One of the most common activities on a camping trip is eating, so why not bring along some kid's camping recipes? Your kids will have fun making the meals, and you can lay back in the hammock and take a nap!
The Best Kids Camping Recipes
Many of the recipes for kids to make involve using the hot coals of a fire to cook the food. The best way to do this is to make sure that as suppertime approaches, you allow the fire to die down to hot coals so that there's no danger that your kids will get burned by the fire. If your kids are under 13 years old, it's always a good idea to closely supervise them while they are cooking over hot coals.
Great Kid's Easy Camping Recipes
Many of your kid's ideas of good food aren't exactly things that are easy to cook over a campfire, especially for kids. Easy recipes usually generate boring meals, but that doesn't have to be the case. First, create a list of possible meals by gathering ideas from your kids. For simplicity, ask them what their favorite meals are. While your kid's ideas may not seem practical at first, with a little creativity you'll find that very tasty meals really are possible over a campfire.
Camping Pizza or Calzone for Kids to Make
Kids love this pizza recipe because by using just a few simple ingredients that are easy to bring on a camping trip, they can cook one of their favorite foods. If they are old enough to cook over hot coals, each child can make their own pizza. If you have room in your cooler and want to let your kids get creative, bring along extra toppings like black olives or ham. The only cooking tool needed for this recipe is a pie iron. When it's cooked, it looks just like a calzone and tastes like pizza.
Ingredients:
- White bread
- Margarine
- Mozzarella cheese
- Pizza Sauce
- Pepperoni
Instructions:
- Take one slice of bread and slather on pizza sauce, cheese, and other toppings.
- Put the other slice of bread on top.
- Butter both sides of the "sandwich."
- Place the buttered sandwich inside the pie iron and place it over the coals.
- Turn the pie iron often. When the pizza is ready, it will be nicely toasted on both sides.
Kid's Easy Trail-Mix Balls
It's best to make this recipe at home with your children before the camping trip, because the process of making these trail-mix balls can get very messy! The key to a successful trail-mix ball is choosing the right ingredients. You can pick healthy filler food, but the best tasting ones always come from loading it with lots of chocolate and nuts.
Ingredients:
- Chex cereal
- 1/4 cup raisins and dates
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup M&M's
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
Instructions:
- Mix all of the dry items together in a bowl.
- Pour the peanut butter and honey on top.
- Using your hands (freshly washed!), squash together all of the ingredients.
- Shape the mixture into balls, and place into zip lock bags for your camping trip.
Icecream Kickball
Most camping outfitters now sell "icecream balls" that you can fill with ingredients and pass around the campsite to make some great tasting homemade icecream. However, you don't have to buy these gadgets to make icecream around the campsite with your kids. All you need are two coffee cans, a small one (1 pound) and a large one (3 pound), and duct tape.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup half and half or milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- rock salt
- crushed ice
- icecream flavor (chocolate syrup, peanut butter, or strawberry sauce)
Instructions:
- Strip the paper label off of the smaller coffee can (for better temperature transfer).
- Mix the milk, sugar, vanilla and any added flavor you want into the small coffee can.
- Close the lid and tape it firmly shut with duct tape.
- Place the small coffee can into the larger one and surround it with crushed ice.
- Sprinkle about 7 to 9 tablespoons of rock salt over the ice.
- Close the lid of the larger can and duct tape the lid closed.
- Pass the can around, or roll it back and forth along the ground for 10 minutes.
- Check the icecream, if it isn't ready, shake it around for 10 more minutes
- Serve the icecream and enjoy!
The Banana Canoe
This recipe is not only fun to make, but it's also fun to eat. Kids get a kick out of eating a banana with a spoon.
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh banana with a firm peel
- 1 tablespoon M&M's
- 2 tsp granola
- 2 tsp mini marshmallows
Instructions:
- Place your banana on thick aluminum foil (or two layers).
- Don't peel the banana, just cut a slice out along length of the banana.
- Stuff chocolate chips, nuts, and the marshmallows into the opening of your "canoe."
- Wrap the banana with the aluminum foil.
- Carefully place the banana over the hot coals with tongs, and leave it there for about 10 minutes.
- Use tongs to place the banana on a picnic table to cool, then eat with a spoon.
Final Words
When you're camping, cooking doesn't just have to be for mealtime, it can also become an activity that allows you to spend quality time with your children. Use these recipe ideas to plan out activities that you can do with your kids during the camping trip. Not only will you be making some very tasty food, but you'll also be creating memories for your kids that will last a lifetime.
