Essential equipment for camping (if you're 2 and a half)

[spandit]

• 6 Thomas the tank engine books
• Thomas, Percy, James & Bertie
• a set of Moomin finger puppets
• a plastic spade
• 2 buckets, neither of which would hold water
• a box of memory game cards
• a squashy ball
• a set of stacking cups
• a Fifi flowertot doll

I've packed, in addition to the must haves... 2 blankets, sleeping bag, Therm-a-rests (which cover the entire groundsheet) & most importantly, keys to the back door as I suspect our chances of lasting the night are somewhat remote...

 

[Conan257]

Love to hear how it goes, my lad has just turned 3 and i'm keen to get him out camping at some point!

 

[Jimmy Bojangles]

I'd probably take some stuff for your child too! Lol
Good luck with it, I've got two six year olds that are going to do their first camps this year, like you, I'll be taking the back door key.

Cheers

Mat

 

[Toddy]

You forgot the magic sleeping hat
Y'know? the one that the child puts on, closes their eyes, and thinks soft warm things, but has to lie still until the magic sleep well dreams come.

Before you know it the back lawn will have a permanent tent shaped bare bit, and the kids beds won't need changing for three months every Summer
The children become these wee brown people with big smiles and windblown hair, skint knees and wee feet with that big gap between their big toes and the others from going without shoes while playing, for so long.

I'm of the opinion it's very good for them
They get absolutely filthy, they climb everything from trees to sheds to clothes poles, their immune systems get a real work out, the garden gets dug from one end to the other (forget thinking it's an ornamental show place, it's a battleground) the fruit bushes are stripped bare as soon as the fruit ripens, the kids stretch faster than the weeds, they learn what's green is not always good to eat, and slugs are definitely for the birds that tools are very good things and can hurt when you don't use them properly, that fire is easy to make and hard to keep fueled...............and make sure you enjoy it because all too soon all you'll have are memories of happy children and the occasional marble and the remains of wee plastic toy soldiers from a long forgotten battle turning up in the flower beds, to mind you of it all

I 'loved' being Mum to my sons Hope your wee one has as much fun as mine did; you too

atb,
Toddy

 

[Ogri the trog]

You'll probably find that all they really need is their Dad!

Make sure there's enough room in your sleeping bag in case they get cold during the night and they'll have a ball!

Ogri the trog

 

[Maxip]

Before you know it the back lawn will have a permanent tent shaped bare bit, and the kids beds won't need changing for three months every Summer
The children become these wee brown people with big smiles and windblown hair, skint knees and wee feet with that big gap between their big toes and the others from going without shoes while playing, for so long.

They get absolutely filthy, they climb everything from trees to sheds to clothes poles, their immune systems get a real work out, the garden gets dug from one end to the other (forget thinking it's an ornamental show place, it's a battleground) the fruit bushes are stripped bare as soon as the fruit ripens, the kids stretch faster than the weeds, they learn what's green is not always good to eat, and slugs are definitely for the birds that tools are very good things and can hurt when you don't use them properly, that fire is easy to make and hard to keep fueled...............and make sure you enjoy it because all too soon all you'll have are memories of happy children and the occasional marble and the remains of wee plastic toy soldiers from a long forgotten battle turning up in the flower beds, to mind you of it all

Sounds vaguely like my childhood - you weren't watching through the fence were you We were brought inside at the end of the day for a hose down & some tea. How times have changed

 

[mousey]

Camping in the back garden? great fun used to do it loads as a nipper me-self. but now I have a partially slabbed with the other half a permenant mud hole of a garden [I have 3 kids and 3 big dogs] so have to take the kids to the nearby campsite.

anyway as the house will be only just 'over there' you don't need a heck of a lot. If going further away you can NEVER have too many changes of clothes for them as they WILL get very mucky and wet, mucks not bad but wet is deffinately not fun.

probably won't actually need many toys [be having too much fun climbing through bushes, exploring and practicing escape and evasion techniques on you] but good to have a fair supply of snack foods. keep a torch handy and give em one too don't know why but all my kids love torches?

GO HAVE FUN...

 

[Toddy]

Sounds vaguely like my childhood - you weren't watching through the fence were you We were brought inside at the end of the day for a hose down & some tea. How times have changed

Yep that's it to a T. Glad to hear other folks grew up like that too
Filthy as you like through the day, fed and watered at regular intervals, scrubbed clean, suppered, and then to bed

Used to horrify my terribly polite aunties who dropped in to visit, that these 'urchins' were mine

atb,
M

 

[Badger74]

probably won't actually need many toys [be having too much fun climbing through bushes, exploring and practicing escape and evasion techniques on you]

Too true

 

[oldtimer]

Mine are 43 and 41 and I'm still having trouble with them!

 

[spandit]

False alarm. The toddler has changed her mind, that almost never happens!

 

[Toddy]

Aw You could try a day time camp out she'll love that especially if it's sunny.

cheers,
M

 

[spandit]

She said the garden was too scary, I'm quite glad as I didn't really want to go to bed at 7:30!

 

[Toddy]

You know those wee fishing shelters ? about a fiver in Lidl's sale a couple of times a year ? they make really good indoor tents as well as handy storage under a hammock

I can still mind sleeping in a basket set on the burden boards of my Dad's dory. I smell seagrass and I'm right back there again Sunny, fresh air, sea smells, safe and warm and happy curled up in a tartan blanket
The faint scent of mildewy canvas and the swish/swish/ripple of the tide coming in slow and even on shingle, and I'm five again, camping out down the Gare Loch

Fun times Bet your wee one loves her Daddy just as much

cheers,
M