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sound like you had fun any way, what is your new tent?

Hi Vicky

Take board games and playing card games like uno or phase 10.  Story CD's are also good for kids and a big art and craft box keeps them busy when they get bored.  Lego can also be packed into a small box which is good.  In the evenings you can go places with the kids like a local swimming pool.  This keeps them warm and occupied for an hour or so and tires them out

As for being cold.  if you are sleeping on air beds the cold is almost certainly coming up from below.  Put some form of insulation such as a roll out camping mat under the airbed, or like us, put a thick duvet on top of the bed and sleep on top of it.  The rule for sleeping on an airbed in cold weather is to have as much under you as you have over you.  With this insulation, a pair of thermal jammies, a good quality sleeping bag, a fleece blanket and a hot water bottle, you should be as warm as toast! 

Anyway, congratulations on your first trip and I hope there are many more happy outings to come

Try putting something ontop of your airbd next time ,a picnic blanket ,fleece sheet anything to stop the air in the airbed circulationg you body heat away!

Better stil if your planning on going out of season a lot ,might be worth investing in an EHU and a halogen heater

We used to get cold at night until we learnt the tricks previously mentioned. Now we put picnic rugs under the mattresses and a sheet or fleece on top, then the sleeping bag, then another fleece if it's really cold. We now manage easily like that and i only where a t shirt to bed!

As for the kids getting bored, I think the trick is to wear them out doing all the running about outdoors in the day and then ours (2 Girls) spread their dolls out on a rug inside the tent with the fan heater on, whilst we sit out under the stars...bliss!!

I think your very brave.  It 's always really dangerous when you have a new tent as your so anxious to try it out!.  We were the same last year, went in early April after picking up our Hertford XXl the previous weekend.  We were absolutely freezing and our two children ended up with us, hogging the majority of a double sleeping bag.  We called it a day and went home, and invested in proper sleeping bags etc and never looked back.

Can't wait to get going again this year.

All the best