This is why kids love camping

26 March, 2019

Do you have some great memories of camping holidays from your childhood? But now you have young children of your own, do you have doubts about going on a camping holiday with them? Let go of any doubts you have: I’ll give you five reasons why it’s a great idea to go camping with young children.

1. Sleeping in a tent is cool!

Sleep in a sleeping bag in a tent, or in a real bunk bed! Kids will love it. As an adult, you look at things from a practical point of view, but try looking at things through the eyes of a five year old – all you’ll see is adventure! It’s not for nothing that building huts and tents are classic games. And how great is it to try out your building skills with your parents or grandparents?

2. Playmates

A campsite is the perfect place to find new playmates. Everyone lives outside, so it’s easy to make new friends. And what’s more fun than playing a game of hide and seek, or tag? That’s right – playing with eight other kids. A morning of crafts or clambering around the campsite on an organised activity is also fun. And even better for you, to have some time to yourself.

3. Nothing is compulsory

Rule number one when you’re camping with kids: you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Just relaxing around the tent or caravan is great. Take some board games, the tablet and some drawing or craft supplies and you can while away a few hours. And what about building dams in a stream, driving around in circles on a balance bike or go-kart, or baking buns over a campfire? At the campsite, you are outdoors and in different surroundings, and that’s an adventure by itself.

4. But anything is possible

Do you want a holiday with loads of interesting activities and days out? Camping is ideal then too. You can pick a campsite near a fun theme park, amusement park or zoo. Or take a day trip to a castle, some caves or a cable car. You can read more here about day trips in the Ardennes and France. But there are also campsites that are a true children’s paradise, with large playgrounds, swimming pools, climbing walls or other interesting activities like trips to the beach or caring for the animals.

5. The advantages of the low season

Consider going camping in the low season if you’re going with very young children who aren’t yet in school. In the spring, the countryside is nice and green, there are lots of flowers, and there are even young lambs, foals and chicks around. In the autumn you can enjoy the fairytale colours and the toadstools. Another advantage of the low season is that it’s quieter in the theme parks, playgrounds and cities – particularly if you avoid the school holidays. Campsites themselves are also quieter, so no rush hour to use the shower or brush your teeth, and you don’t need to set your tent up right next to someone else’s.

Camping in the low season is also nice and affordable. The rate tends to be lower in the spring and autumn low seasons. There are a few campsites where the overnight rate is higher during the school holidays or on bank holidays than the normal low season rate, but that’s not always the case. It’s definitely worth comparing the rates of a few campsites.

Extra benefits with the discount card

Tip: you can camp for even better value rates in the low season with the CampingCard ACSI Discount card. With this card you can stay overnight during the low season for one of the fixed rates: € 12, € 14, € 16, € 18 or € 20 per night. It’s always cheaper than the normal low season rate, sometimes up to 60% cheaper! And there are more than 3,400 campsites across Europe where you can use CampingCard ACSI. On CampingCard.com, you’ll find more information about the precise dates when you can use CampingCard ACSI. There are even more than 650 campsites across Europe where 3 children can stay for free, included in the CampingCard rate. And you’ll often find further discounts for a longer stay. Purchasing the card isn’t expensive – you can earn back your purchase costs in just four overnight stays. So it’s definitely worth giving it a try for a year.

Share your experiences

Do you have experience with camping with young children?  Or tips for fun activities or nice campsites? Please let us know!