Summer is here, and that means camping! Are you looking for camping meal ideas with kids? It can be difficult to get kids to eat when there is so much going on! With the help of our Explorer Families, we’ve shared a few camping meal ideas with kids for you to try on your next family camping trip:

Breakfast:

  • Cereal & milk — this one always wins! You can bring fresh milk, or powdered milk and mix with water! 
  • Pre-made breakfast sandwiches or burritos — you can make these at home beforehand, and even include your children in the process. This way they will be more motivated to eat something they put the effort into making! Wrap them in tinfoil and heat them over the fire.
  • Scrambled eggs — another winner!
  • Fruit platter — fresh fruit in the summer doesn’t get any better!
  • Pancakes — such an easy and fast option. Pack along instant pancake mix and any added ingredients and you are good to go!
  • Breakfast Pizza – Spread yogurt over a piece of naan or pita bread, then slice it like a pizza. Let each person “decorate” their own piece of breakfast pizza with a variety of pre-cut fruit (cut the fruit up at home!). Tip: Much easier to slice BEFORE the fruit is added.
  • Apple McMuffins — Toast an english muffin over your fire, spread some butter, sprinkle cinnamon and top with green apples!
  • Banana Pops — Peel the banana and then cut it in half. Coat the end of the banana in the nut butter of your choice before rolling/sprinkling it in whatever toppings your kiddo likes – granola, oats, dried fruit, chocolate chips, raisins, shredded coconut. Add a popsicle stick as a handle.

Snacks:

  • Trail mix — you can head to your nearest bulk store and make your own trail mix! The kids can pick exactly what they want, so you know they won’t be picking anything out.
  • Muffins — pre-make muffins at home. They are super easy for around the campsite, and on adventures
  • Ants on a log — wash and cut the celery in 2-3 inch pieces at home. Then at camp, fill each piece with peanut butter and top with raisins.
  • Sliced veggies & dip — sliced coloured peppers, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, celery sticks, sugar snap peas. Ranch, hummus, whatever specific sauce your children cover everything with. Washed and slice ahead at home, this camping snack for kids will be so colourful and full of choice that there’ll be something for everyone.
  • More fruit! — strawberries, kiwi, banana, cantaloupe, apple, watermelon, grapes, clementine, mango – wash and cut before leaving for camp if you have fruit that’ll keep after being cut (dip cut apple pieces in pineapple or orange juice to prevent browning). Then at camp, rather than a typical fruit bowl or plate, spruce it up by giving each kiddo a waffle cone to fill, or a wooden skewer to create a colorful fruit kabob.

Lunch:

  • Sandwiches — you can never go wrong with an easy PB & J sandwich, or whatever flavour your little one is feeling! Pre-make these at home so you can eat them on demand at the campsite.
  • Quesadillas — pre-cut your veggies, pre-shred your cheese and pre-cook your meat. All you will need to do is assemble these when you are ready to eat!
  • Hot Dogs — these are an easy one to whip up over the fire!  Don’t forget the favourite condiments. 
  • Crackers & Cheese — you can also add things like pickles, ham, hummus and other types of dip!
  • Macaroni & Cheese — whether your the boxed kind, or the homemade kind, this is an easy meal to pack for!
  • Apples! We take a bag of apples and it’s gone before the trips over! – @hannahalwaysmac
  • PB sandwiches, so easy and everyone in our family loves them! – @becca_outdoors

Dinner:

  • Campfire Pizza — prepare all the toppings at home, and bring what you know your kids will enjoy! Don’t forget the cast iron pan.
  • Campfire Nachos — this is such an easy and fun meal to have while camping. Pack along your favourite nacho toppings and cook these over the fire.
  • Foil Packet Meals — Potatoes, onions, a veggie and meat of some sort with spices, all wrapped in foil and cooked over the fire!
    – @tam_neidich
  • Hamburgers — Nothing beats hamburgers cooked over the fire! Make sure to pre-cut the toppings at home and don’t forget the condiments!
  • Chicken Strip Wraps — cook and season chicken strips at home. Some kiddos might just like chicken strips reheated with a choice of dipping sauces, while others might like them wrapped in tortillas with added sauce, cheese, chopped tomato, lettuce, and whatever else each individual prefers!
  •  Tacos In A Bag — chop all veggies and cook/season the meat at home. Then at camp, let each person start with their bag of fun-sized chips, then top with all their favorite ingredients. For your younger kiddos, you might want to dump their concoction into an actual bowl for ease of eating.
  • Freshly cooked pasta out of the gas backcountry stove – @jeremybaridon
  • Charcuterie is our favorite first night meal. It’s easy to put together and the kids and grown ups get to eat whatever they like best!                 – @StrongerThanFire
  • Dehydrated/Freeze Dried Backpacker Meals — Because no matter how hectic the backcountry trips gets, you know you’ll get fed.

Dessert

  • Banana Boats — Make a slit in the center of the banana, making sure to not cut all the way through. Pack the slit with mini marshmallows, chocolate pieces and broken up graham crackers. Wrap the banana with tinfoil and place on the fire grates or in the warm ashes. Wait until the marshmallow and chocolate become melted and gooey, about 10 minutes!. Be careful — they’ll be hot. Dig in and enjoy.
  • S’mores — a classic! Try switching it up by adding white or mint chocolate, using Oreo cookies for the sandwich or spreading Nutella instead of chocolate. If you forget your roasting sticks, just wrap the sandwiches in tinfoil and place on the fire! 
  • Baked Apples — Slice some apples, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, wrap in foil, and heat in the fire for 10 minutes or so.
  • S’mores Nachos — Use either a cast iron pan or, for easy clean up, a disposable aluminum pan. First, layer broken up pieces of graham cracker, then top with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Make it snazzy by adding other favorite candy too! Heat the pan over your campfire or camping stove for about 10 minutes or until everything has turned into melty goodness. Tip: You can initially heat this in an oven at home, cool in the fridge, and pack it in your cooler as a chilled dessert – so yummy!
  • Dessert Cones — Grab some ice cream sugar cones and fill with whatever sweet toppings you want. Mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles. These are fun for kids to assemble themselves, buffet style. Wrap tightly with foil and heat upright over the campfire for 5 or 10 minutes, allowing everything to become a melty mess before enjoying.

We hope you have fun trying some of these camping meal ideas with kids! Make sure to tag us using @KidsWhoExplore and #KWEGoesCamping so we can see your camping meal ideas and summer adventures!

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