Family Camping Trips: Keeping Children Warm and Entertained

Choosing a Pitch That Works in the Rain

A British camping weekend rarely arrives without at least one downpour, and the pitch you choose does more for family comfort than almost anything else. Arrive early enough to walk the site, and look for ground that sits slightly higher than the paths around it. Low corners collect water, and a tent pitched in a dip will feel damp within hours, no matter how good the flysheet is.

Shelter matters too. A hedge or a line of trees on the prevailing wind side cuts the chill considerably, but avoid pitching directly under large trees — drips continue long after the rain stops, and there is the risk of falling branches in a gust. If the site allows it, position your tent so the door faces away from the wind and add a tarp over the picnic table. That simple canopy turns a soggy table into a dry base for meals, card games and boot-changing, and it is the single best investment for a wet weekend.

Before you leave home, check two things: whether the site allows open fires or raised fire pits, and whether there is a covered washing-up area. Knowing that you have somewhere dry to retreat to makes everyone more relaxed when the clouds roll in.

Layering: The Simple System That Keeps Everyone Warm

Children get cold far faster than adults, partly because they are smaller and partly because they refuse to admit it until they are miserable. Layering is the answer, and it works on a straightforward principle: trap warm air in thin layers you can add or remove as the weather shifts.

• Base layer: a thin merino or synthetic top and leggings. Avoid cotton next to the skin — once it is wet, from sweat or rain, it stays cold.
• Mid layer: a fleece or light insulated jacket for warmth.
• Outer layer: a waterproof jacket and overtrousers, taped seams and all. Overtrousers are the piece parents most often forget and the one children thank you for.
• Extremities: two pairs of socks, a hat that covers the ears, and gloves even in summer. Hands and feet lose heat first.

Pack each child's clothing in a labelled dry bag so you are not rummaging through a shared holdall in the rain. Bring at least one full spare set of everything, including socks and shoes, per child per day. Wet wellies can be stuffed with newspaper overnight to draw out moisture — an old trick that genuinely works.

Sleeping Bags, Mats and the Warm Bedtime Routine

Cold at night is what turns a fun camping trip into a long one. Two pieces of kit do the heavy lifting: the sleeping bag and the mat beneath it. A bag rated to around freezing is a sensible choice for British shoulder seasons, but the mat matters just as much, because the ground pulls heat out of a body all night long. Look for a mat with a decent insulation value, and never rely on a thin foam roll alone for a child.

Sleeping bags sized for children work better than adult bags, which leave cold air pockets around small shoulders. A fleece liner adds warmth and is easy to wash. A few practical habits help enormously:

• Feed everyone a warm, filling supper an hour or so before bed.
• Send children to the loo last thing, so nobody is woken by a cold dash at 2am.
• Dress them in a base layer, fleece and clean dry socks for sleeping.
• Fill a hot water bottle, wrap it in a towel and tuck it into the foot of the bag.
• Keep hats on. A beanie in a sleeping bag is entirely normal camping behaviour.

Give each child their own head torch on a lanyard, and agree a rule that lights go off at a set time. A predictable bedtime routine, even a shortened version of the one at home, settles younger campers quickly.

Games for Wet Afternoons Under Canvas

Rain does not have to mean screens. A small bag of low-space games saves the day, and children often enjoy them more than they expect.

• A pack of playing cards: snap, rummy and simple patience suit a range of ages.
• Dice games: a scorepad and five dice keep a group going for an hour.
• Story rounds: each person adds a sentence to a tale, with a rule that someone must get eaten by a midge.
• Shadow puppets: one torch against the tent wall turns a rainy evening into theatre.
• Drawing challenges: a pad, pencils and a topic such as "the worst camping breakfast ever".

Keep the games in one named dry bag so they are easy to find, and rotate them so nothing becomes stale.

Outdoor Entertainment Between Showers

The moment the rain eases, get everyone out and moving. Wellies and waterproofs make puddles an attraction rather than an obstacle, and a brisk game warms children far better than sitting still. Try a nature bingo card with items such as an oak leaf, a feather and three different bird calls, or a scavenger hunt with a time limit. Den building with fallen branches and a spare tarp occupies a whole afternoon. Torch walks after dusk, with strict boundaries agreed in advance, feel like a proper expedition to a seven-year-old.

Hot Food, Warm Drinks and Sharing the Jobs

One-pot meals are your friend: a chunky pasta, a bean stew or a curry that can be reheated if the weather delays things. A flask of hot chocolate carried on every walk lifts spirits instantly. Give children real jobs — collecting kindling, filling water bottles, pegging out tea towels — because responsibility keeps them engaged and speeds up the whole camp. Then, when the weekend ends and the kit dries on the washing line at home, you will already be planning the next one.