Camping with a 17mo - will it be ok? Fun, safety etc

[AnybodyHomeMcFly]

We are embarking on our first proper camping hol as a family on Saturday, to Cornwall. DH and I have had quite a few camping hols BC and we and DS (then 9mo) did a weekend last september which was fine.

But now I have got worried that this one will be a disaster - esp if it rains in the evenings and basically we will be stuck in the tent in the rain til our bedtime.

Plus will DS go to sleep when it's midsummer and rather light?

Am also (irrationally I'm sure) worried that someone will sneak in and kidnap DS overnight as we have him in the travel cot in one 'bedroom' and me and DH in another.

Please tell me that actually camping with a toddler is safe, brilliant family fun!!!

Oh and any top tips for things we might not have thought to bring would also be v v appreciated. Thanks!

i camp with my tot, she loves it. i am a fairly relaxed mum, compared to most i know, i'm not fussed what time she goes to sleep at night when we are away, generally between 9 and 10.
i must say i dont have my dc in a seperate room from me. when i camped with xp he slept in with ds and i slept with dd.
now i camp with the dc by myself i have bought a tent with only one room and we all sleep together

i find i dont need to bring anything oher than the obvious tent etc, she tends to play with a ball, her dolls pram and a frisbee. she likes to play with the big kids just chasing round behind them

AnybodyHome I've got no advice but want to do the same thing with a 15m old, so make sure you come back and tell me how it went!

really do think you should just do it!
my dc love it. dd gets all excited when she sees a tent now, even if ti is in a shop. we first camped with her at 16 months wish i'd done it years ago

It is fun! Maybe not so much in the rain...but you can get round it. We went with DS when he was 10 months. Actually, we went a few times and to a festival as well. I had the fear of someone nicking him as well, but the zips are so noisy and DS has a real pair of lungs on him, that you don't worry so much when you're there.

We bonkersly took black out material to try to cover DS's bedroom but it didn't really work, and he didn't do too badly anyway. We also took a gazebo so we could sit out under it if it rained and still have somewhere to cook/sit out of the tent of an evening when DS went down.

Whereabouts in Cornwall are you going?

DS loved his second camping holiday in the pouring Cornish rain at the end of May (aged 16months), lots of space to run around and a trampoline in the kids play area. Our only problem was that he wanted to be up and moving earlier than we did, and learnt to crawl under the tent walls. He was totally unbothered by weather, or even dew wet grass on his pyjama feet! If you're near Newquay Dairyland is good - looks expensive initially but your ticket is good for a week. Also find the white house pub on a fairly main road (will try and think of number) which does lovely food and has a small indoor play area

oh yes yorky you just reminded me an absolute essential with a tot camping is a waterproof all in one suit and wellies! they love running across dewy grass

Completely, DS loves his 'forensic' suit muddypuddles.com
But you're right McFly, the lighter eveings will mess up bedtime, DS quite happily played out till 9pm which meant he slept in the car on the way to places during the day, but didn't make him grizzly. Was a pain the first 2-3 nights home again though

ooh thanks everyone, much relieved. We are going to Perranporth Yorky so I think we will be v near Dairyland.

Note to self to dig out all in one waterproof suit which we bought DS for Glasto last year - might actually fit him now!

Great, we were at Tehidy, about a half hour down the coast. Try A3075 for white house pub. DS wasn't nearly as appreciative of the fish at aquarium as I'd expected, but I was shocked how much he enjoyed the model railways at Mevagissey (on S Coast) Proud mummy moment - he signed where? every time a train went into a tunnel!
Also recommend cyder farm for tractor ride, tasting, animals to talk to, DC probably won't appreciate walking/information tour but food nice!

Great, thank you - they sound right up his street