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RV Camping with Tweens and Teenagers It is easy to sell the excitement of a vacation trip to younger children; they are up for anything even if its just going to the park for a couple of hours. But once your kids get older it can be a bit more difficult to get them excited and have them participate in family activities. Tweens and teens are just discovering their individuality and how they fit in to their surroundings. As a parent of a tween or teen, planning a family vacation can become less enjoyable than it was in years past. You want to do things that everyone will enjoy and take part in. If your older child isn’t the biggest outdoor enthusiast it might take some creative planning to get them to warm up to an RV vacation. Here are some things you can do to make RVing more enticing and adventurous for your tweens and teens Let them help pick activities Let them know some activities that are available at your destination and have them tell you what their favorites are. Or have them tell you what they would look forward to most and give a top three activities in order of most to least favorite. The last one works well if you have multiple teens and need to narrow down the activities you have time to fit in. It is a special thing for a tween/teen to know that their parents believe in and trust them. It is also fun for them to be able to try new things that are more grown up. Let them cook a meal over the fire: There are so many great meals you can cook over the fire and there is just something adventurous about working with a camp fire. Teach them to cut firewood: A good skill to have and one that takes some responsibility. You, of course, don’t want to go around and pick up random wood around the camp site to use for your fire. Instead let your teen know what wood is ok for using to build a campfire ( wood you have purchased or packed in) then go over the safety rules of using the cutting tools. Keep them under close supervision for the first few times. Make sure all tools are safely stowed when not in use. Let them build the fire: another great life skill for camping and survival. Some adults do not even possess this skill, making it all the more adventurous and exciting to learn. Always be up for adventure Bring a spike ball set, a football, soccer ball, frisbee, etc. and go out and have some fun. Take a walk on the beach and bring a ball along. Play a game of ultimate frisbee or a spontaneous round of soccer. Add a fun twist to the rules to make it even more interesting. Don’t opt for sitting around between bigger activities. Make big activities exciting and adventurous; hike to a lake and find a fun spot to jump into the water, rent an ATV, go mountain biking, take a mini rock climbing class, etc. Decide on whether you will have a technology free policy. One of the biggest cliches about tween and teen culture is that they are glued to their smart phones constantly. While you are on your vacation, you are going to want to get them off their phone to go out and have some fun. So the question becomes, are you going to let them have their phone and encourage them to put it down once in a while, or go all out and challenge everyone to let go of their connectivity (except for emergency use)? If you do go the completely disconnected route, sell it as an adventure. Make it a challenge; the person who can go the longest without touching their phone or complaining they don’t have their phone wins an award. Give an awesome prize to be rewarded after returning home. Looking to rent an RV for your next getaway? We have two great fleets of RVs ready to take you on your next adventure. Check out our luxury motorhomes and travel trailers available to rent in Seattle. Feel free to contact us with questions and our friendly, knowledgeable team will be here to help you in any way possible!