Our Top Tips For Caravanning With Kids

UK staycations have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many families opting for a holiday destination closer to home. And, with foreign travel likely to be restricted for some time due to the coronavirus pandemic, they’re set to become even more commonplace.

However, there’s a strong possibility that hotels and B&Bs will quickly become booked up when things start to return to normal. And that’s the ones that re-open – some might take longer to do so than others. A caravan holiday could therefore be a great alternative. But what if you’ve never “done” one before?

If you’ve got kids, you’ll undoubtedly want your caravan holiday to be enjoyable for the whole family. That’s why we’ve put together these top tips for caravanning with kids…

Make sure your caravan is family-friendly

The layout and interiors of your caravan are vital when you’re caravanning with kids. They not only need to accommodate smaller humans, they also need to give everybody their own space. Essentially, they could be the difference between your caravan being a home away from home or a disaster zone.

Here are some questions you might want to consider in relation to the layout and interiors of your caravan:

• Where will the kids sleep?
• Has it got fixed bunk beds?
• Will they have their own space?
• Can you put the kids at the back of the van, so you don't disturb them at night?
• Is there plenty of storage space?
• Are there enough power sockets? (This is important if your children are taking gadgets with them)
• Is there an exposed gas/electric heater which could be a hazard?

Not all of these questions are necessarily ‘make or break’. What you go for depends entirely on the age (and therefore preferences) of your children. But they should give you a good idea of what you do and don’t want in a caravan.

Related:

The Ultimate Guide To Caravan Layouts

10 Things to Consider to Get Your Family the Best Caravan

Take lots of games and books

We’ve all been there – you’re stuck in a traffic jam and from the back of the car comes “Mummy, I’m bored!”. But you can stay one step ahead and take an array of games and books to keep your little (or big!) ones entertained.

Yahtzee is a great game to play with the whole family, as is Monopoly (provided you’re not overly competitive). And let’s not forget Scrabble, Risk or Trivial Pursuit; these are all solid choices. You also can’t go wrong with a pack of cards – Snap and Blackjack are tried and tested family favourites. If you’re holidaying in hot, sunny weather, a swing ball or frisbee can keep your kids busy for hours.

One book we would recommend is Five Have a Wonderful Time, a classic children’s book which is, of course, about a caravan trip. This mystery novel is bound to provide some riveting night-time reading. If you’ve got younger children, colouring books are a good option, as are puzzle books and jigsaws.

Some of these suggestions may seem obvious – but overlook them at your peril. Your kids will be grateful for these activities, especially on a rainy day, and may remember them fondly in years to come.

Have films and TV shows at the ready

There are only so many hours in the day your kids will want to play games or run around outside in outdoor activities. Eventually, they’ll want to do something else.

Watching films and TV shows can be that thing. Although your kids might have their favourite TV shows that they watch at home, when was the last time you sat down as a family and all enjoyed something together?

Watching films and TV shows is ideal when you’ve got a few hours to spare. It’s also the perfect contingency plan for when the weather is wet and miserable – which in the UK is quite often.

That’s why we recommend ensuring your caravan comes with a TV and DVD player. Or, if you want to watch TV while your kids watch a film, you can either:

• Pack a tablet like an iPad which can stream Netflix
• Pack a laptop which can stream Netflix and play DVDs
• Pack a portable DVD player

From our research, portable DVD players still seem to be all the rage among caravanners. Who’d have thought?

We don’t want to tell you which films to watch because a) it’s down to personal taste and b) we’re not IMDb. But an adventure film is a solid choice, right? Jurassic Park, anyone?

Pick a caravan park with plenty of amenities

Location and amenities are key to any caravan holiday, but they take on extra importance when you’re caravanning with kids.

In terms of location – if the park is close to a beach, lake, forest or wildlife park, this takes a lot of pressure off you when it comes to finding things to do. If it’s near a heritage site, your kids can do something fun and educational. Win-win.

As far as amenities go, a park featuring a range of indoor and outdoor activities should be top of your list. Here are some suggestions of amenities to look out for…

For the kids

• Play park
• Craft centre
• Kids’ clubs
• Ice cream parlour
• Treehouse

For you

• Pub
• Nice café
• Sauna
• Spa
• Gym
• Games room

For the family

• Swimming pool
• Tennis court
• Adventure trail
• Crazy golf course – let’s face it, you can’t beat a few rounds of crazy golf.

You get the idea. The more activities the whole family can enjoy on their holiday, the more you’ll get out of it.

Related:

30 Fun Family-Friendly Caravan Holiday Parks In The UK

Get an awning

Surprisingly, holidaying in a caravan isn’t always a barrel of laughs. If tempers fray and you’re stuck in a small space, the atmosphere could become frosty. If your kids want to do one thing and you want to do another, this could lead to one or two awkward conversations. To prevent this from happening, you should get an awning for your caravan.

This gives you your own space, especially at night when the kids have gone to bed. You don’t have to go to bed when they do or creep around for fear of disturbing them. It also allows them to do their own thing during the day without disturbing you and vice versa.

An awning is also helpful from a space-saving perspective. It gives you plenty of room in which to store items like shoes and bikes, which stops them taking up too much space in your caravan. It can also accommodate a large table if you’ve got a big family, or simply want more dining or leisure space.

Another reason to get an awning is that older kids will enjoy sleeping in it. So, if you’ve got a teenager, this might be the perfect space for them.

You might be thinking – I’ve never put up an awning, where on earth do I begin? Fear not – this video explains all…

Keep your kids well fed

Pack lots of snacks. As other parents will tell you, there’s nothing worse than a ‘hangry’ child (this is an amalgamation of hungry and angry, in case you’re not down with the kids).

However, at the risk of sounding preachy, there’s a balance to be struck. You should also cook fresh where possible.

As you’re probably aware, the on-site food options at some caravan parks aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘healthy’. Not that there’s anything wrong with this – who doesn’t love a good fish and chips when they’re on holiday? But at the same time, you don’t want your kids binging on junk food every day.

That’s why you should stock up on fresh ingredients so that you can cook the occasional meal from scratch. It might even be worth getting the kids to help you with the cooking – this gets them used to cooking for themselves and is a fun activity the whole family can enjoy. It also helps you save money, too. What’s not to love?

If you need some culinary inspiration, check out this article from The Camping and Caravanning Club.

Finally - consider distance

Even though after reading our article you’ll have packed every game, book and DVD known to man, your kids might still get restless from being in a car for hours.

The last thing you want is endless ‘Are we there yet?’ questions while you stare down the barrel of a motorway traffic jam. So, maybe don’t venture much further than around 200 miles from your home.

However, if the caravan park you’re visiting is further away and you’re determined to undertake a long journey, we recommend making an overnight campsite stop en route. Or, an early start while the kids are still half asleep!

Aaand breathe. Ok – games, check. Snacks, check. Insurance… check?

Specialist caravan insurance from Ripe Caravans

If you don't have insurance, this should be your number one priority before you go on a caravan holiday. Without insurance, you face paying eye-watering sums of money out of your own pocket if something goes wrong.

However, with specialist touring caravan insurance, you’re covered against theft, loss, damage and much more. Find out how our cover can give you peace of mind by clicking the link above, or get an online quote today. You’ll be thankful you did.

Once that's done – enjoy your next caravan holiday!