Top 8 Activities to Do When RVing with Kids

Buying an RV so I could go RVing with my kids is one of the very best decisions I’ve ever made. In the nine years since we bought our first little travel trailer, we have made so many amazing memories, and I absolutely encourage you to snag an RV and do the same!

Not sure what you would do with your kids while out RVing? Honestly, we have found that pretty much anything we do on our RV adventures puts smiles on all our faces and brings us closer as a family. That said, some activities do stand out above the rest. 

Here are our favorite things to do while RVing with kids!

Take a Hike

Many people seem to believe that kids don’t enjoy hiking. I’m here to tell you that that isn’t necessarily the case at all. We’ve taken our kids on a huge number of hikes and they almost always have an awesome time. We’ve also gone hiking with a number of friends who have kids as well, and their hiking kiddos always seem to have a blast.

The key is to plan well. Here are our tips:

Keep It Short

If you have any reluctant hikers in your group, or young hikers who won’t want to be carried but also can’t walk far, then stick to shorter hikes. When our youngest was 3yo, about a mile and a half total was all she could do. These days, she can do closer to two miles total. 

Seek Out Interesting Kid Friendly Trails

If the trail is interesting, hiking it will feel like less of a chore to young explorers. We love hikes with creeks where the kids are allowed to splash, along with trails that include caves where the kids can hide out. Waterfalls (especially ones that we can play in), swimming holes, and big hollow trees are also awesome features that keep our little hikers entertained. 

Hike with Friends

Another way to make hiking fun? Head out with friends. My 12-year-old will very quickly agree to a hike if he knows at least one of his best buds will be there, and often he and his friend(s) end up hiking faster than we do whenever they get wrapped up in talking. 

Go at Their Pace

My 4-year-old does not like to be rushed. She wants to stop and look at mushrooms, peek under rocks at the bugs, and take off her shoes to walk over moss-covered rocks. This would be irritating if I went into every hike wanting only to reach our destination as quickly as possible, so I make a point of not doing so.

Instead, we go at her pace as much as possible, and we get there when we get there (or sometimes not at all). For us in this season of life, hiking is not about the destination at all and 100% about the journey—and that’s okay!

Play Games

Honestly, we don’t often tend to resort to playing games ourselves. The ideas listed above are usually enough to keep our little hikers happy. That said, it doesn’t hurt to have a game or two in your back pocket just in case. This cool scavenger hunt game could be perfect!

Make S’mores

Absolutely no camping trip is complete without s’mores. Even as full timers, we find ourselves making s’mores on a fairly regular basis. Make sure to plan to make s’mores at least once during every RV trip, and keep the stuff on hand for emergency s’mores nights as well. 

We really like to mix things up by changing out the ingredients in our s’mores. Sometimes we use chocolate-covered graham crackers or “Grasshopper”-style mint cookies. Other times, we change out the standard chocolate bar for a Reese’s cup or a York Peppermint Patty. We’ve also seen people use flavored marshmallows and even leftover Peeps that didn’t get eaten on Easter.

Get creative and see what fun ideas you can come up with!

Go for a Swim

As a kid, swimming was one of the things I looked forward to most when my family would go camping. There was this one particular campground I adored where they had water slides that dropped you into the lake, but really you could find me and my siblings in absolutely any body of water where swimming was allowed. 

My kids are no different. They love to be in water, and we swim almost daily in the summer months. Sometimes this just involves walking to the campground pool or a lake in the campground, but other times we will hit the beach for an ocean swim or hike to a swimming hole hidden in the woods. Choose your favorite option and hop in!

We recommend packing the following to keep the kids happy and safe:

• Lifejackets for those who can’t swim
• Sunscreen
• Fun floaties to play with
• Goggles or swim masks
• Dive toys
• Sand toys if you will be going to the beach
• Water toys for little ones

Play Lawn Games

Sometimes I forget how fun a simple game of cornhole or horseshoes can be. These types of games may not sound all that fun right now, but trust me when I say they can be a super fun addition to a night of grilling out and sitting around a campfire.

We don’t have our own lawn games (though I might just buy a cornhole set while I’m sitting here thinking about it), so we only end up playing when visiting friends’ sites. That said, lawn game sets are actually fairly cheap and many come with carrying cases, making them easy to store and tote around.

Grab a set and add some games to your cookout. You might be surprised how much fun you have, especially if you have preteens or teenagers. 

Have an Outdoor Movie Night

Watching a movie in your RV can be fun, but let’s be honest, it isn’t all that different from watching a movie at home. Why not liven things up by taking the movie outside? This is what we did one summer when my mom was out traveling with us, and it was a blast. 

We had a projector that put the image onto the side of the RV and a small Bluetooth speaker so we could all hear. Popcorn and candy were made available to all, and we were able to sit in our favorite camp chairs with our favorite blankets and enjoy the summer night while watching fun movies. 

This was a favorite activity of all of the kids involved, and my son still asks for outdoor movie nights now and then. Definitely a winner!

Watch for Wildlife

If you usually park in crowded RV parks, wildlife watching may not work out very well (though even those parks tend to play host to plenty of birds). That said, anytime we have parked in a state park or boondocked out in the middle of nowhere, we have had amazing luck spotting all kinds of animals. 

While you probably won’t get the kids to sit still purely to watch and wait for local wildlife to wander by, you can remind them to keep their eyes peeled as you enjoy other outdoor activities. It’s a totally magical experience to see their faces light up when a moose walks right past your front door or a fox runs by just feet from your RV, so watching for wildlife is absolutely worthwhile. 

Earn Junior Ranger Badges

During our travels, we make a point of visiting every NPS site we pass. So far, we’ve been to over 100 national parks, monuments, historic sites, etc, and there are many, many more that we have yet to check out. We appreciate the amazing roadschooling opportunities these sites have to offer, and in order to keep our kids engaged and learning, we make sure to grab a Junior Ranger book as soon as we arrive at any NPS site. 

The kids complete activities in their books as we explore the park or site, and then return the completed books in exchange for a super cool Junior Ranger badge. I love that the books ensure the kids learned something new during their visit and allow them to collect a fun but compact (and typically free!) souvenir of our visit. 

Hint: If you won’t have long in a particular park, you can often find a PDF of the book to download and print out, allowing you to do many activities before you even arrive. And if the visitor center closes before you get to speak with a ranger, many (but not all) NPS sites will allow you to mail in your completed Junior Ranger book so that a badge can be sent to your home.

Check Out Local Attractions

Of course, national park sites aren’t the only attractions we check out while traveling. For us, part of the appeal of RVing with kids is the opportunity to explore amazing places. This means checking out as many attractions as we can in each spot we visit.

Reciprocal programs are key when it comes to budgeting for these outings. We love visiting museums, so our Kern County Museum “Travelers” membership—which includes ASTC, NARM, ACM, and Time Travelers reciprocal programs—is a huge money saver. We will also occasionally buy a zoo membership that includes the AZA reciprocal program, and some people appreciate the Boonshoft membership, which includes ASTC, ACM, and AZA. 

We also have an “America the Beautiful” pass, which gets us into national parks and other government-run lands, and I have become a pro at searching for free events and activities in any given community. 

To find free fun:

Run an Internet Search

The first thing I always do is search, “free things to do in ___”. Often, this turns up articles that list several free things to do in that place, and sometimes I will find super cool museums, parks, and even water play areas that are 100% free. 

Look at Coffee Shop Bulletin Boards

Local coffee shops almost always have a bulletin board full of flyers. Check out those flyers to see if any free festivals, classes, or other events might be happening while you’re in the area. 

Join Local Facebook Groups

Local Facebook groups will often include posts made by locals who are hosting cool events in the community. Join local Facebook groups a couple of weeks before you arrive in a new area to see what you can find. 

Look for Hikes and Playgrounds

Hiking trails and playgrounds are almost always free to visit. Use the photos on Google Maps to find cool playgrounds, and AllTrails to search for hiking trails. I’m almost always able to find at least one playground and a couple of interesting trails in any given area. 

Head to the Library

Libraries almost always have a schedule of events that are free to the public. Head to the local library and pick up a paper schedule or check the schedule online. We’ve seen story times, yoga classes, LEGO clubs, film-making workshops, and more, all offered for free (!) at local libraries. 

As you can see, there are tons of fun things to do while RVing with kids. Which activities will you work into your upcoming getaway? No matter which you choose, we know you’ll have an amazing time!