Family camping: our top tips for camping with kids

Planning a forest getaway for the whole family? How exciting! If you’re yet to decide where to stay, view our forest campsites, simply search by destination and the facilities your family needs.

We know taking the kids camping can throw up new challenges. Maybe this is your first time camping with the kids and you’re on the lookout for preparation advice. Perhaps this isn’t your first camping trip with youngsters and you’re used to the surprises camping with kids can create.

Our Top Tips for Camping With Kids

1. Do a trial-run

If it’s going to be your first time camping with the whole family, doing a test run isn’t a bad idea. Try camping in your back garden for a night or, if you’re near one of our campsites, try a 3 night trip before a longer stay. This practice run will give you an idea of any items you’re likely to forget and any situations which may arise on a longer camping trip. It’s also a great way to introduce children to a camping environment to gauge a reaction before you head off for a longer trip. The idea is that you’ll be near enough to home that you can pack up and go back to your safe haven if needed.

2. Make the car journey fun

Very quickly, kids can get bored of watching fields and road signs slip by. Here are a few game ideas to keep the kids (and yourselves) entertained until you reach your destination.

We’re fond of a ‘family story’, in which one person kick-starts a narrative by saying the first line, then you get the rest of the family involved too! Each person takes turns to continue the tale, only ending when you agree it can’t get any better. Kids’ imaginations will make you laugh if they’re given enough of a prompt, making for some hilarious scenarios as you motor on.

Obviously, car standards like 20 Questions or I Spy can save the day, but there’s no harm in doing something a little more creative. Try the drawing game – fold a piece of paper into thirds or quarters, and have each passenger (minus the driver!) sketch part of a figure: the head, body, legs and feet without peeking at the previous body parts. You’ll get some real mixed characters.

"We all went shopping" is a classic and really gets little minds working hard. Select a person to go first, they'll say the phrase "I went shopping and bought a ...". The second person then repeats the first persons phrase and adds their own item. It goes on like this until everyone forgets who bought what. The last person still going wins.  

We guarantee you'll hear "Are we nearly there yet?" a lot less from the back seats when playing some of these in-car games. 

3. Stay warm and dry

Catering for your children’s sense of security should be your number one priority when arriving on site after a long drive.

Make sure everyone in your camping group knows where the nearest facility block is when you arrive; our campsite managers will point this out to you on your way in. After everyone’s stretched their legs and had a little look around, it’s time to set up. You’ll find our camping checklist here; it’s a great overview of the essentials.

Here are a few extra items to take when camping with kids: 

• A favourite blanket, cuddly toy or pillow can go a long way to making a tent or caravan feel like home.
• A torch each is a good idea, not only are they great to make shadow puppets with, they're also great to have on hand for late night trips to the loo and provide a bit of comfort in a dark tent. 
• Rain and bored children can make for muddy situations. Take waterproofs, plenty of plastic bags for wet items and put a “no shoes in the tent” rule in place.
• Take a toy tub- any box will do. Tell the kids they can only take as many toys as they can fit into the box. This not only saves on packing space but also means you’ll have somewhere to store all of the toys in your camping unit.
• Antibacterial wipes and kitchen roll will come in handy countless times. 
• Blankets, blankets and more blankets. Tents can get really cold once the sun goes down so pack layers and plenty of extra clean, dry blankets. Being cold makes for a poor night’s sleep and grumpy campers. 
• Bells on tent zips are a great way for you to hear whose coming and going and alert you to anyone leaving when they shouldn’t be. 

4. Packing the right food

• Plan what you’re going to eat before you go, don’t leave it until you find the nearest supermarket to your campsite.
• Hot meals are a priority before bed, as you want little stomachs to be warm and content to ease them into sleep.
• The camping stove market is huge, search online for advice before you purchase.
• Carbon Monoxide should always be in the back of your mind. 
• Buy a cool- box for sandwiches, fruit and snacks if you’re camping in the summer.
• We’ve got a few family friendly recipes for under £5 for a little inspiration.

At the end of the day, no one knows your children like you do. If there are extras you think you may need to take- pack them. Being over prepared is better than the alternative. No matter what the weather, come rain or shine, you’re going to have a fantastic camping holiday, making memories to keep for years to come.

Keen to strap those walking boots on, heading for some of the most picturesque camping spots in the UK? Find the site that’s got your name on it, and make that escape happen!