I am 35 and thinking back to when I was a kid, I remember mostly washing in the tent and have no memories of fancy shower blocks like we have nowadays.
Have only started camping 3 years ago and have since been used to modern shower blocks, even on the most what I thought "basic" sites.
The kids will adapt and will make it more of a fun holiday in my opinion. If anything, is camping about getting away from the daily grind, living life differently and most importantly for the children, appreciating what you do have at home?
Obviously, nicer weather helps with this outdoor living lark :)
Modern shower blocks are great but something about camping has been lost with all the facilities on site nowadays.
In the seventies I remember most sites had a tap a couple of toilets and maybe some wash basins under an old tin roof, I'm sure I even remember camping somewhere where we had to dig a hole and then had a box with a toilet seat on it which went over the top.
But I clearly remember turning up at a site one year and my sister comming running back from the toilet shouting, Mummy , Mummy they've even got showers. Everything else was still pretty primamtive though toilets and sinks in a tin shed. That site was Polmanter Farm in Cornwall have a look here for what it's like now.
Our favourite site has 2 compost toilets and no running water - they deliver you a fresh 50l container of water every morning. We love the absolute simplicity of it... and we are going again in less than 2 weeks!!!!
I got to my last site and relished the free hot showers. They were HOT!!! But no washing up facilities. The local Tesco hadn't a washing up bowl either (which was more odd than the site having no wash up). I bought a crab bucket, it was cheap and cheerful. Space being a premium, I didn't mind throwing away a crab bucket at the end of a few days. :-)
------------- 47 and only just learned how to work a sleeping bag
Our fave site has two toilets, two basins,(only cold taps) two electric showers no other hot water and no washing up facilities. We boil our kettle on gas or the barbie (NEVER had a hook-up) and save left over hot water in a metal thermos jug, which keeps it nice and hot to wash up in a small plastic bowl afterwards. Simples!