The great outdoors is great for families!

Repost from Nordisk GO magazine 2014

Camping is a huge adventure for most kids: You get to sleep in a cosy sleeping bag close to mum and dad. You get to have a bonfire and cook on a gas burner. You get to tell scary stories by the flashlight at night. Oh, man! Here is three different ways to take your little ones to the great outdoors.

On two wheels

Experience nature and the landscape at a nice slow pace on a cycling holiday.

Feel the wind in your hair, enjoy the scent of pinewoods and fields of corn, catch a glimpse of jumping hares and cute deer in the edge of the forest as you whizz by on the bike. Use your body; get loads of fresh air and nice chats as you ride alongside each other all day. On a cycling holiday you can literally stop and smell the roses.

Cycling holidays are great for families. Big children can burn all of their energy imitating Tour de France-stars climbing hills and racing each other, while small children enjoy a cosy seat in a bicycle trailer behind mum or dads bike. Cycling holidays are also great for more families travelling together. Pitch the tents in a circle and put up a tarp in between for a cosy common lounge area.

What you’ll need...

• Lightweight tent - e.g. Oppland 3 LW.
• Lightweight mats - e.g. Vanna 3.8.
• Lightweight sleeping bags - e.g. Oscar +10 curve.

The cosy classic Relax and meet other families on a classic camping site. Safe, hassle-free, and cosy. Wake up at the sound of birds singing. Enjoy long relaxing days outside while the children play with new camping friends. Cosy up at night in your sleeping bags with a book of great stories. A stay at classic camping site is a huge hit for kids. It’s easy to meet new friends and most camping sites provide fun and activities. And for the parents it’s hazzle-free: just load a family tent and camping gear in the back of your car and go! Staying on a camping site is cosy and safe even for small children. How to go classic camping Take your time to find a great camping site that suits your family. Do you want a swimming pool and restaurants on the site or do you want to be near beach, nature or the city? Choose a tent with plenty of room for everybody. If your children are small think ahead and get a roomy tent that will fit the whole family for many years. What you’ll need... A family size tent - e.g. Reisa tent. Sleeping bags for everybody - e.g. Celcius +4° and Knuth for the kids. Mats for everybody - e.g. Bornholm 10. A cosy camping chair for those long relaxing days - e.g. Helinox lounge chair.

Staycation

Find adventure just outside your own door on a so-called “staycation” – a stay-at-home-vacation.

Turn off your phones, computers and everyday life and spend long days just playing with the kids, hiking in the locals forest or exploring those local tourist attractions that you always wanted to visit but never found the time for in your busy everyday life. Drop the hassle of travelling and enjoy a holiday in your own backyard on a staycation.

Staycation is a great way to give the children the feeling of camping-life without the bother of and expense of travelling. Set up a tent in the garden and find adventure in your local area – kids love sleeping in a tent no matter if it’s pitched in Laos, Latvia or on the lawn.

How to create a staycation

Pitch a huge tent in the garden and style it with a comfy bed, chairs, rugs, and lamps. Since you are not transporting your gear there is no need to restrain yourself – go glamping style!

What you’ll need...

• A huge tent - e.g. Vanaheim 24 m2.

• Comfy sleeping bags - e.g. Almond +10.

• Thick sleeping mats - e.g. Gandalf 10.0.

• Glamping gear - e.g. Luxurious wooden chair.