If you’re a parent, then you know how easy it is for the kids’ stuff to take over.
When they’re little, it’s all the toys that help with their development of fine motor skills as well as their imagination: puzzles, building blocks, plastic dinosaurs, pull toys, the noisy driving wheel. As they grow, the toys change, and they can be a lot bigger – I’m talking dirt bikes and ATVs. But the challenge remains regardless of age: finding a way to keep it all organized. The added challenge is keeping it all organized and at a manageable level when you’re on the road and living together in a much smaller space.
1. Set limits.
You can’t take everything for every possible activity. You’d quickly be overrun! With infants and toddlers, take only a few favorite toys from home and maybe add a new one to the mix for new interest. One way to accomplish this is to give each child a tote of their own so that they can choose which toys or games they would like to have with them. Get a couple larger totes to hold items that are for everyone, such as footballs and yard games or board games and cards. If your child is a bookworm, limit the number of books and ask them to keep the books contained in a backpack; if your bookworm is older, bring along an e-reader instead to help save on space. Just take the items they will enjoy during slower times of the trip, such as in the evening or during a rainy day.
2. Plan for your activities.
This is more for when your kids are older and have outdoor interests. Talk ahead of time what your kids would like to do based on what’s around your location – such as a really great fishing lake – and at the campground – such as a pool. Does your family love to bike? Then bikes are a must. Don’t just bring bikes along because you want to be prepared in case you have time to use them. Everything you bring should be brought with purpose.
3. Designate storage areas.
Just like at home, when it’s time to clean up, everything returns to where it came from – and it keeps your RV tidy in the process. If you store things in a storage area behind or under the RV, or in the tow vehicle, help the kids with putting things away and getting them out when they’re little. If you’re traveling with very young children – infants or toddlers, it’s even more essential to keep all their little things contained in the same place – to be able to find something quickly, to keep things clean, and for easy access.
When you’re RVing as a family, whether it’s for a weekend, a couple weeks, or all season long, you’re already tight on space because it’s filled with more essential items. Just take what you need and keep it all organized. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors that don’t require anything other than hiking shoes, a camera, and a sense of adventure. The experience of getting out and exploring new places and trying new things, together, is what RVing is all about.