Great Ways for Making Family Camping Fun

Camping is a great way to spend time with your family and friends and create memories that will last a lifetime. More people than ever are choosing a staycation rather than going abroad and are discovering the joys of many beautiful places there are to visit in the UK. Family camping is also an excellent opportunity to get back to nature and enjoy the outdoors. However, camping invariably requires more work and planning than a typical ‘package’ holiday, so here are some tips for making family camping fun for everyone.

Be Prepared

The scouts’ motto ‘be prepared’ is very pertinent when considering a family camping holiday! If you are not prepared and organised the trip can quickly become a disaster.

There are several ways to be ready for Smart Exploring, including allowing plenty of time to pack, acquiring the proper equipment/gear, and ensuring everyone in the family has appropriate camping clothing.

Also, do your homework and ensure you understand what your campsite has to offer and all the rules and regulations you need to abide by. Everywhere is slightly different but spending time planning so you know what to expect when you reach your destination means the family fun can get started pretty quickly.

Have A Bonfire

One of the great things about camping is that many campsites have a central fire pit. That means the entire family can gather around a single source of warmth and light to tell stories, roast marshmallows, sing songs, roast wieners, or sleep under the stars, all without needing to light several fires for each activity.

Bonfires are also great for providing warmth during cool evenings or helping to cook your food while making your campsite smell wonderful.

Enjoy proper ‘camping food’

Although it might seem more convenient to eat your meals at the nearest fast-food restaurant or the local diner, preparing and eating food cooked in the campfire or a small camping stove will provide so much more family fun!

Not sure what to cook, or what to pack? The tasty camping recipes provide lots of ideas and will be a useful way to make your list of store cupboard ingredients to take with you. Cooking together in the spirit of a camping holiday will bring everyone together, providing chores are evenly shared, and make for a much better trip.

By taking the time out of your day to cook and enjoy a meal as a family, you will strengthen your bond and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Go on Day Trips That Are Close By

One of the joys of a camping holiday is visiting local beauty spots and we have so many in the UK. But while the essence of a family camping holiday is enjoying the great outdoors, you may also like to visit quaint villages with atmospheric local pubs, museums, zoos, castles, or even a theme park!

Choose your campsite so that there are plenty of different types of day trips that everyone will enjoy. Make reservations at restaurants or tourist attractions as necessary before arriving to ensure there are no last-minute disappointments because venues are fully booked.

Most campsites provide a list of nearby attractions, but if you want to decide the campsite according to the places you would like to visit rather than the other way around, the Camping and Caravan Club has a list of 50 best UK tourist attractions.

Stargaze

Some of the most beautiful places in nature are nearly devoid of light pollution. If you live in the city or urban areas, you will doubtless be stunned by the vastness of clear skies in countryside locations.

Why not prepare for a night of family stargazing? Pick a clear, dry night, cosy yourselves up in warm clothes and a fire if needed, and lay on your backs and marvel at the millions of stars in the sky without a single city light ruining the view.

Something as simple as stargazing could even be one of the highlights of your family camping holiday.

Make S ’mores

What is camping without s ‘mores? There is nothing like roasting a marshmallow over a hot campfire and enjoying it with some chocolate and graham crackers. If you haven’t tried them before, then it might be time to give s ‘mores a shot. You won’t regret it.

National Geographic even has an amusing article about the history of s ‘mores including the original 1827 recipe!  Why not use the information as the basis of a quiz and make your s ‘mores experience even more fun?

Tents or RVs?

Campsites are far more sophisticated these days and most have excellent facilities, although always research thoroughly so you know exactly what to expect. In theory, you could therefore pitch up with a very basic tent and still have everything you need.

But unless you are used to camping, choosing a larger tent to accommodate your family that is comfortable, versatile, and fun for kids might be a better option. However, the larger the tent the bulkier it is and invariably more complicated to put up.

But going camping doesn’t necessarily mean using a tent. There are lots of RV options worth considering: an RV is a ‘recreational vehicle’ such as a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters such as a motorhome, campervan, converted coach, or caravan.

Nowadays, there are plenty of options for hiring RVs to help maximise the fun of your family camping holiday. This is probably an advisable option for first-timers and if you really enjoy your holiday, it may even be worth considering purchasing your own RV so can just up and go whenever the mood takes you!

Take Plenty of Photos

Plenty of family camping photos provide a great way to remember all the fabulous and fun times on your trip away from home, and plenty of opportunities to reminisce later.

Take plenty of family pictures, but rather than formal shots try and take pictures that capture the fun of your holiday and the beauty of your surroundings.

If possible, ensure every family member old enough has their own camera, and perhaps have an exploring day where the focus is taking pictures of fauna, flora, and wildlife.

Play Games

What better way to create memories than playing some games with your family? Ensure you pack enough equipment for both indoor and outdoor. If the weather is not as good as hoped for, card and board games are better than reverting to digital options.

Some campsites have facilities such as pools, tennis courts, and bikes to hire, but even without those facilities, a football, tennis balls, ping pong, volleyball, kite flying can all be packed away and readily available. But don’t forget something more adventurous too such as a scavenger hunt

Get Active

When you are near one of the UK’s glorious national parks, up in the hills, near the beach, or deep in the countryside enjoying nature, there are usually all sorts of fun things to do. Take some time out of your day to go for a hike near cascading waterfalls, try boating or kayaking, or ride bikes across miles and miles of beautiful country roads. The memories you create will be priceless.

We hope these suggestions for making family camping fun will ensure you create a holiday the whole family can enjoy regardless of each person’s interests. There is nothing like returning home after a few days spent enjoying nature to remind you why your home planet is so amazing. The memories created by spending time together as a family in the great outdoors will last forever.