Camping Essentials with Kids

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

We’re going on a 2 night camp next month with our two girls (8 and nearly 2) at our local farm. We’ll have our car next to our tent and meals are included. Our tent has two sections and we’ve bought two double air beds with the intention of us sharing with a child each.

Anyone who has been camping with children, what are your essentials that you can’t leave behind? Both DH and I were in the scouts so have done our fair share of camping but never with children so tips will be appreciated.

If it’s truly awful with DD2, one of us will take her home. 😂

Not a bad shout. We’ll see how much space we have in the car. 😂

Personally I'm not sure I'd have the sleeping arrangements like that - on double airbeds if one person is significantly heavier you have a couple of possibilities: the lighter person is uncomfortable because the bed is rock hard, or the heavier person is just laying on the ground, or if you're really unlucky & the airbed slowly gets softer overnight you'll get a bit of both. Neither person is really comfortable. (My DH is literally twice my weight, we have this issue every time we go!) Can you put the kids together?

www.nhbs.com/i-spy-in-the-countryside-book I like taking these little books when we go on a trip.

we’ve just been camping with friends and their 3yr old and 6month old.

Illum balloons always go down well (balloons with a little led in them).

I’d borrow thermarest or self inflating mattresses for you each rather than air beds, it’s too easy for one person to make it wobble or move and then you’re both awake.

Lots of games but encourage them to play with others camping nearby too. We usually camp as a group with friends as that makes this easier.

Take swimming stuff, if the weather is bad or everyone needs a wash you can use the showers and have a swim at a local pool

Camping mats or old blankets/rugs to put under the mattresses as insulation. It's really surprising how cold an inflatable mattress can become in the early hours, the cold underneath you is a bit of a shock and it doesn't always help very much to pile more blankets on top of you.
Wellies or crocs for the morning as the grass will be wet.
We have a very small lightweight camping lamp that we can tie from a loop in the roof of the tent, much easier than trying to hold a torch or balance a lamp somewhere

And I would say the same as @EatSleepReplete about the airbed sharing, two people of very different weights on a double airbed can make for an uncomfortable night (we put the children on one together)

The most important tip ime for peace of mind so small dc aren't escaping is to put the zips at the top out of reach when you got to bed....

Unfortunately not to putting the children together. DD2 doesn’t consistently sleep through and that’s not fair on DD1. We’ll test out the air beds before we go to see how it would work. Whoever is with DD2 will probably just end up in the middle with her right next to them regardless of what they’re sleeping on.

SMIDGE.

When DS was tiny and travel cot sized, he'd have one whole compartment as the cot was huge and I'd share a blowup mattress with DD in the other (single parent so no DH to squeeze in!).. I never had an issue with the bed and we both slept surprisingly well so it definitely can work.

Head torches! Mine loved them.

I always have a plastic bag each in the car I with a little towel, a complete change of clothes inc a sweater, and shoes. That way if the worlds supply of water dumps on the tent you can all get warm and dry while you regroup. . It’s been so useful for us several times.

Gin

Cards (Dobble is a great camping game too).
Cartons of juice are handy.
Toys like a frisbee, skipping rope etc.
Onesies or something like an oodie to keep warm in the evenings.
Air beds can be a chilly option - I'd bring a few fleece blankets to layer under the dc when they are sleeping.
Also a puncture repair kit.
More spare socks that you think you will need.

More great ideas! Thank you.

I’d thought of games like balls, etc. but hadn’t thought of card games. Will pack a few.

Really good idea! I will definitely be doing this. Might even do it with all of our clothes as the car will be right next to the tent anyway.

• One of those big tubs for shoes by entrance to tent. Can be used for all sorts - bath for toddler, keeping beers cold.
• Bucket.
• Marshmallows & sticks for toasting.
• Hot chocolate.
• Big bottle of mineral water to refill & use round camp

Took ours as babies & when they were little they had ready beds which were cute.

We camp all the time. Our boys are now 9yrs and 11yrs but we started when they were very young. We bring tonnes to amuse the kids as with camping there is a lot of time to fill, your only going for 2 nights but here is a list of some things that work well for us:

-bin of hot wheels (and maybe a bin of blocks to compliment)
-buckets and shovels for playing in the forest/at the beach
-bikes/scooters
-a ball to throw/kick/baseball gloves
-badminton net for older kids/adults - (free standing - Amazon)
-bubbles/bubble blowing stuff
-remote control car/trucks that can get wet
-bug jar/little nets/magnifying glasses
-kid binoculars
-flashlights
-book(s) you can read them at bed time/rainy times
-boardgames
-kid sized camp chairs
-lifejackets
-inflatables/inflatable boats (for lakes not ocean obviously)
-a few camp songs

Also
-rain coats/rubber boots
-long sleeved stuff for when mosquitoes come out
-toques in case it gets cold

Don't take bubbles!!
They strip the waterproofing off tents, you won't be very popular with your fellow campers, they're banned from most campsites.
Aerosol deodorants do the same, use roll on.

Aaargh!
@FixItUpChappie PLEASE keep bubbles off campsites!

Detergent is disastrous for the waterproofing of my cotton canvas tent.

They are against camping etiquette!

I didn’t know that about bubbles.