Camping

Camping is not my thing, or at least I didn’t think so. But Hubby loves it and has been talking about taking Will since he’s the ripe old age of 3 and would probably love it, too. So I scoured the internet for some of the beginner’s supplies.

I ended up at good ol’ Target getting these little camping nuggets of joy:
Coleman Ara 6-Person Tent – $69.00 (Originally $100.99 but I found a 15% off promo code + 5% discount for using my Target Debit Card. WOOT!)
Coleman Palmetto Cool Weather Sleeping Bags (2) – $28.21 each
Kids Embark Sleeping Bag (1) – $16.99

Just under $125 out the door. Not too bad for beginners! It was a good deal and doubled as Hubby’s birthday present (yes, this is a post I’ve been meaning to do since the end of July… Don’t judge. Ok. Judge away…). Our community was hosting a Campout at a local park, so we thought this would be a great introduction into camping for our little wilderness man (and his not-so-wilderness-y Mom). This event was awesome and couldn’t have been more perfect!

We arrived ready to work… Slurpees in-hand.

Our tent went up pretty easily, considering it was fresh out of the box. Hubby is an experienced camper, so my helping was less than helpful, at least for this first time around.


There were some parents that probably needed to go to marriage counseling afterwards, including one family that blew up an air mattress in a too-small-for-it tent. And yes, I walked by nonchalantly several times to see that they are actually continuing to blow that thing up in there. Hilarious.

They had tons of activities for everyone. We played catch with those Velcro paddle thingys:

Made lots of friends with all of the kids:

Will hopped along in his very first Potato Sack Race:



And a 3 Legged Race

Our small entrance fee included food for dinner

We ate lots of pizza, veggies, fruit, chips, and a soda to drink. mmmm…Cheetos.

When the sun went down, they busted out the bonfire pits and we sang campfire songs & roasted marshmallows. You know, all of the obligatory camping fare.

We brought our own s’mores supplies, so we got to have more than just the one ooey gooey marshmallow. 

A little self portrait to prove I was there, too. Will is listening intently as one of the community leaders tells a spooky campfire story.

And then it was nighty night. After a very busy day, he was out like a light. #TheBestKindofDays
We slept like logs and were up pretty early. I’m finding out that that’s the case when you’re camping.

We are definitely looking forward to doing it next summer. If you’re in the south Orange County area, you should check it out, too! This little experience sparked a camping bug in our family. We love it! And surprisingly, I love it! This city gal loves the outdoors. Who knew?!

Do you have any favorite camping recipes or activities? I’d love to hear them because we’re getting ready to go camping again, and this time it’s more than just one night! Woohoo!