Camping with your kids

Get wild with your family this summer

Camping with kids may sound more like hard work than a holiday – but if you enjoy the outdoors, you can successfully introduce your children to it at an early age too. You’ll be surprised at how easily they pick up the ways of the wild, and you might learn a thing or two from their inquisitiveness.

A camping holiday is the perfect way to explore the outdoors and enjoy nature. Yet camping should also be a chance to relax and enjoy yourself, and many new parents shy away from taking their little ones into the wild. You might not be able to hike for days into the wilderness with your toddler, but you don’t have to relegate yourselves to the confines of package holidays either. Kids have a great sense of adventure, and they will quickly adapt to life in the outdoors. By planning ahead and keeping a sense of humour, your whole family can be happy campers.

Get started!

Pitch a tent in the garden to see how they like it. An overnight stay in the back garden will feel like an adventure for them, and makes a useful practise run for you. A large family tent will give you plenty of space, or if the children are older they will enjoy the independence of their own tent: it means you get a bit more privacy too.

Be prepared

Thinking ahead will save a lot of time and energy. Make sure you have the basics covered, including food, water, toilet paper, soap. Imagine how a day might run, the typical activities you’ll get up to, and what you’ll need.

Educate

Find a kid-friendly nature book that explains the wildlife around you, and helps to answer all those “…but WHY?” questions. You’ll learn something as well!

Entertain

Nature will provide plenty of new diversions, but take along the odd colouring book or game without too many loose parts to provide a quiet alternative.

Keep it green

Explain to your child why it’s important....

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