How to Buy a Tent for Your Child

A child's first tent can be a magical place. Help your child find just the right tent for afternoon play, late-night ghost stories or stargazing. You might even join in the fun - if you know the password.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pillows
• Children's Sleeping Bags
• Sleeping Pads
• Tents
• Children's Flashlights

1. Be prepared to spend anywhere from $80 to $200 retail for a basic two- to four-person tent.

2. Consider shopping around for tent bargains - there are lots of them out there. Options for inexpensive tents (as low as $25) include Army/Navy stores, resale outdoor gear stores, large wholesale stores, postseason and rental sales at reputable outdoor gear stores, and Web sites (which you can find by searching the Internet for "tents").

3. Look for simplicity of setup when selecting a tent for your child - something with few poles and preferably no lines and stakes. The ideal tent is one that your child can assist you in setting up or can even assemble and disassemble with her friends.

4. Find a tent that uses aluminum poles for maximum safety. Tubular fiberglass poles and filled fiberglass poles are light but may break with time or misuse.

5. Consider purchasing a "tent attic" that clips on to the inside roof of a dome or rectangular tent, adding an extra shelf of storage space. These cost only about $8 and will add another realm of imaginative possibilities to your child's play space.

6. Consider buying a tent with an outside vestibule or porch that will allow your child to play in a shaded area just outside the tent.

7. Look for a tent with a mesh window on the ceiling so you and your child can gaze at the stars while lying on your back.

8. Consider getting a summer tent or screen tent. These are often less expensive and simply designed.

Tips & Warnings

• Some of the easiest tents to set up are "self-pitching" tents - tents that have poles internal to the design.
• Don't worry about getting a rain fly unless you expect your child to be playing or sleeping in the rain. Rain flies are cumbersome to set up, restrict stargazing and tend to trap heat, making the tent hot in the sun.
• Get a repair kit. Your child's tent is likely to take some abuse if it's truly used for adventure and play.