CAMPING WITH CHILDRE N

Ah, the joys of camping with children. Blissful , wild, crazy freedom for the little ones but possibly slightly more exhausting for the adults on tour but just a few extra pieces of prep will make the experience an enjoyable one, not an endurance test.

1. Pick the right spot

When you arrive at the campsite, you are likely to spend an inordinate of time attempting to find the perfect pitch. Not t oo stony, too soggy, too hilly, too windy, too close to the loos, too far from the loos, to close to a rowdy group, to o close to people you don’ t want to disturb… be prepared for this and try to urge patience. It’s worth roaming around for the best spot.

2. Let them help

Unless you are very familiar with your tent, your Little Explorer’s ‘help’ might not be very welcome. It would hardly be fair to send them away when you are doing - what they consider to be - one of the most exciting jobs of the who le trip, so set them some tasks. Counting out the pegs, or lining up the poles in size order will make them feel useful

3. Eat & drink supplies

Hot chocolate is of course the number one most important ingredient to take with you – as are marshmallows if you’re lucky enough to find a campsite that allows fires. Send your Little Explorers off on a stick-finding adventure. Only the perfect stick will do f or those precious marshmallows. The perfect camping breakfast in our book i s sausages, eggs and croissants, accompanied by a good, strong, coffee . We take our mini stove top espresso maker for extra luxury – it’s those details that can pick you up after what could be a long night.

4. Take a headtorch

Extra light can make the whole experience more appealing so here’s a great tip. Don’t forget your headtorches. These are perfect for hands-free illumination when you’re eating, reading or heading out to the loo. To make your torch into a lantern, simply poke it into an empty plastic milk carton – the larger the better. This will create a gentle, calm glow that fills the tent. If you want to make sure you can spot the children after dark, tie a glowstick to their clothing. Set everyone up with headphones and music, and you can create a silent disc o too!

5. Bring comfy things

Comfort is king when camping. Unless you are hardcore campers and you have trekked to your destination carrying everything you need on your backs, I’d recommend taking as many fluffy pillows, cosy duvets and blanke ts as you can fit in your car! An uncomfortable child is generally as unfriendly a comp anion as you could fear to meet – especially at 2am. A thermal mat is an absolute must if you’re camping in the UK , where even the warmest days can turn into chilly nights. I would even suggest you take woolly hats for everyone just in case.

6. Abandon the normal bedtime

Don’t even think about trying to get the children to bed at their normal time. You will only be sorely disappointed . Accept the fact that they will go to sleep very late on the first night at least, but that their sleep will be deep and rev italising. Sleeping in the great outdoors for a couple of night has recently been shown to reset your body clock. So, bring it on for those poor sleepers and suffering parents out there!

7. Other tips….

Taking a potty is not a bad idea, no matter how old your children are. They always seem to need the loo about 100 times a night when you’re in a ten t. It could save you trekking across the campsite in the middle of the night or early in the morning. Parents have been known to take advantage of this facility too…

It will rain. Be ready for it and embrace it! It is so relaxing lying under the canvas listening to the drip drops overhead. If room in the car allows, take a spare gazebo to create extra living and playing space if the weather does turn inclement. When your children are old enough, card games or travel games like Guess Who or Dobble are fantast ic for family bonding sessions. And there’s little better than lying in the dark listening to your parents or older siblings reading a great story by torchlight.

And when you’ve all just about had enough, seek out the nearest heated swimming pool to use the showers and have a jolly good clean (and if you’re lucky – use of a hairdryer!)

Happy Camping!

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