Tarp, "room" or bigger tent?

[NewLeafAgain]

Single parent camping with two kids. Our pop up tent is perfect for a night or two when it's just a base for sleep, but I've booked some longer stays where we will be on site more and cooking there on electric stove. I'd like a covered kitchen area for that. Would also give a little more privacy.

Tarp looks most flexible, but room (something like https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/6-man-camping-living-area-arpenaz-base-m/_/R-p-157674) looks easier!

Wondering if anyone has experience of these and would recommend one over the other?

Other option is to bring our 6 person tent which has decent living space for the 3 of us, but I need help to put it up and kids find it frustrating and tricky so not a great "fun" start! (Pitched in our garden last week to see how they handled it!) Also it's heavy, bulky (limited space in car) and it takes an hour to put up and same to take down.
Pop up is up in under 10 and down in around 10 mins. Takes longer to pump up and make our beds than do the tent.

The sites I've booked so far only ask for number of people staying, not size of tent, and awnings are permitted in all.

We have the Decathlon tarp and bought extra poles and guys so we can make it a sort of gazebo. It’s a bit fiddly to set up although you could practice at home so it’s ready with the right guys on. It’s a brilliant lightweight piece of kit for shade and shelter.

Always a trade off between weight and convenience!

Oh, nice set up. That's the tarp I was looking at because I was hoping it could also be used to deflect some heat if needed! Your set up is pretty much how I imagined ours would be, just with an added windbreak (and hope that's not too many guy lines!) For a bit of privacy as there's room for beds and nothing else in our tent! Did you go for decathlon poles too?

Yes possibly these. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/set-of-2-camping-poles/_/R-p-123628

On windy sites we have pitched it with the low side down to the ground so more windbreak, it's really versatile.

It's definitely less fiddly to set up than that monster room thing.
When DC were small they slept on foam mats and we just pushed the sleeping bags to one end each day so you can use bedroom as "living space" . However you don't really want them spilling a bowl of cereal inside (my greatest fear) so a separate space to sit is great.

Full disclosure we also had 2 pup tents with separate teenagers in, out of the photo.

Looking again, maybe not the same tarp. Maybe yours is this? https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/1-5-man-trekking-tarp-mt900/_/R-p-305779

I'd been looking at the quecha XL but it's maybe too big. If you fitted 4 seats and a kitchen under yours I think it's plenty big!

I dont think my older girl will want to camp much longer so also not wanting to over invest, but still need to make these last few years comfortable. Seperate tents are a great idea

https://www.flipkart.com/quechua-decathlon-tarp-fresh-tent-4-person/p/itme78ssdf2vc8ft

Ah it's discontinued but it was this approx 3m square one to give you an idea of size. Mountain Warehouse and various other places sell them.

This is current version I think but they have made it slightly hexagon shaped.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/camping-tarp-tarp-fresh/_/R-p-312174?mc=8572388&c=WHITE

Fantastic. Really appreciate you taking the time to answer. Heading out tomorrow to pick one up!

No worries. IIRC we got the extra guy ropes and few pegs from decathlon too.