Taking your baby or young child caravanning can be one of the most rewarding things to do together as a young family. Your little one will love the adventure and being outdoors with so much to see and experience – be it building fairy houses, paddling in streams or building their first sand castle.
How To Go Caravanning With A Young Child
This is a collaborative post
The most important thing for a successful caravan holiday is some thorough planning beforehand. Fear not, we’ve come up with a list of useful tips and essential things to pack to make sure your caravan trip doesn’t end in tears (yours or theirs).
Our top tips for keeping your tiny tot tip top
We reveal the caravanning secrets many a parent has discovered the hard way, so you don’t have to.
1. Choose your campsite carefully and plan your route
First thing first, make sure you’re heading for a family-friendly site. Not only may it offer more facilities designed for children – like a playground or games room – but you’re far more likely to have considerate neighbours.
Neglecting your route planning is, as any parent knows, like playing with fire. To best avoid meltdowns, factor in stops for stretching legs, feeding and changing. If it’s your first caravan outing with your youngster, you may want to stick closer to home, so you can easily bail out should things not go to plan.
2. Pack smart
With caravan weight considerations in mind, you may not be able to bring every parenting tool you have at your disposal at home. However, making a list of your childcare essentials and prioritising them will ensure you leave nothing vital on the kitchen table. Ensure you have nappies, wipes, formula, appropriate clothing and a selection of their favourite toys.
3. Pre-prepare meals
Meal prep isn’t a bad idea even without kids, but with a young child in tow having some pre-made meals can take some of the stress of caravan cooking out of dinnertime. And make sure some of your child’s favourite snacks are never too far away.
4. Bring appropriate bedtime equipment
When it comes to baby bedtime, you may have to get inventive in your caravan, as you’ll rarely have a built-in bed. You’ll also need to be aware of space – you won’t want something that takes up all your living space both day and night. Good options include travel cots, pop tents or even a detachable pram carrycot. Just remember, whatever you go for, to check it fits in your caravan’s dimensions.
5. Prepare for all weathers
Our weather is notoriously unpredictable, and like your little one, never stays calm for long. Make sure you pack plenty of changes of clothes – both warm and breathable options so they’re ready for anything. And don’t forget hats and suncream.
Six caravanning essentials to pack for your little one
While caravanning is great for shedding some of the everyday tat of family living, there are some bits of kit you definitely don’t want to forget.
- Highchair or floor seat
Depending on how much space you have, you’ll want to bring something for your baby to sit in. Highchairs will take up more room but keep your child up on the same level as everyone else at mealtimes.
- Cold water steriliser
This is an excellent bit of kit that works off-grid if you can’t use or don’t have a microwave, keeping all your equipment safe and clean.
- Baby sleeping bags
These are easy to fasten and will keep your little one warm (you may want to opt for a warmer one for winter).
- Flexibucket bath
If your baby has outgrown the caravan sink already, a flexibucket in the shower is perfect for bath time. Not only that, but it could easily double as a paddling pool in summer and is useful for packing and storage as well.
- Travel potty
If your child is old enough for potty training, there’s no reason it can’t continue while you’re caravanning.
- A hardy pram or child carrier backpack
If you’re going to venture beyond the campsite to walk or sightsee, you’ll want a pram or child carrier with you. Child carrier backpacks are particularly good if you’re a keen hiker and want to take your little one places where a pram would struggle.
Caravan holidays without a hitch
Taking your young child on your caravan holidays will have you thinking about how they grow up so fast. But without caravan insurance, small things can quickly become big (and not in the cute, reminiscent way).
Having suitable cover in place can help mitigate the unpredictability of young children and take some stress off your plate. With InsureMy, you can compare policies from our panel of specialist caravan insurers in minutes. Better still, we guarantee to find you the lowest price.
So, sit back (unlikely), relax (maybe), and enjoy (definitely) your family caravan trips now and forever, content in the knowledge you’re covered for anything life (or your child) throws at you.
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