Top 10 Things we learned...

(our view of Lake Allatoona when we woke up)

While tent camping at a campground with 4 kiddos...

1.  Always pack ONE outfit over what you think you will need, kiddos attract dirt and mud and nasty stuff.

2.  Know where your "facilities" are and make sure you camp within walking distance, port-a-potties are scary and smelly places and my kiddos would NOT step foot in them!

3.  Rubber boots are totally awesome and a lifesaver, I could have used a pair!

4.  Always have a tarp or mat at the entrance of your tent, for shoes...remember the princess and the pea?!

5.  Plan simple meals, especially for breakfast, everyone wakes up hungry and wants to eat NOW!

6.  Extra long sticks for Marshmellows.

7.  A small broom and dustpan for your tent works amazingly well for those times they "forgot" to take off their shoes before getting into the tent, or remembered to take their shoes off then walked around outside in their socks then got back in the tent :)

8.  Footie pajamas work great, especially coupled with rubber boots!

9.  An extra blanket is always a good idea.

10.  No matter what, remember to pack patience and the ability to go with the flow...I freaked a few times: when Jack got stuck in the mud, when I ran out of wipes, when the kiddos got in the tent with their muddy boots on and when we had to load up the burb at 5am to drive to the bathhouse, etc! Jody kept reminding me "We're camping Sarah, this is an adventure!"

And here's a BONUS, FREE without charge...don't expect kiddos to stay in their own sleeping bags or sleep much!!!

These of course are things we learned while camping with our kiddos, some things we already knew or things we figured out once we got there!  

Do you have any tips for camping or camping with kiddos?