Is camping with kids hard? Hmmm – well that depends. Is camping with kids rewarding? Absolutely!
If you aren’t prepared, taking the kids on a camping trip may not turn out quite the way you imagined. But with the right preparation and knowledge, family camping trips can be so much fun and incredibly rewarding.
The kids will get so much out of it and you will create lifelong memories.
Over the years we have gained some invaluable tips for camping with kids from fellow campers and we’ve learned by trial and error. Avoid our rookie mistakes by reading this helpful guide to camping with kids.
First time campers may also find these tips for beginner campers useful!
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These are our top tips for camping with kids…
1. Pick the right tent for your family
There are so many tents on the market these days and it is hard to know which one is best. At the end of the day, it is a personal choice and totally depends on the size of your family.
But there are a few things you should bear in mind when choosing your family tent.
- consider whether you want airbeam or tent poles. Airbeam tents are much easier to put up but can be much heavier and bulkier to carry.
- buy a larger tent than the size of your family. i.e. a 4 person tent is good for a couple, a 6 person tent is good for 4 people.
- make sure that the tent has blacked out sleeping areas – especially if you are camping with toddlers. Camping with toddlers is a whole different ball game and we have a separate article with advice on camping with young children.
- buy a tent with a living area and a porch area so that you have somewhere to relax in bad weather.
You can see more info on this family tent buying guide.
We personally love the 4 person black out air tent by Quechua from Decathlon. It is easy to put up, has 2 separate bedrooms, a lounge area and blacks out. It is very reasonable compared to other brands.
See prices here on the Decathlon website.
If you are a larger family, they also have an 8 person tent with 4 separate bedrooms. See here for price on the Decathlon website.
2. Do a trial run in the garden
Kids will love the camping experience no matter where you are. Camping in the garden can be just as exciting for them so there’s no harm in doing a trial run in the garden.
If you don’t want to do that, then the next best thing would be to camp close to home the first time. This way, you can head home in the middle of the night and come back the next day to grab your tent if things don’t go to plan.
3. Arrive with plenty of daylight left
Nobody wants to be setting up camp in the dark no matter how many tasks you give the kids to keep them from running off (see next tip)!
Plan to arrive at the campsite with plenty of daylight left.
Also make sure you have snacks to hand when you first arrive, especially if you have had a long journey. Hangry kids make setting up camp harder!
4. Give the kids some camping tasks
Kids love to get involved so from the outset, get them involved in setting up camp. This is one of our favourite tips for camping with kids. There are two benefits to doing this.
- it will keep them busy and within sight when you first arrive. Setting up camp can be stressful, especially if it is your first time and having the kids run off before you have had a chance to assess the campsite will add to the stress.
- it will help them gain their own camping knowledge which will stay with them for life. They can start with simple tasks like setting up the chairs or filling the water container and build from there.
5. Be prepared for bad weather
Staying warm and try is the key to successful camping with kids. Easier said than done you might think, especially with the unpredictable weather we can experience in the UK.
Pack for all kinds of weather. Bring layers, good waterproofs and wellies – even during the summer months.
TOG24 are our all time favourite lightweight packable waterproof jackets. We cannot recommend them enough!
There are currently 8 colours in the TOG24 Craven Women’s Waterproof Packaway Jacket.
There are currently 12 colours in the TOG24 Craven Men’s Waterproof Packaway Jacket.
There are currently 7 colours inTOG24 Craven Kid’s Waterproof Packaway Jacket.
You can read our full review of the TOG24 pack away waterproof jackets here.
If you need to all huddle inside to get out of the bad weather, you’ll want to make sure that everyone is kept entertained. This can be a good time to grab a book and for everyone to chill. Or bring a family travel game or two. We always have a pack of cards with us.
See our final tip on what to pack for camping with kids for more ideas.
6. Leave the devices at home
Going camping with kids is a great way to get them off their screens. Go for walks to explore the local area. Make it fun by creating a nature bingo game. This will help them to really connect with nature.
We have a guide with plenty of outdoor activities for kids that will give you some ideas. You can also download and print this bingo card to take with you.
If you are super organised, you could laminate it and take wipeable pens so that you can use it on each camping trip.
7. Stick to your routine as much as you can
Stick to a routine but accept that the kids may not want to go to sleep when the rest of the campsite is out playing. Bedtimes go out of the window when we’re camping.
The noise of other kids playing coupled with the light streaming in the tent (although blackout tents help to a certain extent) will make it hard to convince kids to go to bed.
Pour yourself a glass of wine and let them run around a little longer. The more energy they burn, the better they will sleep!
8. Pick family friendly campsites
Some campsites are better for families than others.
Some of the things we look for when camping with kids are:
- extra large grass pitches so that there is plenty of room for the kids to play.
- children’s play area.
- ideally no cars on-site so that the kids can run around in safety.
- an on-site shop for the all important camping treats like ice creams!
Also look into the things to do nearby. You won’t want to spend all of your time on the campsite. Maybe look at some campsites on or next to the beach?
If you don’t like the idea of shared facilities, there are campsites in the UK with ensuite facilities!
Also think about camping with friends, especially if they are seasoned campers! It’s always good to have an extra pair of hands to share the load.
9. Food prep
Take pre-prepared food where you can and keep meals simple. We usually take a batch of Bolognese frozen and let it defrost in the cool box. It also helps to keep other stuff cool. It is worth investing in a good quality cool box like this one.
If you don’t fancy making a camp fire to cook (or if the site doesn’t allow campfires), make sure you have the right camping stove.
We love the Cadac Safari Chef 2 as it is so versatile. It even cooks pizza using the Cadac pizza stone. Make sure you purchase the connector hose,regulator and gas canister too.
Take marshmallows and chocolate digestives to make s’mores. There is nothing better at the end of the day than sitting around the fire toasting marshmallows with the kids.
Please bear in mind that you should not be cooking in tents or enclosed camping spaces as there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
10. Camping with kids checklist
You don’t want to get to the campsite (particularly if you have picked a fairly remote one) only to find that you have forgotten a camping essential. Decide what to take camping with kids and make a list of things to bring camping with kids
In addition to the camping essentials for kids, pack a few entertaining toys. Some of our favourite travel gifts for kids are camping related.
Here are some ideas of camping toys to keep the kids entertained.
- Squirt Guns or foam water blasters – perfect on a hot, summer’s day. These ones are cute.
- Balls – Football (lightweight), bat and ball.
- Portable badminton set.
- Bubbles.
- Binoculars.
- Kids’ Outdoor Explorer kit (our kids love theirs!).
- Colouring Books.
- Magnifying Glasses.
- Card Games (playing cards, family card games, UNO, Dobble).
- Head torch (these are practical as well as fun!)
These camping with kids tips apply to tent camping with kids but can also apply to campervanning with kids. If you are in any doubt about campervanning with kids – here are some awesome reasons to campervan with kids!
We have a whole section on Van Life on our blog you can also check out.
So now you’re all set with the basic camping with kids hacks. Next question – where to go camping??
Where to go camping with kids?
Where you go camping with kids is an entirely personal choice. There is no right or wrong answer here. For what it’s worth – we love to camp near beaches (preferably coastal campsites within walking distance of a beach).
Personally, we feel you can’t beat camping in France with kids. France has so many campsites and they are all about families. Here are some of our favourite family-friendly campsites in France.
If you don’t want to drive too far – La Croix du Vieux Pont and Chateau de Chanteloup in the north of France are excellent. If you want somewhere further south, the La Farigoulette in the Verdon Gorge is brilliant.
Our best advice is to look at Les Castels campsites as they are just a cut above the rest. They are usually set in the grounds of a lovely old chateau and are perfect for families.
