Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you talking about a "Family Camp" or camping as a family for a week?

We go to a YMCA Family Camp every summer, used to be a full week but now just Labor Day weekend. It's great! We started when the kids were 3 & 4 and it was the first actual vacation I had as a mom -- all the meals are provided (served family style), the kids were off doing stuff with their group during the a.m. DH and I got to sit and read a book, go for a bike ride or hike, horseback riding, etc. Afternoons were for family time. Very little logistics to have to deal with for me. My kids are in middle school now and we all still love going every summer. Our family camp is Deer Valley,http://www.deervalleyymca.org/ They are likely fully booked for the summer but do sometimes have cancellations.

Actual camping for a whole week I wouldn't love. I don't want to do all the cooking in that setting. I have enjoyed the Jellystone or big KOA style campgrounds for a weekend, but that is my limit.

This sounds like fun, but remember no hanging out around the campfire with a beer in the evenings because no alcohol is allowed.

Which works great for me and DH since we don't drink. However, I believe some people do enjoy a beer in the privacy of their cabins and it's not like they do bunk checks.

Following with interest! Really want to take our kids camping, but I assume we should wait until the 2yo is really and truly out of diapers, right Well, maybe next year...

There is a nice state park with cabins and tent areas just north of Virginia Beach. That way you can spend time at the beach, or go to a restaurant too. We did a few days at the campsite, a few days at a hotel.

Anonymous wrote:Are you talking about a "Family Camp" or camping as a family for a week?

We go to a YMCA Family Camp every summer, used to be a full week but now just Labor Day weekend. It's great! We started when the kids were 3 & 4 and it was the first actual vacation I had as a mom -- all the meals are provided (served family style), the kids were off doing stuff with their group during the a.m. DH and I got to sit and read a book, go for a bike ride or hike, horseback riding, etc. Afternoons were for family time. Very little logistics to have to deal with for me. My kids are in middle school now and we all still love going every summer. Our family camp is Deer Valley,http://www.deervalleyymca.org/ They are likely fully booked for the summer but do sometimes have cancellations.

Actual camping for a whole week I wouldn't love. I don't want to do all the cooking in that setting. I have enjoyed the Jellystone or big KOA style campgrounds for a weekend, but that is my limit.

This sounds like fun, but remember no hanging out around the campfire with a beer in the evenings because no alcohol is allowed.

I cannot wait to do this at the camp I used to go to growing up. They now have a family camp week in August, which I imagine would be full of all the great things I loved as a kid - swimming and boating in a private lake, climbing walls, sports fields, campfires, etc. Next year when my boys are 4 and 6 I think it will be perfect. I know what I'm getting into in terms of accomodations (cabins with bunk beds and a no-frills attached bathroom) and am just fine with that, since it's a step up from the usual tent. We're going to go with cousins, which will make it even better, and it looks like they make it so adults can hang out and have a beer after the kids go to bed.

Check out Forest Lake Camp in the Adirondacks. Love that place!

Anonymous wrote:We go camping at least once a year, and I grew up camping. It is a blast for kids, and a ton of work for parents. You need two parents to make it work, and I try to prepare some of the food in advance. We never go more than 3 nights.

This. I grew up camping a lot, and we loved it, but it was a TON of work for my mom.

We go camping at least once a year, and I grew up camping. It is a blast for kids, and a ton of work for parents. You need two parents to make it work, and I try to prepare some of the food in advance. We never go more than 3 nights.

If you rent a cabin though, it is a bit different. You could try Douthat State Park in VA. The only issue with your timing is a lot of the swimming will be closed because the college kids have gone back to school by that week.

I agree with others that if you are tent camping, 2-3 nights is about as long as you should plan for, and obviously car camping rather than backpacking. There are plenty of places that will have nice, clean facilities and hot showers (key for me!)

For a week, I'm a big fan of renting cabins. Virginia state parks are really nice and they have great cabins. Full kitchen with all of the cooking equipment and utensils you need, beds, showers, etc. Also air conditioning!

Only downside is your timing. If you go the last week of August, the state parks won't have as many activities, and they might have closed down the swimming areas, as they can't get the staff for lifeguards that late in the summer.

So, if you want to try the state park cabin idea, I'd try to find a week in late June - mid August. If you go that time of year, the parks will have daily activities for your kids, in addition to you all just doing family stuff on your own.

VA State Parks website is here:
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/cabin-rentals.shtml

I swear I don't work for them--just a long-time fan!

I have three boys and they love it. LOVE it. It's been, by far, their favorite thing that we've done as a family. I mean, dirt and sticks and roasted marshmallows and sleeping in a tent, what else could you possibly want?

Our very first camping trip was to Prince William Forest Park, which is just down I-95, between Woodbridge and Stafford. May I suggest going there for about two nights before you plan on a true camping vacation? It's close enough to civilization that you can run out to Walmart if you fail to pack something that you desperately need. (This happened to us on our first trip.) It's also close enough to things that we saw some of the other campers with Starbucks coffee cups in the mornings. Despite its proximity to things, it feels like it's in the middle of nowhere.

These are not particularly helpful ages for camping with a 1-3 ratio. The 3 yo pushes it over the edge. A week of eating campfire food or pb&j? The end of August is mosquito heaven. Can you sleep on the ground for a week straight?

I'd try a 1 or 2 night trial first.

KOAs are horrid. All the worst aspects of camping, and none of the good.

A week is a long time unless you get one of those cabins that has cooking facilities and showers. If you are tent camping and sharing showers and toilets, well, it's just long. One suggestion. If you are going alone and using shared washrooms and toilets, I'd get some sort of portable toilet for overnight in your tent. When I take my kids alone, I don't like leaving some of them sleeping alone in the tent while I take whomever needs to to use the bathroom away from the campsite.

This being said, I am doing a two week camping trip with my kids this summer. But, we're big campers. And, there's places I want to see, so the event isn't only camping.

Someone suggested Jellystone - they are all over the place so you can pick one that is in an area with lots to do. Another option is KOA, which is everywhere. They have cabins and, in some places, they have tent lodging so you don't have to have your own equipment.

We love camping, but 2-3 nights is amout my limit.

I was thinking of trying Jellystone with my 6 year old, but the only time I can take off is in mid-june. Do you think it'll be too cold to enjoy the pool etc?

We are big campers, tent, but car, not backpack. We go on several 3-5 night trips a year. I prefer that length. Any shorter and you are spending all your time setting up and thinking about tearing down. Any longer and you really just want a hot shower at home. In contrast, my preferred length of time for non-camping trips is 11-18 days.