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I've been asked a few times for food specifically suitable for kids' camping trips. While I'm a big believer in feeding my children the same as we eat, I realise there is a time and place for giving the kids what they will eat...especially when time, money and tired, hungry children are involved.
The following meal ideas rely quite heavily on convenience foods, but they are still pretty healthy and filling. A good pinch of mixed herbs, some mild chilli powder, curry powder and/or some garlic paste could be added to most of these dishes to make them more tasty. These recipes might also go down well with students and festival-goers as they are cheap and quick and easy to prepare.
- Hot dog stew: Heat sliced or mini vegetarian hot dogs in a pan, along with a tin of baked beans, a drained tin of ready-cooked small potatoes and drained tin of sweet corn.
- Veggie sausages, hot dogs or burgers in buns: Cook on the barbecue and serve with ketchup, salad, vegetable sticks, or corn on the cob.
- Pasta in sauce/pesto: Cook some fresh pasta, until al dente. Drain, and add in a tub of your preferred ready-made sauce or vegetarian pesto. Heat through until piping hot.
- Quick and easy mild chilli with tortilla chips: Mix a tin of beans in mild chilli sauce with a tin of ratatouille. Heat until the vegetables have softened. Serve with a sprinkling of grated cheese and tortilla chips to scoop.
- Soup and bread: Heat a carton/tin of ready-made soup and serve with some fresh, crusty bread.
- Omelette or frittatta: Heat a drop of oil in a frying pan and some chopped veggie sausage or veggie bacon (and some finely chopped vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms etc. if your kids like these). When cooked, add 1-2 beaten eggs (per child) and cook until set. Serve with baked beans and crusty bread.
- Vegetarian corned-beef hash: Boil some peeled, diced potato and sweet potato in a pan (you could add other root vegetables too). Drain. Heat a drop of oil in a pan and fry some finely diced onion and some chopped up veggie burgers (the brown, meaty-looking ones) until cooked. Add the cooked potatoes and heat through.
- Veggie kebabs: Cut veggie sausages or burgers into chunks. Thread onto skewers alternated with chunks of whatever veg your children like (bell peppers, courgette, mushrooms etc.) Brush with oil and barbecue. Serve in pitta breads or wraps.
- Dips and dippers: Buy a selection of ready made dips and pitta bread, naan bread or bread sticks (or a combination of breads). Cut (or buy prepared) carrot, cucumber and bell pepper crudités.
- Sweetcorn fritters: Make up a pancake/batter mix a little thicker than for pancakes. Add a drained tin of sweetcorn and mix into the batter. Fry in batches.
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The festival season is fast approaching, so I thought I'd put together a guide to surviving (and enjoying) family-friendly festivals with kids.
Mr O and I have been going to music festivals since we were 18 (and that's a long time ago!). Once Miss Ony came along, we decided that festival camping with a baby was a step too far, but we still went for a day at the V festival when she was about 6 months old - we even got featured in the local paper, as she was one of the youngest festival goers there. We had a bit of a break from 'proper' festivals for a few years after we had Miss Kahonie, as the thought of taking a baby and a toddler to a festival (and all the stuff they needed) seemed just a bit too much effort.
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Once Miss Kahonie was toilet trained and dry at night, we started festival-ing again.The girls love going to festivals now and delight in assembling their festival outfits and accessories before we go each year. One of their favourite festival activities is crazy dancing, which believe me, raises a smile from even the most hardened festival goers!
We always choose family-friendly festivals, generally within a couple of hours' drive. I do a bit of research beforehand to make sure that they have decent toilet facilities, showers and kids' activities. If you can, try and arrive reasonably early to get a decent pitch in the family-camping area (if there is one). We've found to our cost that trudging around a festival site with a tent and two kids, is no fun when you can't find a space to pitch.
My top tips are:
Take a bucket and some loo rolls for night time situations! You can empty the bucket down the loo (or down the chemical disposal point if there is one, in the morning). A bucket with a lid such as a nappy bucket is best!
If you take a light fleece blanket for each child, you can roll them up and take them out in the evenings to wrap the kids up in if they are tired (and use as an extra layer over their sleeping bags at night). A waterproof picnic mat is also useful as a make-shift bed for your little ones to lay or sleep on if they're tired in the evening...it's amazing how they can sleep through the music, noise and flashing lights!
You might want to invest in a pair of ear protectors for young or noise-sensitive children (including those on the autistic spectrum). I can recommend Peltor Kids Ear Defenders which come in a very funky bright pink and lime green. I bought a pair of them for Miss Kahonie when she was little, as she was sensitive to loud noises. She used to get loads of compliments when she wore them (which she couldn't hear of course!).
Essential equipment
- A tent - make sure you're able to put it up before you go!
- A fold up trolley/wheelbarrow etc to transport stuff and/or some big IKEA type bags
- Air beds/sleeping mats/campbeds - with battery powered pump if needed
- Sleeping bags
- Fleece blankets
- Pillows (we always take one proper pillow each, as inflatable pillows just aren't the same!)
- Waterproof picnic mats and/or fold up chairs
- A battery powered light and a torch, plus extra batteries
- Basic first aid kit with kids' paracetamol, plasters, anti-septic wipes, bite-cream etc.
- A pack of baby wipes (always useful no matter how old your kids are).
- Toiletries - small bottles/tubes of shampoo, anti-bacterial handwash, washing up liquid, tooth paste, tooth brushes, sun cream etc.
- Light-weight towels
- Toilet bucket and toilet rolls
- Washing up sponge scourer/cloth
- A few pegs, to peg out damp towels on the guy ropes
- Fully-charged mobile phones
Clothes
- Good warm PJs and a vest/thermals each
- Clothes which can be layered up, as even on hot, sunny days, it can get really cold at night.
- Warm fleece jacket or hoodie each
- Wellies/walking boots, plus some light shoes (pumps, sandals or trainers)
- Waterproof jacket each
- Festival wear (optional!) - colourful clothes, fluorescent leg warmers, socks, tutus, laces and, of course, a festival hat.
- Dressing up clothes for the whole family - check if there's a dressing up theme for one of the days.
Festival catering
Most festivals cater well for vegetarian and vegan guests. Festival food is generally very tasty, but it does tend to be pretty expensive, so you might want to think about taking some of your own food, especially if your kids eat non-stop. Chill or freeze all perishable items and pack into the coolbox just before you leave. My vegetarian and vegan camping food and kids' camping food pages will give you an idea of simple meal ideas...
Equipment
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- Coolbox (no ice packs- freeze any milk/juice cartons/water bottles you're taking and use them as ice packs).
- A refillable water bottle each
- Camping stove plus gas canisters
- Camping kettle and small frying pan/saucepan
- Spatula or spoon
- Small fold up camping table.
- Paper or plastic plates and cups
- Plastic cutlery
Food and drink
- Small cartons of juice
- Portable but filling snacks - biscuits, crackers, cereal bars, dried fruit etc.
- Breakfast foods - bread, cereal, eggs, veggie bacon/sausages, pain au chocolat etc.
- Tinned foods such as soup, baked beans and spaghetti with ring-pull lids.
- Packet foods such as dried veggie burger/sausage mix, rice, noodles etc.
- Small bottle of vegetable oil.
- Alcoholic drinks in plastic bottles or cans (optional!) - most festivals don't allow glass bottles onto their sites.
- Basic ingredients for simple meals: camping recipes.
Fun extras
- Glo-sticks (pound shop)
- Light-up balls/toys (pound shop again)
- Temporary tattoos
- Spray in hair-colour
- Drawing/colouring books and pens/pencils/crayons
- Top trumps cards
- Walkie talkies
- Solar fairy lights and a flag to decorate your tent!
If you have any further festival tips or recommendations, please add them in a comment below. Try sites such as Festival Kidz, eFestivals and Virtual Festivals to find festival dates and information.
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As a National Trust (UK) member, I thought I'd do my bit to promote their 'kids go free' deal which runs from 1-26 August this year and allows families to enjoy an educational day out for a very reasonable price.
Whilst you're there, complete a free kids' trail or quiz and learn all about the history of the property you're visiting, play hide and seek in the grounds, and take a picnic lunch to eat al fresco.
If you want to treat yourselves and eat out, almost all National Trust cafes offer a good range of home cooked (and often locally sourced) food, including vegetarian options.
All you have to do is download a voucher, take it to a participating National Trust property and two children can receive free entry per paying adult - not bad eh?
By the way, if your kids like watching Horrible Histories, you can try to tie in an episode they've watched, with the NT property you're going to visit. Here's just a tiny selection:
Tudors - Tudor Merchant's House Pembrokeshire
Elizabethan - Hardwick Hall Derbyshire
Hanover, Georgians - Saltram Devon
Hanover, Victorians - Carlyle's House London
Stewarts, Charles II - Moseley Old Hall West Midlands
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