Camping with a 1 & 3 year old - so many questions..!!!!

[emmabrown123]

So I'm not a seasoned camper - at all!! We have a big tent (large living area, 2 sleeping pods which sleep 3-4 each).

We're going camping for 2 nights with our boys (1 & 3) and I'm terrified! Wondered if I could get some advice on several things....

Sleeping - do we all squeeze in one sleeping pod or utilise both? 1 year old is a super climber and has already climbed out of his travel cot so that's a no go, should we just go with air beds on the floor and hope for the best?

Food - recommendations for breakfasts and possibly evening meals. We don't have any chilling facilities but do have a camping stove

Bottles - 1 year old still has 3 a day and I still sterilise his bottles. Can you buy disposable?

Any other camping hacks / tips / wisdom that might help. I would really like it to go well so we can go on more camping holidays in the future!!!

We keep a trug for waterproofs etc in the doorway to keep wet stuff out if the main body if the tent.
When our kids were small they slept in a tent travel cot (a little life arc) which zipped up, kept them warmer and darker and they couldn't escape.

Lots of clothes at night - vest, t-shirt, joggers, baby grow, jumper... (Assuming you're in the UK. When we had a frost in August the 2 yo ended up in my sleeping bag with me which kept us both warm!)

Glow balloons make a good night light.

I'll keep thinking. We've camped with ours since they were one and it's always been fine.

Folding tables with seats are useful for small people for meals. It's really hard to hold your bowl and eat without tipping it down you.

Lots and lots of changes of clothes. Pack a reasonable number and then pack again. We can do 4 outfits in a day. Dirt is fine but wet and cold is not happy!

We camped with children of that age. They loved it and usually slept well because of all the fresh air. We still camp a lot now, but the older two won't share a tent with us now and have a little one of their own.

Personally I would put them in one compartment and you and your OH in the other, but that was what worked for us.

If the 3yo is in pants, take the potty, even if it's not used now. The toilets can be quite a walk and it's not always doable first thing when they're bursting.

We tend to buy brioche/pain au chocolate for quick breakfasts. They're usually double wrapped, so they don't get damp. A cheap cool bag would be good for milk/butter, if the campsite has an ice block exchange. Also, that way you can cook and freeze something to put in there to have for your first meal. I usually do a curry with rice in a packet, nan breads and poppadums. Pasta pesto on the second night. If you don't have a cool box, then take staples like couscous/pasta/micro rice (which can be done in a saucepan) and add chicken/sausages from the campsite shop. A small or disposable BBQ can be helpful.

I think you can buy disposable bottles, but I didn't think you needed to sterilise for a 1yo? Could you not just wash it up? (My youngest is nearly 8 though, so accept guidelines may well have changed). Otherwise, might the washing up block or shower block have a plug in point?

Fleece blankets under you in air beds will help to keep you warmer.

When ours were little, we used to bath them in a washing up bowl. Towels wise we use a mix of microfibre (fine if you do t mind the sensation of being dried with a chamois) or Turkish hamman towels (more like a big tea towel). That's probably something to think about if you decide to go again, but take your thinnest towels, as they'll dry better.

Take clothes pegs to drying things on the guy line. We now have some spare poles and string from a old tent to rig up a washing line.

Have a great time!

This is brill. Definitely like the pasta & pesto idea for an easy dinner. Pasta is always a winner here!!

Have realised we actually don't have air beds, lost in the last house move (more likely thrown away by my husband). Any recommendations for things to sleep on, ideally something that doesn't take up too much space and doesn't cost too much!

Get a puddlesuit for the kids, even if good weather it's dewy in the morning and they will be up and about early (sorry!)

I have a baby under one and a three year old. I put a double sim on the floor, cover with fleecey fitted sheet, then fleecey suit on baby and normal pj's on me and preschooler. Baby shares my open double sleeping bag like a blanket, three year old has his own sleeping bag

If buying a sim don't scrimp and get a thick one, ours is 7.5 and OK for me but I think many prefer thicker still. Although thicker ones are a bit harder to roll its until you have the technique but it's worth the hassle.

Make sure you have something to eat instantly in the morning like bananas apples, peanut butter for bread. Keeps them quiet for a while and they wake very hungry I find.

Get a self inflating mat. Much better than airbeds. Asda selling their stock off at mo.

We just came back with an 11 month old and a toddler. We have a camping pod for the young one and we had him in a long sleeve vest, babygrow and 2.5 tog bag. I took a room thermometer as a guide and checked it in the evening. We actually put him to bed in just the vest and bag and when we went to bed we put his babygrow on. He was warm all night though I did take a 3.5 tog bag in case. We didn't sterilise his bottles. We have an ikea highchair for him as they can be taken apart to pack down smaller. Head torches were great. Rain suits for both kids. Don't worry about routine. We take duvets rather than sleeping bags as cosier.
Have fun!

Just checked Asda - they're out of stock. Shame because they were a great bargain. Will keep my eyes peeled for more bargains, can't afford to spend much at all really as on my last month of maternity leave!! Any other suggestions welcome!!

Am going to take lots of layers for the boys, plus a fleece onesie to sleep in, then see what they need for the night. They're both pretty hot bods so don't normally wear much to bed!!

Places like the range etc have them as well as in store. If just later with duvets and buy when Aldi and Lidl next have camping events.

I take a dustpan and brush to keep tent clear of grass and sand etc

I take a dustpan and brush to keep tent clear of grass and sand etc

We first took ours camping at that very age. We put them in a separate sleep compartment which was a mistake because when they woke I had to shuffle across in the cold etc.

For short trips we now all sleep in the same compartment (it's a 5 man tent). Much much easier to settle.

I would use layers under you and dcs which lay on top of airbeds. This stops the cold getting to you. Mine slept with duvets at that age. Too wriggly for sleeping bags!

For food, we cooked pasta and jacket potatoes at home in advance - much easier to reheat (you can reheat pasta in a sauce and warm in the pan, you can reheat jacket potatoes by wrapping in foil and sticking on the edge of the camp fire).

Prep as much food in advance. Eg grated cheese, portions of coffee etc etc. Bring flasks for hot drinks as a) keeps them warm and b) lower risks of spilling with little ones about.

I bought a Dutch oven for the first time this year which was great for cooking but might be tricky with little ones. Although I prefer Fire cooking to gas cooking.

You can buy ready made milk for the young one. Wash the bottles in boiling water?

Bring entertainment for the mornings when you want them quiet. Eg lots of sticker books etc.

Is your oldest potty trained? Mine was and we brought a potty with us. Thankfully because he refused point blank to use the compost toilets and it came in handy for midnight wees

For air beds, kampa do great ones for children with raised sides. Stops them rolling off. they cost about £15

For you I'd get a rubberised cotton air bed or self inflating mattresses. Cheaper pvc airbeds are crap and get condensation. Never an issue with the cotton ones or sims.

Are you naturally cold? If so bring a hot water bottle and a woolly hat! Plus thick socks and slip on shoes for the mornings/evenings.

Always take strong tape.

Oldest is potty trained and doesn't use his potty anymore but will defo take it - excellent idea!!

Loving the precooked pasta idea too. And morning entertainment because they wake up v v v v early (and that's not in a tent!!!)

Have you got a foam playmat at home? The sort that fit together like a jigsaw? One of those laid across the whole sleeping pod keeps it warmer, and is soft and warm if they wriggle off their mats.

Kids don't weigh much and are fine sleeping on cheap roll-out foam mats, which are less slippery than SIMS.

Keep the zippers on the tent zipped up to the top, not the bottom, so out of reach in case of escape!

Packets of brioche rolls: instant breakfast if anyone is hungry.

Duct tape is now on the list. My friend also recommended battery powered LED fairy lights to help light up the living room bit rather than lanterns (I currently have neither), and thoughts on this? Me and the husband will prob want to stay up after it's dark so we'll need some sort of lighting source.

Thank you for the zips tip - The youngest is a proper escape artist!!

Flattened cardboard boxes if not foam mats etc