toddler camping essentials

1. canopy camping chair 2. glow bracelets 3. bubble hurricane 4. mysuperfoods blueberry vanilla heroes 5. led hand-powered flashlight 6. inflatable toddler bed 7. water bottle

This past weekend we went camping!

I'd like to call it glamping but we slept in a tent so I'm not sure that really counts as glamping. Tent and all, we had a great weekend camping at my aunt and uncle's summer/winter home in Pennsylvania. They host an annual campout for family and friends each June and it's always a wonderful time with my cousins. I love getting extended time with people - not just a dinner or a holiday. We had a whole weekend and I'll plan to do a full recap soon but I wanted to talk specifically about camping with a toddler in tow. I put together a few of the items we brought on our camping trip to keep Penelope comfy and happy.

When I saw this inflatable mattress on Daily Garnish, I bookmarked the post so that I could order the same one for all of our summer travels. I absolutely loved this item! It fits a standard crib sheet, was really nice quality and Penelope was excited to sleep on it once it was set up with her own blanket, pillow and dollies from home (another tip: bring your child's own blankets and pillows! It's nice for them to have some familiar items in their new 'bed'). It also has little arms on the sides to keep your tot from falling off (and if she does, it's only about 6 inches from the floor).

I made sure to bring lots of activities for her, but especially the bubble hurricane (our favorite item this summer) and some evening goodies to make the trip seem extra special. I brought her a small flashlight (not the exact one here but this one is on my list to pick up!) and glow stick bracelets. These were a huge hit! It was fun to crack them to light and P had a blast putting them together and watching them glow in the evening dusky hours (not going to lie, the adults also enjoyed these!).

Special snacks are also a great addition, and really one of the best parts of camping in my opinion. My mom brought these awesomely wholesome organic cookies for Penelope to enjoy, and I had plenty of cheese, crackers, fruit and other goodies for her. Oh and also a solid water bottle is clutch for keeping those kiddos hydrated.

So that's just a few of the items that we loved on our recent camping trip.

Do you camp?

Have you ever camped with your kids? If so, what are some of your favorite items to bring along?