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Here you can find advice on camping, outdoor activities and walking in the UK and abroad.

Here you can find advice on camping, outdoor activities and walking in the UK and abroad.

The great outdoors

Pop up tent or something not so stand out to keep DD dry at DS football matches?

19 replies

sickmumma · 11/09/2018 21:55

Have two DS's who play football and a DD who has to tag along quite a bit! With colder weather approaching and getting soaked at our last game would it look ridiculous to
Take a pop up small tent of some sort for DD to sit and do her colouring in and stay dry/ warm while I watch her brothers play football? Or is there a better solution? We had picnic blanket and umbrella the other day and both still got soaked, she couldn't colour as she just had to sit on my lap.

Or is there another solution I am not thinking of? Not bothered if a tent looks a bit OTT as long as DD is comfortable!

OP posts:

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Floralnomad · 11/09/2018 21:58

On days when it’s raining don’t watch just sit in the car with your daughter or drop them and go home .

sickmumma · 11/09/2018 22:06

Unfortunately that's not an option, they are both type 1 diabetic so I need to be on hand to test them between quarters/halves as their blood sugar can drop quite quickly! At their home ground you can't see the pitch from the car park and in fact I can't think of any away games we've been to either that this would be possible as parking normally is a bit of a nightmare and you end up parking a few roads away! DH goes a lot of the time so we don't always have to go but he works Saturdays atm and so at least for younger son I will be alone to take the three of them to his matches! DS would happily just have a kick round with the other brothers in the rain
But DD likes to sit and play quietly so gets cold quicker.

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BackforGood · 11/09/2018 22:34

How old is dd ?
It sounds somewhat impractical to me. How are you going to take down and fold up a wet tent ? Then carry it back through these streets to the car?
If she is the kind of child who will sit quietly and colour, as you imply, and it is only occasionally when your dh is at work and, on the same day, rain is predicted, then ask someone to have her for those couple of hours.
Alternatively, put her into waterproof clothes and encourage her to run around - maybe learn some football skills herself.
I don't care what other people think I look like, but I can't see it being practical to take a tent with you.

ohisay · 11/09/2018 22:51

www.decathlon.co.uk/0-xl-fresh-2-seconds-shelter-id_8384145.html

Something like this will be quick and easy to use!

LucyFox · 11/09/2018 22:56

What about something like this undertheweatherpods.com

Pitapotamus · 11/09/2018 23:24

I think it sounds like a great idea! I wish these existed 25 years ago when I was being dragged along to freeze on the sidelines of my brother’s rugby pitch.

If you get a beach style pop up tent it should be nice for your dd to sit in and do her own thing out of the breeze/rain. And then it’s easy and small for you to pack up and take back to the car.

BackforGood · 11/09/2018 23:24

Lol. Note they show how it (the decathlon one) springs open, and not how tricky they are to fold down at the end.

Also, do you want to be kneeling there on the wet grass to put it up ?
It will blow away in the wind the minute she gets out of it.

sickmumma · 12/09/2018 07:11

I have bags etc I would pop in it to keep it from blowing away! Obv I Have to keep their diabetic stuff and that all got soaked last week too. I could ask MIL to have her some weeks I guess but not fair to ask every week. Most people are busy with their own families on a weekend. I'm not talking a full on tent, just one of those ones that fold into a Circle and that would probably be just as manageable as the picnic blanket! They normally have bags don't they so I would fold it down wet and Then pop it Up to dry it in the garage once I got home!

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SuburbanRhonda · 12/09/2018 07:17

That second pod is obviously exactly the one for the job, but doesn’t quite fit the requirement of “not too stand-out” .

I always get the (possibly wrong) impression that being a “sports parent” is something of a badge of pride in the US so I guess it would go down better there.

lifelongfrugaleer · 12/09/2018 07:18

Do it. We've been playing u7-10 for years and have chairs a pop up tent for the little ones, full on water proofs, wind break and awning for some games

sickmumma · 12/09/2018 07:20

Please note DH works every Saturday atm (something he is really trying to change) so
As it stands it will be every week on a
Saturday, and an occasional Sunday it would be nice to support my eldest too but obv if it was bad weather I would stay home with the other two. Going into town today so will take a look and actually try them out to see if they are as easy as they look!

I do have an all in one waterproof but like I
Said DD is not the sort of child to run round in the rain! She is active and she does sometimes join in with foodball but at practise the boys are
8/9 and older and she is only 4 so she quite
Often unintentionally gets a ball to
The leg etc and gets hurt. She just prefers to
Sit with me chatting,
Having a snack and colouring in her book/ playing with some of her little toys which is fine by me! ( matches are 4 10 mins for youngest and 2 25 min halves for eldest)

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SuburbanRhonda · 12/09/2018 07:21

Oh ok, it’s clearly a trend that has crossed the pond since my DC were that age then!

EvaHarknessRose · 12/09/2018 07:22

I think the only acceptable thing is a big golf umbrella. We do take picnic chairs, but most people stand. Keep her moving if you can, kicking a ball around, as that is warmer. And invest in good waterproofs and warm layers instead. I have found we don’t get wet often but do freeze frequently.

sickmumma · 12/09/2018 07:24

@lifelongfrugaleer I love that you take that! On a bad game our team has taken an gazebo before 😂

There are a few other siblings that watch too so I am sure once I got one the others would
Probably do the same like I said not worried about looking silly or OTT if it keeps DD dry and happy when it rains it's worth it! Just trying to make life a bit easier as I already feel bad dragging her out with me but if she can sit in there nice and cosy i think she would quite enjoy it and want to go more haha!

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redsummershoes · 12/09/2018 07:37

a bird watching shelter/fishing shelter might work? less colourful and you could sit down on a chair next to your dd?

PuntCuffin · 12/09/2018 07:42

Loads of the parents use them around here for themselves. Go for it.

NorthernLurker · 12/09/2018 07:44

If she's only 4 do you still have a buggy and rain cover? I would just use that. Cosy and comfy. Gives you somewhere for bags too.

FusionChefGeoff · 12/09/2018 07:50

We've got a pop up beach tent from Decathlon it's Great and would work well but definitely practice putting away first!

I got DS to film me slowly taking it out of the bag so I could see the steps to getting it back in. It sort of helped but it's still a bit of a battle!

sickmumma · 12/09/2018 10:15

No she'll be 5 in jan we haven't had the buggy for a while now and TBH she is so stubborn I don't think she would go in one haha!

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