With two kids I do look for somewhere for the kids to play/meet other kids - apart from anything else it gives me some peace - I can sit and read while they are playing.
Although when the kids were younger we did do a couple of trios to commercial sites as the kids loved the evening shows etc - they are now past this. We went a couple of years ago, as Pip had had his leg in a brace for 16 weeks and when we booked we did not know if he would still be in it and confined to a wheelchair - so we thought the pool would be great for Alice - and I have to say that she went most days, and Pip having had the brace removed a few weeks earlier had just been given the all clear to start putting weight on his leg, could also go swimming , or hobble to the arcade.
We can do without electric - and although we do take a portable DVD player, this tends to stay in the car more than it has been used, but on the odd occasions it has been used we have been rally grateful. Always take a couple of films that we can watch as a family.
DSs etc are useful for keeping the kids amused when it is not fit to go outside/too early or last thing at night before we go to bed - when in bed we will chat for a while before we go to sleep.
As others I believe there is still the variety of campsites. Ideally we like to camp on basic sites with a tap, clean toilets & showers but do not like to pay over £20 a night which as a family of 5 it is getting more expensive, we have stayed on resort sites which the children enjoy and have plans to stay on a pub site with just a tap & toilets albeit just a couple of nights at the later.
I think the recession, high fuel prices and a sense of wanting to be 'green' have all helped camping to become more popular, and prices have risen along with demand.
Staycationing has become fashionable, and the rise of glamping and the introduction of yurts and pods on many sites, has opened up camping to a whole section of the population who would previously never have considered camping an option.
One upside to all of this has got to be that there is now so much choice for tents and equipment, both online and in large stores like GO, Mountain Warehouse etc., although these places have grown their businesses rather to the detriment of the traditional high street outdoor shops.
Given the above, I think we're possibly in a golden age of camping (ignoring the atrocious weather we've been having ). Maybe pitch prices will hit a ceiling soon - or maybe we'll see some campsites offering higher calibre facilities at premium prices, with the rest levelling off as we eventually come out of the recession.
Ok I wouldn't camp without electric, that's my choice. I wouldn't however dream of taking a tv, we take my daughters tablet for the car journey but apart from that it stays in the car. I may take my kindle next trip but frankly we're away with a large group and not convinced I'll touch it if I do take it. I want clean showers, hot water, and my tent and accessories match (barring the chairs, but I haven't quite found THE chair yet). I will never take a microwave, but camping wise we eat just as well if not better than we do at home.
I've only been camping a year, but I've searched and searched for cheap hotel rooms based on its just a bed and a shower.
Yes I might be my own worst enemy but my family time is precious and I want to make the best of it, if it costs us then it does. I'm a firm believer you get what you pay for.
------------- 2013
Easter - Thorpe park tin tent
May bank - Saxdale
Whitsun - Nantcol
June - Studfold
July - Priests house, Barden's back garden ;-)
July- 4 vents Paris for euro Disney
Aug - Saxdale
Aug- high straggleton farm
Aug BH - Studfold
Sept - Stratford
Oct - Masons
NYE -saxdale (eeeek)
I freely admit I'm a glamper and good toilet and shower blocks are a must for me but sites that have club houses and entertainment leave me cold. So I look for quiet sites with nice facilities and we are lucky enough to be able to camp in the low season (children all grown up) so prices are relatively cheap. For us camping is to do with getting away from home and relaxing,doing a bit of sight seeing or just reading in the tent. We all have different opinions, tastes and requirements and these change as our lives change and luckily there is such a vast range of sites available that something can be found for everyone regardless of requirements.
It is what you make it, and there is something for everyone, although prices do seem to be creeping up!
We are a family of four. We have a large tent with a toilet area (young children!) and we do take a small amount of technology with us. We don't have bunting and our cooking is done on a small bbq or trangia.
When we camp on our own we tend to opt for the clubhouse type so that our kids have a chance to make friends and enjoy the children's entertainment and mum and dad get the chance to drink in somewhere that vaguely resembles a pub! We make the most of the facilities available, showering everyday etc, etc, but we tend not to use the 'restaurants, and only this easter did we give in and opt for EHU (it was so cold and we were determined to get away!)
When we camp with friends, we go for a basic field. The children clean their teeth and wipe their faces with the cold water from the tap, we make our own entertainment by playing boules, badminton and cards. We snuggle in bed and watch a film after long walks etc.
They are two entirely different worlds, but each with a benefit for me; one makes me feel pleased that I have thoroughly spoilt my children and made them happy, the other, that I have enjoyed just being with my children, which is something we never seem to do at home!
Like I said at the start of my waffle, it is what you make it and there is something for everyone at every stage of their lives. That is the joy of camping,
I went to hell in a tin tent (static) at Easter as we had to cancel our camp because we couldn't get to site. It was expensive, and we spent a fortune there. If I'd fore planned to my usual standard we could have had a week abroad for what we spent.
The positives, my daughter loved it, and the bar was a nice thing to be able to do with a kid.
------------- 2013
Easter - Thorpe park tin tent
May bank - Saxdale
Whitsun - Nantcol
June - Studfold
July - Priests house, Barden's back garden ;-)
July- 4 vents Paris for euro Disney
Aug - Saxdale
Aug- high straggleton farm
Aug BH - Studfold
Sept - Stratford
Oct - Masons
NYE -saxdale (eeeek)
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Is the problem us??
). Maybe pitch prices will hit a ceiling soon - or maybe we'll see some campsites offering higher calibre facilities at premium prices, with the rest levelling off as we eventually come out of the recession.
