TOP TIPS FOR CAMPING WITH CHILDREN

It’s summer. It’s hot. You need a few days off and the kids need somewhere to run wild and wear themselves out. Camping with children is one of the best breaks to have as a family and can offer you the much-deserved escape from everyday life that you need.

Even if it’s a weekend getaway or a few days of fun, camping with children is a wonderful way of getting the whole family involved and spending some quality time together. Being out in the fresh air, surrounded by nature with the sun rays on your back will be beneficial to everyone’s health and wellbeing, no matter how old they are.

Camping with children means that families can bond, socialise, and work together to create magical memories for months to come. Fishing, hiking, swimming and sports at camp sites are ideal activities to keep the kids entertained and ensure you get some of the respite that you’re longing for.

If you’ve never had a camping holiday before and you’re worried if they’ll enjoy it or what sort of problems might arise, then fear not. I’ve shared my top tips for camping with children and everything you’ll need to make sure you have the best time in the great outdoors.

Packing the Essentials…

Firstly, you’ll need to make sure you’ve packed everything, and, with kids, that can sometimes mean the kitchen sink too! To give you some ideas, I’ve put together a list of the necessities below which will help you to have an almost stress-free time when camping with children.

1. From Home to Home- Sleeping Arrangements and Tents

• A tent big enough or bigger to accommodate the size of your group when camping with children

• Spare tent pegs

• Mallet to hammer the pegs into the ground

• Lantern

• Duct tape which has a variety of uses!

• Electric hook up to add power to your tent for lights, kettles, and other electrical devices.

• Sleeping bag or a sleeping mat or airbed to give you and the kids extra cushioning and comfort during the night

• A camp-bed if you want to get off the ground

• Pillows, duvets, and extra layers in case the temperature drops in the night

2. Time for Tea- Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

• Find simple camping recipes, delicious meals are a part of the camping experience. Snacks are handy to have too so that you can keep grumbling bellies quiet.

• Water container to keep all members of the family hydrated

• Barbeque or stove for cooking

• Gas or charcoal

• Kettle

• Pots, pans, plates, cups, cutlery, utensils

• Wet wipes

• Tin opener, bottle opener

• Cool bag or cooler

• Matches or lighter

3. Making the Campsite Look Like Home

• Bin bags for getting rid of rubbish

• Cord for stringing things together like washing lines

• Portable toilet (for emergencies)

• Furniture such as camping chairs and tables to make a social, cooking, and play area

• Gazebo for outdoor socialising and just in case it rains (not necessary)

• Torch for when you lose your way in the night!

4. Health and Safety Essentials

• Personal medication

• First aid kit as a necessity

• Toilet roll

• Insect repellent

• Batteries for devices

• Anti-bacterial handwash

• Hand sanitiser to keep germs at bay

• Sun cream for UV protection against those rays

This is what one child actually said to me in her own words 🙂

Nature walks are a splendid idea and a great opportunity to make children learn what is secretly hidden deep inside the woods. Children will adore getting into all sorts of adventures and exploring the world around them. This will teach them hundreds of new things and will be incredibly beneficial to their health and certainly exhaust them and fill their day with joyful memories ~ Cassie

Ready, Set, Go!

Before you set off on a camping with children holiday, there’s a few things to take into consideration before you warm up the engine. You may be thinking, “is camping with children a suitable trip with my brood”? If so, I’ve listed a few things to help you decide.

• Have you got enough space in the boot to take all your gear for your camping with children break? Even large tents can take up a lot of space and you may not have enough room for yourself and the kids!

• Gather every bit of info you can about camping in general and camping in the area you are visiting. From the type of tent you should buy to the sleeping arrangements for the kids. Google your local outdoors retailer and they will have camping experts ready to give you all the information you need.

• Get some practice runs in with the tent in preparation for your camping with children break. Camp out in the garden to see if the kids feel comfortable sleeping in a tent. Practice pitching your tent, single-handedly if you must so that you know that, if one member of the family is busy tending to the kids, the other member can do it alone. Your practice run will help you see how well the kids settle at night and how many extra layers are needed when the night air sets in. With all this in mind you’ll know exactly what to expect on your camping with children getaway.

Get Kids involved on your camping

• When you’re travelling to the campsite for your camping adventure, why not play the kids favourite CD’s or make up some car games or songs to get the excitement of your trip started?

• Encourage the kids to pack a bag of their own with their favourite books, toys, or devices, then it won’t be such a far cry from home.

• When you get to the campsite, why not get the kids to help you set up the actual tent? They’ll love being part of something so constructive and will feel like they’re part of the team.

• Let the children get involved with making the dinners. They’ll love barbeque burgers and hot dogs and will probably be more likely to eat something amidst all the excitement. Dessert making is certainly a winner for young ones on your camping with children breaks.

• Tidying up and cleaning is always lots more fun when you’re in a tent too.

• Help the kids make a scrapbook of their camping holiday. Places they’ve seen, things they’ve done, and even some snap shots always make wonderful memories.

Ready for Zeds and Beds?

Are you tired yet? Well after a fun-packed day of running around, playing games and exploring, the kids should certainly be ready for bed. Here’s a few tips to ensure they will get a good night’s sleep.

• Adventure books and bedtime stories are a great way of making sure the kids are out for the count when they are tucked up inside their sleeping bags.

• When you’re out camping with children, why not create some fun games or sporting events to keep the kids occupied, tire them out, and get the whole family involved?

• For rainy days, why not bring some board games along so that you can entertain the kids inside the tent and have some bonding time with the family? Family camping sites are very accommodating to families and understand children will make noise, so that doesn’t have to be a worry for you. Anything to tire them out for the night!

• While you’re camping with children, why not check out the local area to see if there’s any fun things you can do as a family with the kids? Take a picnic basket with you and explore the environment! Hiking and cycling will certainly tire the kids out.

• Nature walks are also a great idea. The children will love getting into all things green and exploring the world around them. It will teach them new things and be very beneficial to their health, and certainly tire them out by evening.

Summary

For you…

For yourself, why not pack a nice bottle of wine and some snacks to chill out and unwind with when the kids are finally asleep on your camping with children break? You’ll kiss them goodnight and tuck them up in their sleeping bags, then have the rest of the evening to reflect on a super day spending quality time with the family.

I hope you’ve found my tips for camping with children useful and I wish you the best time on your camping trips!

EVERY MOMENT COUNTS

My mission is to hike and mountain bike the best hidden gems in the UK so that I can bring you on my journey with the most beautiful photographs.

My goal is to inspire you through visuals and storytelling of the best hidden gems in the British Isles.

Why? I want to inspire you to venture out and live a little. Go explore, make new friends and see new places. Make a difference to your life.