Lone parent with two DC under the age of five.

[MotherNutkin]

Help.

One of my DCs keeps asking about camping. I have two DCs under the age of five. I've camped before and I love it. DH has camped before, and is not up for doing it again.

He's more than happy to support us (he is happy to come to the campsite, help us set up etc but his time sleeping in tents is done).

I have a very old tent, and whilst it's fine for playing in the garden, I wouldn't want to use it for any camping trips.

What are your top tips for finding the right tent, and everything else I need for a summer of camping?

Thank you.

Go with friends if at all possible.

get a blackout tent, it will be much easier to get your children to sleep.

Wait till the children are slightly older. It's actually toilet trips which are the problem, every time one wants you all need to go.

I’d go for a shepherd’s hut or something where you can have your own loo. Otherwise it’ll be awful as you’ll to wake the other child up ever time one needs the loo. If they’re both in nappies it might be ok I guess! Or you could bring a potty?

Get a pre erected tent, yurt etc maybe with own bathroom!

Have a means of going for a wee in the tent. Porta potti for the kids, Kampa Khazi, bucket with lid. Otherwise loo trips at night will be a nightmare.

Type of tent doesn’t matter too much if your DH will help you pitch and come back and help you pack up. A sturdy tunnel tent (air beam are bulkier to pack) will be fine.

I would have the kids in the same sleeping compartment as you, and all on SIMs (self inflating mats) pushed together. You can get v expensive ones but in general 2.5 or 3Cm thick ones are fine for kids as they are less heavy, and 7.5Cm for adults. They give insulation from ground cold.

Lots of easy food: brioche rolls , bananas, satsumas. You can make a great cheese toasty in a frying pan with tortillas and a bag of pre grated cheese, gently dry fried. Add sweetcorn or some jar pasta sauce or whatever you fancy. Cut in quarters. But easier to eat if you don’t over-stuff.

Easy on and off footwear. Kids wellies for morning dewey grass. Crocs for shower.

Insect repellent for sitting out in the evening.

Loads of wipes

Agree about getting a blackout tent. We got one and when our daughter was a preschooler, we figured and it got her somewhere between two and three hours more hours of sleep than our regular one did.

Camp in your garden for experience. Kids love it just as much as anywhere else. I’d definitely go with the yurt idea. My husband was also anti camping, I found a friend to go with instead.

There are a handful of campsites where you can get pre-erected tents. We’ve done Lepe Beach https://www.eazycamp.co.uk/lepe-beach/pre-erected-tents.html and Paulton’s https://www.paultonscampsite.com/pre-erected-tents

Hi, I've gone camping with my 2 DC when they were both age 5 and under. I did short solo camping trips (1 - 2 nights) and kept it local.
My top tips:

1. I got a blackout airbeam tent from Decathlon, with just one sleeping compartment and it's great. It pitches quickly and kids can 'help' me. Black out means they don't wake at dawn due to light/heat. Single bedroom as pp says with sims (self inflating mattresses) covering all floor space, so comfy and easy to keep an eye on them.
2. Pitch near bathroom or take potty for night time wees.
3. Keep food simple, find campsites that have communal stoves or visiting food vans. I was worried about burns when they were young. Other meals can be non - cook.
4. Take wet weather entertainment (my kids loved activity or sticker books, crayola colour wonder mess free colouring, toy cars/dinos/dolls)
5. Find campsites with things to do like playgrounds, farm animals, near a forest, etc, to mix up activities during the day.

My kids loved it and I got some down time where I could sit and read while they played or slept.

I pretty much just logged onto ask this exact question! Am headed camping solo this summer with a 5 and 3 year old. Noone to help with the tent though, just me and no chance of buddying up with friends. The kids and I have been practicing with the tent in the garden, the oldest is pretty strong (!) and can hold poles etc whilst I do other bits and the little one is getting really good at running around putting the pegs in (fingers crossed the ground isn't rock hard!). It takes a bit longer than with two adults, but they're enjoying having their own jobs (like pegging up the sleeping compartments etc) in the process.

I'm definitely going to have to make friends at the campsite to help me pack the darn thing away again though. Considering taking a big IKEA bag in case i need to pack up in the rain or something and don't have the spoons to be faffing getting it into the official bag.

Thanks all. Lots of useful information. New tent has been purchased, with blackout rooms. Both are at the age where they're still in pull ups overnight; I haven't been grateful for that until now. I am dreading needing the loo myself through whilst they're asleep.

They're both very excited though. They have been telling everyone about the new tent, and camp fires. We have some long handled roasting forks that they use at home; they're looking forward to that being a regular occurrence over summer.

@MotherNutkin Have fun :)

I often take my 4yr old camping on my own. And I did the other 2 girls when I was a single
parent and they were 4 and 6.

I do always take a potty!! Mainly for me as it’s guaranteed I will need a wee once I put her in bed.. it’s really no big deal. Yes I feel a bit ridiculous but nothing worse than sitting needing a wee. And I wouldn’t leave her. So 😅

The plastic tubs with a handle that things like bird food suet balls come in make great wee-in-the-night buckets. Broad base, fitted lid, don't take up much space.

Put in a carrier bag to take to loos in the morning.

Or on wild style sites with lots of bushes and no near neighbours - wee behind tent.