The first time we went camping with both of our girls it was the stuff of nightmares. It almost brought hubby and I to tears. The whole trip was great in the end but setting the tent up and trying to get organised almost had us throwing it back in the car and driving home. It took the best part of 4 hours, including several trips back and forth to the car which wasn't anywhere near the tent. Not ideal with 2 little ones. Arwyn ended up doing it all himself whilst I attempted to keep the girls entertained. However, we recently went glamping with Ready Camp which has restored our faith in The Great British holiday.
Ready Camp are pre-erected safari style tents with 2 bedrooms, real beds, a sofa, dining table and chairs, plug sockets, a small radiator and a small kitchen area making them perfect for families. We chose to go to the Minehead site for a weekend break away.
Usually packing for camping trips is stressful for us. Not having to pack things such as beds, tables etc made it much easier and also made the car journey more comfortable. Usually we are squashed in amongst everything but the kitchen sink. All we had to pack was bedding, clothes, toiletries, food and some toys for the kids.
We arrived at the camping site which is on top of a hill with breathtaking views of Minehead below. It had a reception area with a small shop and onsite shower facilities. It's a small but spacious site. There wasn't a park or recreation area.
We were able to park directly next to the tent which was very handy. We unzipped the tent and unpacked and got settled in about 10-15 minutes which was amazing. All we had to do was pop the bedding on, place the food in the fridge and leave our bags in the rooms. We were able to relax and get on with our break away in record time.
The tent is spacious and housed the 4 of us comfortably. There is actually space to sleep 6 people as there are double bunkbeds in the one room and also a mattress underneath the bed. The first thing we were impressed with was the fact that the furniture was of good quality. The beds were real beds (not fold up or camp beds). There was a lovely wooden table and chairs for eating.
The kitchen area is small but more than adequate as there is a fridge with a freezer section, a 2 hob stove, kettle, microwave, cutlery and various tableware. There isn't running water in the tent so you need to collect water from the camp facilities.
Underneath the double bed were fold up chairs which we placed on our decking area. We spent most of the weekend out on the decking as the weather was so lovely.
The shower/toilet/washing block was literally a 5 second walk from our tent. It was clean and warm with everything you could need and cleaned daily.
Despite the weather being beautifully warm in the day, the nights were chilly. Luckily we'd brought some blankets to use. We left the heater in the children's room which really helped keep the chill off. On our first night we got a Chinese to eat from the town centre. We all slept well and in fact ended up having a lie in on both mornings. All the fresh air must've warn us out!
On the Saturday we went to Minehead beach which was a short drive away from the site. The kids loved running around. We then went for a pub lunch in a fab place which had an outdoor play area to keep the girls entertained.
We returned to the campsite and soaked up the sun whilst playing outdoor games. We played with bubbles, balls and even rolled down the hills. We then had a BBQ for dinner which Arwyn cooked in the tent.
On Sunday we had an afternoon tea in Minehead which was amazing. We then drove to a Lavender farm (sadly there were no purple fields as it was the wrong time of year) but we had a drink and an ice cream in the sun.
We had a fantastic time glamping with Ready Camp. It was lovely to spend some quality time together as a family and just enjoy getting back to nature and the basics. There is something about camping that makes you feel like a child again. We spent the 2 days laughing and smiling and wishing we could stay longer.
The only thing we'd like to see differently at the Minehead campsite is perhaps a small outdoor park for the children to play in. I also think the tents could be placed in a different area as they are right opposite the toilet block rather than on the large field overlooking the stunning scenery. However, that wouldn't put us off returning as we had such a fantastic time.
You can watch our weekend away here:
*Thank you to Ready Camp for inviting us to stay at the Minehead camp site in exchange for a blog review. As always all my opinions are honest and my own*
Ready Camp are pre-erected safari style tents with 2 bedrooms, real beds, a sofa, dining table and chairs, plug sockets, a small radiator and a small kitchen area making them perfect for families. We chose to go to the Minehead site for a weekend break away.
Usually packing for camping trips is stressful for us. Not having to pack things such as beds, tables etc made it much easier and also made the car journey more comfortable. Usually we are squashed in amongst everything but the kitchen sink. All we had to pack was bedding, clothes, toiletries, food and some toys for the kids.
We arrived at the camping site which is on top of a hill with breathtaking views of Minehead below. It had a reception area with a small shop and onsite shower facilities. It's a small but spacious site. There wasn't a park or recreation area.
We were able to park directly next to the tent which was very handy. We unzipped the tent and unpacked and got settled in about 10-15 minutes which was amazing. All we had to do was pop the bedding on, place the food in the fridge and leave our bags in the rooms. We were able to relax and get on with our break away in record time.
The tent is spacious and housed the 4 of us comfortably. There is actually space to sleep 6 people as there are double bunkbeds in the one room and also a mattress underneath the bed. The first thing we were impressed with was the fact that the furniture was of good quality. The beds were real beds (not fold up or camp beds). There was a lovely wooden table and chairs for eating.
The kitchen area is small but more than adequate as there is a fridge with a freezer section, a 2 hob stove, kettle, microwave, cutlery and various tableware. There isn't running water in the tent so you need to collect water from the camp facilities.
Underneath the double bed were fold up chairs which we placed on our decking area. We spent most of the weekend out on the decking as the weather was so lovely.
The shower/toilet/washing block was literally a 5 second walk from our tent. It was clean and warm with everything you could need and cleaned daily.
Despite the weather being beautifully warm in the day, the nights were chilly. Luckily we'd brought some blankets to use. We left the heater in the children's room which really helped keep the chill off. On our first night we got a Chinese to eat from the town centre. We all slept well and in fact ended up having a lie in on both mornings. All the fresh air must've warn us out!
On the Saturday we went to Minehead beach which was a short drive away from the site. The kids loved running around. We then went for a pub lunch in a fab place which had an outdoor play area to keep the girls entertained.
We returned to the campsite and soaked up the sun whilst playing outdoor games. We played with bubbles, balls and even rolled down the hills. We then had a BBQ for dinner which Arwyn cooked in the tent.
On Sunday we had an afternoon tea in Minehead which was amazing. We then drove to a Lavender farm (sadly there were no purple fields as it was the wrong time of year) but we had a drink and an ice cream in the sun.
We had a fantastic time glamping with Ready Camp. It was lovely to spend some quality time together as a family and just enjoy getting back to nature and the basics. There is something about camping that makes you feel like a child again. We spent the 2 days laughing and smiling and wishing we could stay longer.
The only thing we'd like to see differently at the Minehead campsite is perhaps a small outdoor park for the children to play in. I also think the tents could be placed in a different area as they are right opposite the toilet block rather than on the large field overlooking the stunning scenery. However, that wouldn't put us off returning as we had such a fantastic time.
You can watch our weekend away here:
*Thank you to Ready Camp for inviting us to stay at the Minehead camp site in exchange for a blog review. As always all my opinions are honest and my own*
15 comments
Children love a good old fashioned camping holiday. They have plenty of space to run around and the whole trip is a great adventure. However, sometimes they can get bored. If you plan some games etc before hand then you won't be caught out struggling for things to do. Here are my 6 ideas to keep children entertained.
1) Music and Dance
Both of my girls love to listen to music so they can sing and dance. They do it all the time in the house so it's something we always take away with us when camping. The Panasonic waterproof Bluetooth speaker is ideal for travel, especially when camping due to its 'waterproof' nature. Let's face it, if you're camping in the lovely (sense the sarcasm) British weather then you have to be prepared for rainy days so this would be safe to use if it got wet.
You can leave it in the tent to listen to whilst getting dressed and then pop it outside for a game of musical statues or musical bumps. Be warned though, you may attract all the other kids on the camp when they see how much fun you're having.
2) Football
Taking a football is a great way to keep the children entertained and it doesn't take up too much room. You can play endless games with it such as piggy in the middle or practice football skills such as dribbling.
3) Nature Hunt/ Scavenger Hunt
Getting the kids to explore their surroundings in a nature or scavenger hunt is a great way to get them interested in nature and the environment. You can hunt for bugs, pebbles on a beach etc. If it's raining you can create a scavenger hunt in the tent by sending them to look for things such as pillows, mugs etc. The possibilities are endless.
4) Water Play
Young children love wet play. They always seem to relish in getting as wet as possible. You can pack some water balloons which are small and cheap and have a water fight. You can fill up a bucket of water and let them pour things with mugs and cups. At our very first festival they had lots of bubbles which my eldest really enjoyed so we've been taking them with us ever since. You can read more about our first festival camping adventure here, Our First Family Festival - Wychwood.
5) Bike Rides
If you have the room then make sure you take bikes or scooters. They are perfect for exploring (and tiring the kids out too)
6) Toy Box
Lastly take a toy box. When it rains you will need things to help keep them entertained inside the tent. If you use something like a Trunki then it can also double up as a ride along. Pack things such as activity books, colouring books, craft items, glue etc. You can get the children to make some crafts using nature as their supplies. They could so some pebble art or pressing leaves and flowers.
Do you have any top tips for keeping children entertained whilst camping?
*This is a collaborative post*
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