If you've never taken the family camping and the whole idea feels like a lot — the gear, the lists, the what-ifs — take a breath. You need far less than the internet wants to sell you, and the bar for a good first trip is lower than you think: everybody eats, everybody's mostly warm, and you come home with a story. That's a win.
Start close and start easy. Pick an established campground or state park with drive-up sites — running water, a bathroom, a fire ring already there — an hour or two from home, and book one or two nights, not a week. Close means low stakes. If it pours or nobody sleeps, home is a short drive, and that escape hatch takes all the pressure off.
For the griddle itself, keep the first weekend unambitious. Friday, set up camp and cook simple smash burgers. Saturday morning, run bacon, eggs, hash browns, and pancakes — that one breakfast teaches you heat zones better than any guide. Saturday night, do build-your-own fajitas so everyone has a job. Sunday, one last breakfast, clean the griddle while it's still warm, give it a light coat of oil, and pack it away ready for next time.