Cooking with toddlers around

[Mishy1234]

We're going away on our first camping trip (just a couple of nights) at the end of this week, so won't need to cook. However, we are thinking of a longer trip soon (if we survive this one!) and need to look at some kind of camping stove.

We have a 4 yo and a 2 yo and I'm worried about the safety aspect of camping stoves, especially with the younger one.

What is the best solution? We have a bell tent, so obviously all cooking would have to be done outside from a carbon monoxide point of view. What do you find works best? What kind of stove should we be looking at? Do you take a CO detector with you just in case?

We use a cadac safari chef and find it big enough for us, 2 adults and 2dc.
I always put cadac on a camping table to stop kids getting too close to flames and also get dh to play with them while I cook.
Always cook outside, never in the tent. If raining I either cook under beach pop up shelter, without using table, as dc would be inside tent. Or failing that go out to eat!

Even if you cook in the corner of a camping field the size of a football pitch they will still manage to somehow gravitate towards the stove. There is no way out. You just have to stand guard, or get them to cook. That's my experience. Don't know what's wrong with them.

I tend to do the cooking and DH entertains the children while I do this. There is a lot of fire safety stuff beforehand.

I cook on our 2 ring camping gas stove which is on a low table, on the ground. It is far away from the tent.

Thanks for the advice.

I think the divide and conquer approach will work best. Get the kids off to the far side of the campsite while the cooking is done. Unfortunately, I suspect they will be the same as your DC though Uptoapoint!

We will see how this trip goes and then have a look around for a stove.

I really hope the weather improves...I don't fancy camping in torrential rain. Where has the summer gone?