These brilliant tips for camping with kids are from parents who have taken their own children many times. They will leave you fully prepared whether it’s the first time you have camped with kids and may inspire you if you have camped with children a few times before.
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Don’t camp with children without these genius hacks!
- Bring Walkie Talkies – (and extra batteries) a genius way to keep in touch with your kids around the site, but gives them some independence.
- For young or SEN children, give them a wrist band with your phone number in case they wander off and get lost.
- Fold outfits altogether with underwear, bottoms, top and socks. Have each oufit in a separate bag so each child can grab one and get dressed quickly.
- Give your kids chore so they can earn pocket money. Chores could include fetching water, making their bed, doing the washing up, popping to the onsite shop for a paper. They can then spend it on treats.
- Bring a stash of colouring books, toys, lego, stickers, activities etc, that the kids can’t look at until it’s a rainy day or they have woken up too early to be running around the camp site. Have it close by whilst you set up the tent and keep them occupied whilst you set the tent up without interuptions.
- Don’t enforce usual bed times but stay within the campsites rules. If it’s dark and quiet outside, it’s easier to settle kids.
- Make sure sleeping bags are away from edges of tent before sleeping.
- Pack a picnic blanket. It doubles up as water proof carpet inside the tent.
- Have their favorite cartoons and TV shows downloaded on a fully charged device for the 5am wakers.
- Make yourself a hot thermos flask of tea or coffee so you already have an easy to reach for cuppa for those 5am wake ups with toddlers. No more going out to boil the kettle in the rain and cold!
- Pack waterproofs even if the weather forecast is good because there is always a rainy day, and it’s often wet and dewy in the morning. That way all the kids can play outside and burn off some energy even if it’s drizzling.
- Use plastic boxes to store your food, games, spare tent items etc so you don’t need to unpack or re pack every single item. Make sure they are see through or clearly labelled. We like these food to take camping ideas.
- Have a shoe box at the entrance of the tent. All shoes off when entering and put on when leaving to minimise wet grass and sand in the tent.
- Freeze bits you won’t be using until later in the trip so they keep everything else cold.
- Take a bucket or portable camping toilet for emergency night time wees- you can even put some cat litter (wood pellets) to stop smells.
- Pack Crocs or other waterproof slip on shoes for the shower run.
- Bring re-usable water bottles so they can’t spill their juice.
- Give each child their own flashlight (bring spare batteries)
- Make sure everyone has a hot water bottle and pack spare blankets.
- Pack a suitable and practical camping chair for kids – there are a great variety for babies, toddlers and big kids too!
If you are camping in the UK, you may be interested in these campsites for families. Or how about some camping luxury with these incredible family glampsites with play areas.