Last Updated on 10 February 2025 by Colette
We’ve been camping as a family for eight summers now – when we first started camping, the kids were 8, 6 and 3 but from the start we found ways to encourage them to pitch in with the set up, pack up and general day to day camping chores. This isn’t something that comes as a massive shock to them as we also expect them to pitch in at home but everything is infinitely more fun when you’re camping – including the washing up.
Camping is very much a team effort for us – both in terms of setting up and packing away but also whilst we are there. As the kids have got older, the jobs that they can do (and that we expect them to do) have changed. With the help of the kids, we have got such a good set up routine now that we can be done in an hour (packing up again usually takes a bit longer). We all have specific roles to play, tasks that we know are our “jobs” – for example Ben and Dave take charge of pitching the tent and Chloe usually sets up everyone’s bedrooms.
Having the kids help out and take responsibility for certain camping chores makes life easier for the whole family and teaches them important lessons on how to set up camp and about how to take care of your camping kit. Ben actually has his own 2-person tent which he is entirely responsible for. He sets it up, packs it down and is in charge of keeping it clean and tidy – it’s his own fault if he goes in his tent with muddy shoes or wet clothes on or if he leaves the door open and lets loads of bugs in . . . I should say that none of these things have ever happened in four summers of him having his own tent so I think we’ve taught him well!
If you need some ideas of jobs your kids can do around the campsite on your next family camping trip, I’ve put together a list of suggestions for you – these are all tasks that our kids do when we are camping! Obviously you need to bear in mind the ages and experience levels of your children, teaching them to do some of these tasks for the first time might actually end up taking more time than just doing them yourself but I promise you it’s worth the investment as it will make life easier in the long run!
I should also point out that we didn’t expect them to do all these things from the start, their roles and responsibilities have grown and changed as they’ve got older so you do need to consider which tasks are most suited to your own children in that sense!
At 15, Ben has recently done his Duke of Edinburgh Silver award – when he set off on his two night camping expedition, we were completely confident that he would not just survive but thrive on that camp trip – he was the only one in his group who had done any camping outside of DofE so, thanks to his experiences with us and through Scouting, he was able to help everyone pitch their own tents and sort the stove out etc. He’s already really excited for his next trip and recently told us that he’d love to have a go at wild camping too.
Camp Chores for Kids of all ages
Fetching water
One of the very first camping chores we assigned to the kids when they were younger was fetching water. Typically you’ll find that your campsite has a tap somewhere to provide fresh drinking water and we use a collapsible water butt so that we have water at the tent. This is a great task for younger children as the worst that can happen if it goes wrong is they get a bit wet! Do bear in mind that a bag full of water can be quite heavy so it’s probably worth teaching them not to over fill it until they are a little older! If the idea of carrying a supply of water back to camp seems too much, you could always ask them to fill everyone’s water bottles instead
Making the beds
Making up the beds when we are setting up camp is a job that Chloe usually does for us – we typically have camp beds for each person which need setting up (this is definitely a job for older children as they can be quite tricky), there might be air mattresses to blow up, she sets out all the pillows and sleeping bags and then puts everyone’s bags into their bedroom (under the beds to keep things tidy)
Packing away sleeping bags
When we first started camping, putting the sleeping bags and mats away was a job for Ben but now it tends to be something that Chloe and Ben do together – he has taught her how to roll and stuff a sleeping bag back into its sack. Deflating and rolling the SIMs is usually a bit trickier (and something I tend to struggle with myself if I’m honest) but Ben has always done alright with that one!
Washing up
Doing the washing up is a relatively new chore for our kids – they used to help out with it but now we just expect them to do it. To save arguing, they usually do one meal each. They use far too much washing up liquid and the plates are probably never quite as clean as if you did it yourself but it’s all learning and at the end of the day we stick it all through the dishwasher when we get home anyway. If you’re going to get the kids to do the washing up when you’re camping, I recommend taking a couple of extra tea towels if you can because they always seem to end up absolutely soaking (it also means they can have one each if there’s a few of them doing the task).
Setting up table / chairs
​Setting up the table and chairs is a relatively easy task, everything just needs unfolding and putting in place – which means it’s a great job for the kids to do! Of course it does involve a certain level of dexterity so you need to consider your child’s physical development and whether this is a suitable job for them. Dave and I have quite big camping chairs which are harder for the kids to set up but a more standard camping chair just needs opening out.
Setting up / taking down the kitchen units
Setting up the kitchen units is a job Amy has taken on recently – she likes that she has a set task to do and enjoys arranging the food into the cupboards. She has learned to open out the units and fasten the straps on the bottom to keep them nice and tight. Packing them away again usually needs a bit of extra help as getting them back into their storage bags can be a little tricky!
​Putting together and taking apart poles
Putting the tent poles together was always one of Ben’s jobs but now that we have an air tent (and he’s older), his task is to inflate / deflate the beams. I actually think he could probably pretty much pitch our Berghaus Air 6 by himself at this stage. We still have poles for our Eurohike shelter so the girls and I tend to deal with those.
Taking out / cleaning tent pegs
Removing tent pegs is a good job for the kids to do – but bear in mind that some of them will be quite tricky to get out so you might need to go round afterwards and remove some of them! (To be fair, Dave usually has to remove a tent peg or two when I do that job as I just don’t seem to have the strength in my hands!)
Collecting firewood
Most campsites prefer you to purchase wood for your campfire on site, but if you do need a little extra firewood in your fire pit you can always send the kids on a mission to find that for you – you could even set them a challenge to see who can find the most kindling!
Rolling out the air from the tent when packing
Whether you’re camping with an air tent or a traditional poled tent, you still need to get all the air out when you’re packing it down so that it will fit back in the bag. When the kids were younger they used to enjoy rolling down the tent to get the air out, with our air tent now they carefully walk down the beams for us to squash all the air out.
​Tidy the living room
In the main living area of our tent – we have a tent carpet which the girls typically set out for us and then bits and pieces which live in the tent pockets. I usually task the girls with trying to keep the main living room of the tent as tidy as possible – though it never seems to last!
Sweeping out
We always have a dustpan and brush in our camping kit – mainly so we can give everything a good sweep out before we pack away but there’s nothing to stop the kids sweeping out on a regular basis (though making sure they don’t eat or wear shoes in the tent will ensure there isn’t too much sweeping out to do!)
Taking the rubbish
We usually have a small bin bag attached to the end of a kitchen unit when we’re camping. We get the kids to take the rubbish to the bins pretty regularly as we don’t want to encourage flies or wasps to be hanging around our camp!
Helping with the cooking
Dave is absolutely head chef in our house – but he does spend a lot of time teaching the kids how to cook too. When we’re camping, meals are generally pretty simply and often things Dave has already prepared at home but that doesn’t mean there aren’t cooking tasks that the kids can do!
There’s some great outdoor cooking ideas for kids here!
Fingers crossed this list of simple chores has given you some ideas of camp responsibilities for your children – giving them set tasks to do is a perfect opportunity to teach them important life skills and to make sure that everyone’s camping experience is enjoyable.
I’d love to know if you have any other suggestions of camping chores for kids that I’ve missed!
For more camping content, have a look at these posts next:
The best tents for big families
Our family camping packing list
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