Tips for coping with a toddler when camping, please!

[flowerfairy]

Although we haven't booked the plan is to camp in a few weeks time with dc(8yo and 17mth). We went last year when dd was 6mths and it was pretty easy as she stayed where we put her and slept all night. I'm not too worried about the sleeping part as she is still a pretty good sleeper (knock on wood) and I know the fresh air usuall wipes them out. I'm more worried about the logistics of putting up the tent and her not wandering off (as she has learned to walk in the last month). DS is pretty good with her but can have a short attention span and it takes both of us to put the tent up really in about 30-45mins. Does anyone have any toddler tips for camping? DH thinks i'm over-reacting. Before i find out if I can legally handcuff her to me for the holiday.TIA

I don't know if this would work for your family, but my parents used to get me and my Dad to put up the tent, while my mum stayed in the car with my younger sister, or was otherwise engaged looking after her. I'm now ace at putting up tents!

Alternatively, could you try a travel playpen for the crucial initial half hour?

If you can park near to where you are putting the tent up I would leave her in her car seat with some toys/snacks for as long as she will tolerate it.

Watching this with interest too - we're camping with DS1 and DS2 next w/e. DS1 is an old hand but feel slightly nervous with lively DS2 who is 20 mths.

We always take a windbreak and set it up as a square and pop the child in with toys etc and voila a very easy playpen.

Pop up tent with toys thrown in? We used DVD player at first when DS 3. How much of the setting up requires both of you?

we just kept the youngest ones strapped into the car with some toys/sweets and the door open so we could talk to them

We've been camping with DS quite a few times in the "toddler" era so far and leave him in the car while we get set up... An aray of food is usually the best way to keep him quiet but this time I hv a secret weapon - a portable dvd player that attaches to the headrest in the car....I will tell him that its broken as soon as we're all set up tho as 1) I'm mean and 2) I like to camp with nothing more electric than torches and wind up radio cosI'mabighippy!..... That said I might leave him in the car ALL weekend next week with Peppa Pig DVD on repeat....wrong? No? ;)

DVD player - either whilst she's still in car strapped in with drinks and snacks - after an initial wander to stretch her legs of course. Same with pop up tent (tesco value even do one now) - lots of her toys, dvd player again, all her favourite snacks and drinks.

I've watched many a family with toddlers pitch up and tbh, the little one's tend to stay close anyway. My DC have also amused little one's for a brief time whilst the parents are busy pitching up.

I've got this coming up later in the summer too. I was thinking of strapping him in the buggy to watch us put the tent up. Whatever you do don't just let him wander though. There was a local tragedy when a couple did that and the toddler wandered off and drowned :(. You only need take your eyes off them for a few seconds. We might have to rope our older one (9) in to help pitch the tent as well and invent a few jobs for middle (5).

We either leave ds2 in the car (within a few feet of us) or strap him in his buggy.

cutegorilla

Ds aged 2 tried to run every time I turned my back when camping last weekend. I had reins, extended with bits from other sets so they were 3x the normal length, which dd ( aged 10) held until she got bored, but I agree with the car seat or buggy option.

I would also concur with the strapping em in the buggy option, worked well for DS. If you have one of those travel cots that looks like a playpen (as we did) then you can set that up outside if the weather is fine and stick them in it with some fun toys while you set up. Or a door bouncer hung from a nearby tree was quite funny too but that was when he was younger

agree with buggy or car seat option.

we didnt ever have electric hook up until a weekend with 7, 3 and 1 yr old up at the crack of dawn in a busy site and playing noisy games..... I was at how noisy they seemed at 5am ! we now take laptop, hook up and a selection of dvds. if they are up early they can have the dvd on VERY quietly.... that buys an hour or so to wake for other campers to wake up.

Also take some new things as a "surprise". I have hidden away cheap colouring things/ some new books. that way when they are "bored" I can produce somthing exciting for them to read/ do.

I always used to take a travel cot for DS to sleep in and I'd use this as a playpen while we were putting the tent up.

Thanks. all your replies are much appreciated and feel like putting the tent up might not be too bad after all. Though if you hear a screaming toddler while you are enjoying your hols it maybe my headstrong dd trying to escape her playpen/buggy/carseat.

Don't attempt to put them to bed at the usual time - go with the flow. Especially with a headstrong toddler - this tip comes from bitter experience

Oh, I am looking forward to this...dd has got an awful lot faster since half term, and even then I was tempted to use a couple of spare delta pegs to render her stationary for even a minute or two...
She has no sense whatsoever (being one).
We have to put her in her pushchair for half an hour to get the tent up.