Solo camping with small children

[Valkarie]

I am thinking of taking the kids away for a few nights camping. They are 1 and 4. How do people manage taking small children and no other adults, as they cannot be left alone? I have camped with them before, but with dp, so he had them while I went for a shower etc. Will be going for long enough that I would definitely want to wash and dp can't come due to work.

I know I can put the tent up by myself. Of course the kids will want to "help".

Pop up tent. Errect it, put them in it with mini cheddars and peppa pig on your phone.

Then you can put up the tent while they're safe and zipped into a place you can see them.

I recognise this is not exactly embracing the 'great outdoors', but it buys me time to set everything up and gives me a fighting chance to start the trip with some sanity left...

Choose a family orientated campsite. It might comfort you that other mums are nearby for help, and there might be children with whom your dc can make friends. If the kids are playing with others in the playground, you might even get a chance to read a book!
Make the cooking easy. No one’s going to die if you don’t serve up dinner with the right proportion of vegetables, protein and carbs for a few nights. If you do decide that you can’t tolerate the non-nutritious food, do all the food prep at home. Preparing some salads, or chopping up some vegies ready to boil, in the comfort of your own kitchen, is a lot easier than on a trestle table with a head torch.
Pack a new toy and whip it out right before you attempt the tent, you may get lucky and get a few minutes to put the damn thing up.

You need a toilet bucket / Kampa khaki in the tent so that you don’t need to leave them alone or troop everyone off to the toilets for a nighttime wee.

I would leave them strapped in car seats with snack and video while you put up the tent, or some other way of securing the 1 yo, maybe in the travel cut if you take one?

4 year olds can be quite helpful, though, holding a pole up til you get the guy in.

The 1 year old escaping while you do jobs would be my concern. Great Wall of Windbreakers round the front of your tent? Buggy with straps?

Once you relax and get into the rhythm of it, with no pressure or rush, it will be lovely.

So snacks, snacks and more snacks then. Some great ideas here, thanks.

As for showering, I think you will
Just have to take them in with you.

Most sites now seem to have a family room for showers, often with seats to sit little ones on while they wait.

Lots of wipes or equivalent. Feed them outside so food doesn't go all over tent.

Picnic rug for playing on/sitting on outside.

Put your car slightly in front of your tent to one side and wall or hedge on other side, if you don't want to carry windbreaks. Then can block off the remaining open space with chairs etc if needed

No bubbles it wrecks tents

Have outfits in separate bags each day so easy to find and put on

Buy a pop up travel cot - then you can zip the both in and set up the tent with ease. Then the 1 yo can sleep in it with no worries about them getting out of the tent. (I bought the Little life Arc 3 second hand from ebay for £25 which is super). The shower thing I'm not sure, I guess you might have to take them in.

Great suggestions from previous posters. Enjoy!

Remember it will be an arse to load up the car if you need to go anywhere so don't bank on being able to drive off at a moment's notice.

Oh no, I already bought bubbles. Time to hide those then. Wasn't planning on going anywhere in car, just letting them exhaust themselves running around. I may even take a book for when they sleep.