Is camping one of your favorite pastimes? When you start a family, it probably won’t be long until you want to introduce kids to camping and Natural Springs Resort is the perfect place to do so! Located in New Paris, Ohio, central to most Midwest families, Natural Springs has multiple booking options for any skill level of camper, plus endless outdoor activities to enjoy with the whole family. Check out these tips for introducing your kids to camping and then book your stay for the season!
Start with a trial run at home
As you get out your camping gear at the start of the season, it’s important to dust it all off and test that everything is in working order. This is the perfect time to introduce kids to camping equipment, especially if you are tent camping. It may be valuable to do a backyard campout to get your child used to sleeping outside or to show them the RV in the driveway before driving it off to the campsite for the first time. Being in a new place can be scary to a child, especially for an overnight stay, so help them warm up to camping with a trial run at home.
Book your stay and locate resources
When you book your stay at Natural Springs, your family can choose from a tenting camping site, one of our cabins/rental RVs or you can bring your own RV to one of our picturesque sites. Cabins and RVs can offer many of the comforts of home on a trip meant to introduce kids to camping, but there is also a real appeal to “roughing it” with a tent stay. Involve your child(ren) in the planning process where you can to give them some ownership and more excitement about your upcoming trip!
Once you’ve booked your stay, it can be important to identify nearby medical/emergency services, gas stations and grocery stores. The Natural Springs Camp Store provides a number of helpful camping supplies, but with kids, you never know what they might need, especially if they’ve done their packing themselves! In an emergency situation, the NSR protocol is detailed on our Important Info webpage, and the nearest hospital, Reid Health, is just 12 minutes away, with nationally recognized quality and technology.
Bring comfort items and food
As you start packing for your trip, make a comprehensive list so that your child can help with their share of the packing. At the top of that list should be any special “lovey” or comfort item that they like to sleep with, such as a blanket or stuffed animal. Bringing a little extra comfort from home should make your camping trip much more enjoyable. For tent campers, adults may be used to sleeping right on the ground, but a first-time kid camper can benefit from a sleeping pad or cot.
Meal planning is another important part of the packing, and luckily, many typical kid favorites, such as hot dogs, peanut butter and dry snacks also make great camping food! When you’re ready to treat yourselves, our beachside café and grille is famous for its signature Hershey’s ice cream, fountain sodas and slushies, as well as savory meals like pizza, Texas tenderloin, hot pretzels and garlic cheese sticks.
Pack fun outdoor toys and beach gear
As you finish out your packing with activities and games to play together, don’t forget the sports gear and balls! Our 46-acre grounds have numerous wide-open fields to play frisbee or a game of touch football. Our basketball and sand volleyball courts are another family favorite, as well as our multiple playgrounds with slides, swings and conveniently located benches for parents.
And we saved the best for last: all the water fun of our lake, beach and heated pool! Rent one of our watercraft, such as a paddleboat or canoe to get out and enjoy the 12-acre crystal clear lake. You can even bring a fishing pole to teach your kids about catch and release fishing from your boat or the shore. Don’t forget the beach toys to use on our beautiful sandy beach, which is also open to day pass guests Monday-Thursday! Our Wibit floating obstacle course is the perfect way to burn off energy for kids aged 7+ and then you can wind down in the heated pool before heading back to your campsite for the night.
Are you ready to introduce your kids to camping with a stay at Natural Springs? Book your trip online today or contact our office with any questions at 937-437-5771.
Photo Credit: Consistently Curious Blog
