Kids Camping Gear: Voice-Over Narration for Family Camping Site #805

Kids just love toting lanterns.  For walking to the bathroom, finding the perfect marshmallow stick or just to get around camp after dark.  Go with battery-operated lanterns.   Gas lanterns are hot, have a risk of fire, and not safe to use inside a tent.
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Kids’ flashlights come in bright cheerful colors.  Many have cords to avoid dropping or losing the flashlight.  My advice: get one for each kid.  They’re usually less than $10, and you spare yourself a lot of quarrelling.  If your budget allows, a headlamp is even cooler.  It brings vision of brave cave explorers and Indiana Jones.
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Nothing like a bug kit to open a child’s eyes and curiosity to the critters around him.   Coleman even has a cylindrical kit designed to safely hold fireflies.  At night the fireflies turn it into a twinkling lantern. How magical is that? 
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Compass for kids should be rugged, with clear markings.  Show a kid how to use it with a map and he will learn a skill that’s handy not just for camping, but when he goes backpacking in Europe, or when he hikes up the Himalayans.
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Stargazing is cooler than any video game.  Due to the orbital motion of the earth, the sky appears to rotate, so to be successful recognizing the constellations, you need to know which stars are above the horizon at that time.  A rotating star finder like this one helps kids recognize the constellations for any given time of the year. Just turn the dial to match the day of the year.  Make sure you get the star finder for your specific region in the world.  For example, the star finder you use in the New York won’t help you in Spain.
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Binoculars are handy for camping, hiking, bird watching and general nature study.   For kids, make sure the eye-cups are flexible and comfortable and that it has a cord the kid can put over his neck so he won’t lose it.  

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I get the simple unbreakable Nalgene bottles for my kids.  However, these days, you can get kid-sized hydration packs.  Something like this holds about 4 cups of water and allows hand-free drinking, which is useful when you hands are occupied bicycling or carrying hiking poles.
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This is a safety gear a kid should have at all times in the wilderness.  Find whistles that are light but extremely loud.  Make sure its around your kids neck when he goes exploring, not stuffed at the bottom of his pack.
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Children may not be as interested as adults are in the fashion aspect of sunglasses. However, they actually need it even more because 1) they spend more time outdoors in direct sunlight and 2) they are more vulnerable to solar radiation since their eyes’ protective pigments are not fully developed. 

For kids sunglasses, look for polycarbonate lenses.  They are strong, durable and impact-resistant.  Look for 98 percent or 100 percent protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
There are glasses designed just for toddlers. They have reversible frames - upside-down, downside-up doesn’t matter; built-in adjustable straps; and short, flexible sides for comfort.

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Finally, a backpack to tote all these fun gear.  You don’t want them to keep bugging you, ‘Dad, where is my … Mom, where is my…”