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We are camping with our children for the first time next month.   They are aged 3 and nearly 2.  Although we have camped before I would be interested in any tips specific to camping with children?

We are thinking of staying at Tyddyn Isaf on Anglesey.  Our tent doesn't have a sewn-in groundsheet, I'm worried it may be too drafty for them but DH says not to worry.  Since we haven't used the tent for 4 years we're checking and proofing it this week.

Thanks in advance.

We found when using a tent without a SIG our daughter who was 19 months at the time kept crawling out under the sides!

We have invested in a SIG now!

Stuff the space under both driver's and passenger seats in the car with "bricks" of baby wipes. You can never have too many baby wipes.

A friend with 3 sleeping pods and 4 kids put cat collar bells on the zips of the younger kids sleeping areas so she could tell if it was the younger kids getting out in the night (though her kids are a bit older than yours)

My 4 yr old was enchanted with her poundland camping lantern. I nicked it after she was asleep. She woke up at dawn so I was glad I went to bed at the same time as her instead of my usual midnight.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Save your sanity and don't try to keep to your usual routine, especially at bedtime. nbo self respecting two year old will go to bed at a decent time when they can hear the rest of the campsite kids playing outside. Let them stay up and run themselves ragged, then just slide them into their sleeping bags when the pass out.

That way they might sleep in past dawn the next morning. If not well, you've got the unenviable task of keeping them inside and quiet till 7.30  or 8am, which is not easy! Walkman with earphones and story tapes, juice or milk easy to hand and make sure you take turns with your OH when it comes to early morning.

I agree with Skatty, forget bedtime, and let your children wear themselves out.    There are nights when the only thing I insist on is cleaning teeth, the rest can wait until morning.     AND the odd night when one of them has just zonked out, before teeth.   Just come into the tent, and gone to bed, and been asleep before I've even realised.
As they get older, and camp more, it does become possible to get them to go to bed a bit earlier if you are doing something special the next day.

Don't worry about the tent not having a sewn in groundsheet, and being drafty, I don't have a groundsheet and have never had a problem with drafts.    Including one horrendous week last year when it was blowing a gale on several days.
What's more is that spilt orange juice sinks nicely into grass, and saves poor old mum having to jump up, to clean it up.  
I find those cheap plastic backed picnic rugs are great thrown on the floor, my two will sit and play on one, and indeed I have joined them.  The also have the advantage of being able to be thrown in the washing machine when you get home.    I have built up a collection, and now take a couple of spares with me,  then if one does get something spilt on it I can just change it.

Take stuff for your kids to do - cheap colouring books etc.   Buy now, buy cheap and put them away,  labelled, and somewhere where you wont forget them.    No good taking that special pen set that Aunty Flo bought, only to find that one of the pens disappeared when there were 10 kids all sitting around colouring.   Or that the expensive colouring book got left out overnight.    Getting at the local bargain store saves paying out twice the price when the kids spot the same thing in a shop by the site.
DSs, MP3 players etc for keeping them amused when they need to be quite, or it is too wet to go out.
I always take our portable DVD player, and although it doesn't get used very often, it is a godsend in bad weather. 

Post last edited on 27/05/2008 06:14:54

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Bernie

When my youngest was small we used to arrive with hungry children - put them on the rug with a small pre prepared pic nic whilst we get the bit of tenet erecting done that needs 2 adults.  Then when it was just the moving in stage and stuff 1 adult could do, 1 of us would take th ekiddies to the site park or play a game.

In genereal I always take crayons/feltips various colouring books. Magic painting books (the ones you just need a paintbrush and water for) are fab and only 99p in poundstretcher. We have accumulated quite a collection of outdoor toys from ELC over the years.

I would recommend a groundsheet or rugs for the floor in your living area so if its pants weather they can play on the floor. My 2 girls are now 9 and 7 but teh kind of toys we have taken in the past have included (not all at once) stuff like Barbies, Baby Anabel and a toy unbrella buggy, my little ponys etc  I always take the old and tatty barbies and clothes etc so if it gets lost damp etc its not the end of the world!! Also take a few books for them to look at and you to read quietly to them if they wake before say 7.30 8am when campsites are still quiet.

We have taken out laptop before now and run it off the EHU - great for the emerency DVD and thank god last summer we took a few PC games for the kids as we have 3 solid weeks of rain!!!

Also, I know your kids are still very young but start as you mean to go on - talk to them. Explain about campsites and that they must not wander off etc. Explain everyone can hear through tent walls etc and that quiet is expected early in the morning. At age 2 it prolly wont sink in alot but its teh groundwork for the future!! LOL

And finally take loads of baby wipes and wellies and ENJOY!!!!