Our Family Camping Adventures

It’s fair to say to say that I love camping!

So much of my inspiration for Cubbkids comes from the nostalgia of family camping.

Family camping trips, both when I was little and the trips we've taken with my daughter hold some of my most special memories. With camping season fast approaching I wanted to share some of our camping adventures, tips and hopefully inspire you to sleep under the stars.

Why I love it so much.

Campsites are natural playgrounds for children, they get to run wild, spend the days on their bikes, getting dirty, and exploring nature.

The past year has meant that we have all spent so much more time indoors and screen time has inevitably increased so we need to get outside and connect with nature more than ever.

Spending time in the fresh air is so good for our children's well being, it reduces stress and anxiety and develops their sense of adventure.

On our camping trips, we’ve seen the sky filled with the brightest stars, heard the owls hoot, gone on night time bat walks, and most importantly unplugged for a few days. And you when you get home, your house feels like a 5 star hotel!

Family Toasting marshmallows round the camp fire

My daughter learning to whittle (not with the axe!)

How we Camp

Its fair to say we have A LOT of camping paraphernalia! We're slightly obsessed with vintage camping products and my husband is amazing at finding second hand camping gear at our local car boot. Nearly everything is second hand so you really don't have to spend a fortune.

This awning was an old scout tent that we found in a skip!

These amazing retro camping chairs were also a car boot find.

So were these fantastic Coleman cool boxes.

Our favourite way to camp is in our vintage Commer camper van. My husband bought it about 12 years ago for £1000 and he was the second owner so it has all its original interior from the 70's. It's really beautiful and perfect for local camping trips.

We also own a vintage dutch tent, which is great, especially for longer trips. My husband even built a wooden chuck box so we have a proper mini kitchen unit, it weighs an absolute ton but I love it anyway!

Where we Camp

We've had some wonderful camping adventures in France, Belgium and Holland but camping has allowed us to explore our local surroundings too. We're lucky enough to be spoilt for choice when it comes to local campsites in Sussex. Here are some of our favourite local spots to camp:

https://yampcamp.co.uk/campsites/ditchling-camp/

https://www.ousemeadowcampsite.co.uk/

https://www.wowo.co.uk/

Food

Food plays a big part of our camping trips and we've had some incredible meals around the campfire.

We cook as much of our food on our ecozoom as possible. Its an absolutely brilliant little stove and completely eco-friendly. You can read more about it here:

https://ecozoom.com