Want to know what prompted us to find the best campgrounds for families with kids?  Let me fill you in…  Have you ever been somewhere with your kids and wished you hadn’t left the house??  Please tell me it’s not just us.  There have been times we have taken all 4 kids to a hotel or a restaurant that wasn’t exactly kid-friendly, despite the fact it was a family friendly choice.  You walk in, there is a TON of stuff that is super interesting to kids, and they’re not supposed to touch it.  Kids are expected to be quiet, even if you can’t figure out who they are disturbing. Then this event, the one you expected to be something fun for everyone, turns into you wondering why your kids suck at going out in public.  You’re mumbling to them under your breath.  You’re thinking you must be a terrible parent because you’re kid just has no clue how to leave the house.  Been there.  More times than I can count.  Listen, I’m not saying my kids are perfect, or that there aren’t times when I legitimately wonder why they turn into maniacs the second we walk out the door, but some things are just natural for kids.  Some places just make it impossible for kids to succeed.  Know what i mean??  Those places you leave thinking– “wth just happened????” and then you think about it for a few and you realize- “yeah, that wasn’t even their fault.  and thanks, *crappy place that made you feel like this* for being stupid.”  I have discovered the best campgrounds for families with kids, and you are going to love all they have to offer!

When it comes to vacations or getting away, we have found the place to go with kids!!

As a family, have fallen in love with KOAs (Kampgrounds of America).  Last summer, we visited our first KOA, in Uniontown, PA- the KOA at River’s Edge and quickly found 12 ways to reconnect as a family in one weekend.  We visited the KOA at Myrtle Beach, SC and discovered 3 family friendly adventures in Myrtle Beach.  In the fall, last year, we visited Uniontown again and learned 3 Reasons to stay at a KOA on their Halloween weekend.
This year, our family planned a reunion at the Bellefonte KOA, and once again, we were thrilled to have been able to spend a weekend at yet another KOA.  You just really can’t go wrong when visiting a KOA.

 

6 reasons KOAs make the best

campgrounds for families with

kids

 

(note..  this is a totally image heavy post!!  i strongly encourage you all to take out your cameras and capture your everyday!  if you’re looking for inspiration, download your FREE ebook- 10 photo projects for ANYONE with ANY camera!)

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1.  Options.  With locations all over the United States and Canada, you have thousands of options when deciding where you want to visit.  Believe me when I say we have a list of KOAs on our bucket list.  On top of that, you have options with regards to how much you want to “rough it”.  We have camped in a tent with our children (all four of them!).  We have camped in very basic cabins which are basically a climate controlled room with beds and no bathroom (you use the bath house).  We have camped in gorgeous lodges with televisions, kitchens, and bathrooms.  If you’ve got a camper you can take that too.  You really couldn’t ask for anything more.
2. Affordability.  Considering you can pay for a spot to set up your tent or RV, a basic cabin, a lodge, etc you really can find a way to meet any budget. And since most of us are on a budget when planning a family vacation with kids, this is huge!!
3. Planned activities that are either free or very inexpensive.  Throughout the course of our stays at KOAs the kids have made tie dye shirts, played dunk kick ball, played in a giant bubble pit, rode hay rides, made crafts, went on treasure hunts, attended ice cream socials and bonfires, played bingo, and even gone trick or treating.  There is no shortage of things to do.  it would be completely logical to expect to park your car and never leave the property!
4. Room to roam and awesome amenities.  One of the many reasons we prefer a KOA to a hotel is the ability to get outside and move around! There is room to play kickball and gather as a family outside of your cabin.  all 3 KOAs we have visited have had beautiful playgrounds, clean pools (2 of them also had splash pads), volleyball courts, sand pits, an on-site convenience store, clean and updated bath houses, the list really goes on. The KOA we visited in Myrtle Beach even had a bounce pad!  While KOAs are individually run (think franchise), it is clear that KOA holds their properties to a high standard.
5. Old-fashioned family fun.  Every KOA is slightly different but they all offer countless opportunities to put down the electronics and have some good old-fashioned fun.  Every site has a fire ring–  hello, s’mores (these are the best roasting sticks)! There is swimming, tether ball, hiking, fishing, playground play, board games, bingo, bike riding, and so much more! Clearly, most of these things can be done many places, but the fact of the matter is we don’t do them all that often and it’s such a breath of fresh air when we do!  Our kids actually spent 20 minutes rolling down a grass hill like it was an amusement park ride and taste tested crickets (ick!)…  who knew they were so easily amused??!
6. No dress code.  I realize there isn’t necessarily a dress code at a hotel, or Disney World, or most places you take your kids.  But, when i say “no dress code” I mean, you pick the clothes at the bottom of the drawer that you aren’t the least bit worried about and pack those.  At the end of your vacation, every article of clothing you brought will be dirty– don’t be scared–  it’s all good!!  (just don’t bring your favorite clothes!)
7. The staff.  The staff (the folks in the yellow shirts) at every KOA we have visited has been amazing.  They are so helpful, and have made all of us feel so safe.  These awesome people have been the ones to head up activities, and everyone of them has done it with a smile on their faces.  I’m sure we can all agree what a difference the staff makes at a venue.Well???  What are you waiting for??–  Go book a weekend, or week, or a couple of weeks, or the summer (ok, maybe that’s a bit much) at a KOA!  If you’re already a fan of a KOA leave me comment, I’m sure others would love to hear about your experiences too!  This is a great post from crumbs in the couch on why they make a great option for a large group vacation! One last thing, all of the images in this post were taken at the Bellefonte KOA.  They were all taken with the “stuff that’s in my camera bag” and they were all taken in manual mode!  If you’re not already shooting in manual mode- here are 6 reasons you should be using manual mode to capture your wild things and if you’re just looking to have some fun capturing them on camera check out my list of summer must-haves for capturing it all this summer!

   
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