Toys to take camping.

[loubielou31]

There have been threads about this in the past but I can't find any now. I looking for recommendations for toys that are good when camping.
Our standards are games that come in a small box. Dobble is brilliant. And Rushhour is a good single player game.
I always have paper and pens, and outdoor things like kites and balls but could do with a new "camping" toy for this year.
Thinking about those spotters guides
Criteria are small enough to pack in the car but no tiny bits that will get lost in the grass. Lego was something of a disaster . Something that will entertain DDs (6 and 4) without any much adult subervision (so I can drink wine).
Please tell me your successes and distasters.

[Bumpinthenight]

Don't take aqua beads either! I know I will find more when we pitch this year!

How about swing ball? Boules? My DD (6) has this.

[Trollsworth]

Swingball

[loubielou31]

I think we have a swing ball in the garage and I used to love playing boules.

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

Something like this: www.elc.co.uk/Rocket-Zoomer/122907,default,pd.html#pdpTab1?

The picture isn't coming up on my link but it is basically a stomp rocket but made of nice soft foam. Entertained me DD(4) and her friends for ages camping on the Easter weekend.

[loubielou31]

Loving these ideas. I agree that stomp rockets are brilliant.
What do you all do to keep the DCs entertained on wet days? (Other than stick them in waterproofs and chuck them outside anyway?) I try and make camping screen free time, have been known to stick a DVD on after the third day of rain but would rather they played with other things.

[Bumpinthenight]

Card games linked above. Colouring books and activity books (dot to dot, Spot the difference etc).

DD got this game for Christmas which is great, large box but great game for rainy days!

Not aqua beads!

[LyndaCartersBigPants]

We took stomp rocket and swingball, good for all ages (including me and DP!) but tbh they got the most fun out of looking for sticks and then sitting and burning them on the camp fire!

Ds1 aged 14 usually takes a knife and accidentally cuts himself whittles sticks.

They are all obsessed with sticks and fire

We also have some games like sack race, egg and spoon, little beanbags for throwing/catching etc, which don't take up much space and give potential for a sports day or Olympics of sorts!

[LyndaCartersBigPants]

We also have a bubble rocket, so all the fun of stomp rocket PLUS bubbles! Winner.

[LyndaCartersBigPants]

We've also banned DSs and iPads etc. they spend so much time on their screens at home that we like to make camping tech-free but it is tricky on a rainy day. Think I'd be inclined to go out for the day when it's really wet, as sitting inside a tent, not even being able to make a cup of tea can be a bit dull and getting your clothes damp with no way to dry them is miserable.

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

We had an entire day of rain on Easter Sunday. I had brought some Easter art and craft kits from Sainsburys/the Works with me and four children between 4 and 6 sat for hours in the tent colouring in and sticking googly eyes and other bits and bobs onto things. I was amazed at their stamina frankly. The next morning, another adult with us had the idea of attaching kebab skewers (blunted first) to the resulting Easter bunnies/chicks etc and then they did a puppet show from behind a windbreak. It was fab.

[holmessweetholmes]

We always take lego. The dc can't surive a week without it! They only play with it inside the tent and I don't think we've lost any yet...

[Fourarmsv2]

Outiside - Cricket set, tennis balls and football. Swing ball. The dog ball throwers - they play fetch! Boules and frisbees. Scatch pads (that catch tennis balls)

Inside - colouring books, pens, cards (snap, happy families, memory pick up games), boggle and solitaire. We've also got a few games in pack of cards style. We also play lots of charades (can be interesting!).

Duplo worked well - even with bigger kids. Takes lots of space though.

[loubielou31]

I've just thought of a Skip and Go or a French skipping elastic.

[Lemonsole]

Lego works well for us on a giant B and Q car boot liner (cost £1) that it's tipped into and confined to.

[mellicauli]

We just came back from holiday. Best thing we took was Jenga. It served as building blocks for the 4 year old and he also played the game as it is meant to be played with our 9 year old. Later there was also a domino toppling thing going. Then there was a bowling version and a nerf gun variation (9 year old)And some car crashing ( 4 year old)

[expatinscotland]

We love jacks.

Also have had tons of mileage out of these

[OddFodd]

I'm a big fan of sticker books (boring I know). I get stuff that's just pulled out on camping emergencies. I've got an Usborne travel book for next weekend. And there are some new rubbery toy things called Zomlings that cost 50p each. A couple of quid's worth of those or some other party bag toy keeps kids occupied for a bit.

Also (warming to theme), we have a Nerf gun with foam bullets and a velcro board. So no one gets hurt but you can have quite good competitions

[colleysmill]

We carry in our van:

Football
Frisbee
Cricket set
Water pistol

Connect 4
Teeny tiny edition of pop up pirate
Kids playing cards - ours are bigger for smaller fingers and feature peppa pig
This really cool Cars (from the film) board game where you build a small race track. It's not very big (a5 size) and one of my Lidl bargains
Washable felt tips
Colouring and sticker books

Uno and an ancient set of Boogle for adults

Ds usually then packs some dinosaurs and whatever toy is flavour of the month. I have banned Lego or anything with small bits as otherwise I spend ages retrieving it from areas of the van I never knew existed

[ShoeWhore]

Small box of Lego on a blanket works quite well for us.

Pass the Pigs
Top Trumps
Playing cards
Sticker books
Toy cars
Gogos (or equivalent)
Star Wars pod thingies
Board games

All good for inside. For outside Football/swingball/badminton all good. cricket if enough space. Lightsabers. Love the bubble rocket idea.

[CampingClaire]

Frisbees
Travel games with magnetic pieces
Dominoes - can become bridges, fences, towers, etc
Box of small character toys - farm, playmobil etc
Badminton or soft tennis
Bug viewers, magnifying glasses (we always seem to adopt a caterpillar or frog or something on every trip!!!)
Sketch book, water-colours, crayons
We also pack Monopoly - which I try to avoid playing for the whole trip!! Daughter and husband love it and have sat till 1am trying to beat each other!

[loubielou31]

I saw "magic painting" in the pound shop, bought them one each. That will provide at least 10 minutes of peace.

[attheendoftheday]

I've just ebayed an aquaplay set to take camping - it's like a series of canals with little boats and lochs and cranes and bits, and it comes apart to transport. Hopefully will keep the dds busy for a while.

We will also take every conceivable type of plastic dinosaur to keep dd1 happy.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but we have an innotab loaded with Mr Tumble episodes, which is meant to be for long car rides, but gets brought out if we're stuck in the tent for too long.

[IKnowAMouse]

We have got the traditional stuff, so colouring books, paper and pens, sticker books, football, frisbee, bike and bug safari. These stay in the van and then before each trip we tend to go to Poundland/World and buy some crap. Today I bought a pack of plastic power rangers, a kite and a baseball bat with ball. None of them will last long but for £3 who cares. It feels extremely wasteful but worth it.