Kids don't need entertainment programmes, a pool or Wi-Fi. They need dirt, animals and parents who are not watching the clock. That is exactly what camping delivers, provided you plan it around the kids rather than the adults.
Starting small beats failing big
The best way to start is not a two-week trip abroad, but a trial weekend close to home: near enough to drive back if need be, long enough to find out whether the family loves the format. With school-age kids, spring and summer are ideal; if you are not yet tied to school holidays, travel in the off-season, when it is emptier, cheaper and more relaxed.
The journey is part of the holiday (or its end)
Long stages are the most common family mistake. Plan short drives with real stops, a playground, a swimming spot, a farm shop, and pack an activity box just for the journey: audiobooks, puzzle books, that one toy they never get otherwise. Aim to arrive before the mood turns, not after.
The secret jackpot: pitches with animals
Ask kids about the highlight of their camping holiday and the view rarely wins; usually it is the chickens. For families, farm pitches beat almost any resort: feeding calves, collecting eggs, seeing a tractor up close. And while the kids inspect the barn, the parents get to drink their first coffee of the day sitting down. A ritual of your own helps too: the same torch, the same goodnight walk around the vehicle. Rituals turn every unfamiliar field into home.
👨👩👧 Tip for choosing a pitch: look out for mentions of farm animals, a play meadow or a swimming spot in the profiles, and book your trial weekend no more than an hour from home.
Background research including the roadsurfer blog and guides from TCS, VanSite and other camping magazines; text and analysis: Parkn'Sleep editorial team.
