiquette guidelines for common areas and kids:

1. Don’t get in other people’s personal space – especially in the pool.

2. Keep your stuff in one place. Flip flops, chip bags, wet towels, and pool toys strewn everywhere make it easy for you to lose something and get in other campers’ way.

3. Be mindful of how many people are around. If the pool is full, it’s probably not a good idea to do cannon balls and lots of splashing. Wait until the pool area clears a bit.

4. Don’t ride your bike on sidewalks and near buildings. Think what happens when someone opens a glass door unexpectedly.

5. Don’t stand behind doors. I can’t tell you how many times I have to remind my kiddos of this. They have been bashed a few times by standing behind a bathroom or door without a window.

A Few Tips on Making Life Easier on You and Your Kids
Want to make life easier and teach your kids to be good neighbors? Here are a few more tips that will help you and them.

1. Carry a water bottle with a lid. No spilled drinks to worry about!

2. Send a backpack with toys and a snack to visit friends. This makes the “can you have this snack question” obsolete.

3. Get an armband with your contact info on it for your kids. This is great if they fall off their bike or forget where the camper is (my kids have gotten lost returning from a playground across the street).

4. Teach your kids to strap their bike helmets to their bikes.

5. Put a few of dollar bills in your older kids’ cell phone case in case they need something at the store or change for the arcade.

6. Get a set of long-range walkie talkies that can Velcro to a backpack or bike to keep tabs on your kids at the playground or when they are riding bikes.

I hope this guide on navigating campground etiquette with kids gives you some ideas. What campground etiquette lessons do you have to add to the list? Tell us about them in the comments.