What nonessential fun things would you pack for French keycamp hol?

[Howmanymoresleeps]

Ooh so excited holiday next week and I'm doing the packing today.
Dh has suggested packing the electric patio heater so we can sit out late if it's chilly obviously I need to pack the car so THAT doesn't fit, silly boy. But it got me thinking what essential nonessentials am I not thinking of?
We're staying with friends in brittany in keycamp chalets who have two dds the same age all under three and desperately in need of loads of fun with the kids and each other after bedtime!! (big breath v long sentence)

We've self catered in France and Italy many times with our 5 dcs...I take a box with staple foods/basic kitchen bits in, because I don't want to waste my lovely holiday shopping for that sort of stuff, nicer just to browse for fresh food. Also as neither country do squash or cereal (that is plentiful/cheap) we also always take enough for the duration, mine will have water but they do like their squash. We go to bakery/market every day, but dcs still want cereal for breakfast most days. The syrop type drink is sugary and expensive, doesn't work for us for 2 weeks for 5 dcs so I would rather take.

We had a gite a couple of years ago with fab outdoor ovens/bbq's built outside which we used most nights and the english family next door arrived with boxes of tins of beans/processed foods etc which they ate each night...each to their own is usually my motto, but I found myself being a bit judgey as I just thought it was a shame, they didn't seem to use the market or wonderful village bakery...I know some kids can be fussy but you just don't take chicken nuggets on hols to France unless you're barking That's about as far as my food snobbery goes, nothing wrong with a packet or jar for e.g., spag bol on the odd night when you want to be quick, with fresh bread and salad, you're on holiday ffs.

Have a lovely holiday Howmanymoresleeps

OP please ignore really boring posters who feel they have the right to judge. I always take foodie bits on holiday as if the children are being tricky I know I have something in reserve to cook them.
I have a friend who goes every year to a very posh resort to ski and cooks and takes frozen every meal for the time they are away.

Each to their own anyway........ it makes me really cross. It wasn't an AIBU about taking food away............

Just as a warning - the ovens in these places are fine for grilling but really no good for anything more. The hob will be fine just dont plan to do a whole roast dinner!

When my DCs were small we used to take a holiday present for each child. This would be a new cheap toy carefully wrapped up. At some point in the journey these would be produced with much ceremony! DCs loved it!

My comment about the oven was not judging other people's choices about cooking btw just an on observation. My attempt to do some sort of pasta bake thing and the resulting concrete slab have both gone down into family folklore.

We are off tomorrow I have packed 2 emergency tins of Heinz beans and sausages . There certainly won't be any cottage pie making going on, though I am hoping to find some canard parmentier.....

Nearly there two more sleeps!!! Love the holiday present idea gnomedeplume. Comment on the ovens have made up my own AIBU argument in my head too embarrassing to air on mn. Dd1 turns 3 while we're there and I seriously considered bringing cake baking stuff..... I just always had a private mummy pact with myself that I would always make their birthday cakes. I'll make her one when I come back.... Baking on a campsite would be silly.... Wouldn't it? Not as silly as a patio heater tho

Dd1 has had her birthday on holiday while at campsites in France/Italy several times over the years as it's June HT week. They have been lovely birthdays, very special to her. One year, DH and I sneaked outside and decorated outside with balloons and a banner. When all our neighbours saw in the morning, in the spirit of camping/caravanning cameraderie, they all (all Dutch/German) came over with little gifts for her, we were really touched. Where the campsite restaurants have been particularly nice we have had birthday meals there and we have asked if we can pop in beforehand with a few balloons, decorations etc to pop on the table, candles to pop in the dessert etc which they happily allowed and found when we got there that they also added to the decs, made us surprise cakes, baked alaska etc, gave us drinks and fizzy wine on the house and helped to make it really lovely.

I think you can be excused baking in a chalet oven. In any large supermarket or pattiserie you will be able to find a suitable cake. You can take cake decorations to personalise then claim credit.