Camping with toddlers/campsites in North

[Gh12345]

Hi all I want to go camping with my then 4 year old and a 2 year old. Does anyone have any tips for handling it? Will only be 2 night max. Also if anyone has any campsite recommendations in the North East/lakes/Scottish borders?

• a little blow up pool, or trug, if your two year old is scared of showers.
• if they wake up early, take them away from other peoples tents for a run around. Being woken up at 6.30 by children running around screaming outside a tent tends to make people grumpy. "Quiet hours" are often 10pm-8am for example.
• cereal isn't worth the mess... toast, eggy bread, crossiants etc are a lot easier.
• kids "fun" sleeping bags often aren't warm enough, proper camping ones.
• no oodies or onesies near the fire

But just relax, go with the flow and Enjoy it.

If you are going to a sandy beach, then talcum powder will remove sand from wherever it lurks, easily and gently. Also useful after showers/swimming where drying is ‘compromised’.
Take microfibre towels and some way of hanging them up to dry.
Those little individual boxes of cereal are not only a treat, but you can just open the top of the little bag, while it is still in the box, and pour milk into the bag. No bowl needed, just a small spoon, no mess.

Take wellies. To keep morning few off shoes / trouser hems.

Zip up the tent with both zips at the top, out of their reach, to prevent escape.

I agree with not taking cereal. They spill the milk all over them given camping furniture. Consider instant porridge pots.

Will you be doing this as a single parent? If so I would avoid cooking at all, unless you can stick them in the car with a cartoon while you deal with stove etc. Take picnic style food.

Take a porta potty to deal with nighttime wees. Bucket for you. You won’t want to leave them asleep in the tent or get them both up to go to the toilet block.

Don’t take bubbles. Other campers will hate you. Bubble detergent is terrible for tent waterproofing.

morning DEW

Herding Hill Farm is lovely

We've just stayed here just north of York. It's a great campsite, and the toilets and showers are spotlessly clean. they have fridges available too, if you need to keep milk fresh. You can take your littlies here for the day, it's about a 30 minute drive away.

We've camped with our oldest since this sort of age. Brioche eaten in sleeping bags is a great "first breakfast" whilst it's too early to get up and about. Downloading programmes on to a tablet / ipad to watch quietly works tool. If you get a choice, pitch your tent away from the road and other tents, If you know you have a bolter, wind breaks can also be good to limit the distance they can run.