What a horrible rainy, mild winter, disappointingly with no snow fun at all! However the spring and summer seasons so far has come as a wonderfully welcome surprise with the numerous sunny days we have had. This has surely put many of us caravan owners and campers in the holiday mood, getting us all excited about the up and coming holiday season. Perhaps it is just you and your partner who will be off on a peaceful, quiet trip or maybe you are getting ready for a much more lively family camping mission that needs tonnes of family games and kids games and activities………we will come to this later as it’s the main reason for this blog! Will you be very adventurous this season and travel to another country? Or maybe there is still much of the UK you haven’t journeyed to yet and you are wondering which of the counties you shall explore next? Whatever your plans are make sure your beloved caravan, motorhome or tent is well-aired and in tip top shape before you set off. All very minor problems………………………… a dripping shower head or tap, a loose kitchen cupboard door that rattles as you drive along, or a loose fridge door that has been slammed once too often. But these can be very annoying when you are driving along or trying to get a good night’s sleep after a fun packed day. Here at Leisureshopdirect we have over 30,000 caravan and motorhome spare parts to help you keep your van in beautiful shape and not allow it to accumulate those annoying war wounds! At Leisureshopdirect, we think refurbishing, modernising and re-purposing is just as important as complete replacement of your caravan’s essential parts, which is why we stock so many competitively priced caravan spare parts. We do our upmost to stock good quality, reliable items at prices that won’t break the bank and avoid you buying the whole new cooker, fridge or shower. Now you have found Leisureshopdirect relax……….you can easily find all the spare parts you need.………..
Caravan accessories.
So to the main point of this blog! Family Camping…….many adults are put off caravanning or camping with their children as they are unsure of the unique challenges a family trip might pose. Where will the children sleep in the van? What family tent will be best for us? What special things do we need to bring? Which campsites are child-friendly and have the best facilities for the young ones? What extra cooking equipment do we need to make the very limited menu the children will eat? But perhaps the most daunting prospect for some parents is what activities can we do to occupy the children without all the toys, gadgets and technology we have around us today???? The following are just a few kids games and activities that have been passed around the many avid campers and caravan owners we know. Family games have brightened up many tourers holidays and brought them closer together as a family, the bonding bringing much laughter, love and fun! Simple games, involving the campsite around you and your camping equipment or things you have in the caravan or motorhome, along with a few extras will definitely get you back to basicsA away from the hectic and repetitive routine of everyday life and help you to have a truly wonderful experience……..reconnecting with your children. All it takes is a little planning………….read on for some holiday games!
All children love playing with torches and you will find torches of various shapes and sizes here on Leisureshopdirect,
Torches- Battery Torches and Lanterns. A very simple kids game is ‘torch tag’. It uses a beam of light to make someone ‘it’. One person has a torch and tries to find someone around them in the dark. As soon as they have ‘hit’ someone with the torch beam they call out that person’s name and they must freeze until they are handed the torch and then they are ‘it’. You will obviously need a torch or two and some re-charged back-up batteries!
Another very simple but entertaining idea is a flashlight hunt…………one person hides an object, the rest look for it using torches. This is a great family game as all can get involved. If you use a timer or countdown on your phone the children will get really excited……..maybe best not to do this just before bedtime!
Another game that definitely falls into fun holiday games is Museum After Dark. It is a great fun idea that tends to lift everyone’s spirits! One camper becomes the "museum guide” and they need a torch, preferably with a wide beam. The rest of the campers make a large circle around the guide and strike an interesting pose, as if they are exhibits in a museum, like statues. The museum guide goes to each of the exhibits, scanning it from head to toe with the beam of light, trying to describe the exhibit in the funniest way possible. The museum guide must not touch any of the exhibits and their aim is to make the exhibits laugh or move - then they become the guide and so on.
An alternative holiday game that often causes delight is the night pirate game……….this definitely requires stealth. One camper is the “pirate” and they need a torch and some “treasure”, which can be any object you choose. The ”pirate” finds a comfy place in the dark with the ”treasure” right in front of them and the other campers all line up 20 paces away. They must try to steal the treasure, by sneaking up secretly and as quietly as possible. If the pirate hears a noise they must shine the torch in that direction and if a camper is caught in the beam, they must go back to the starting line. The first camper to grab the treasure without being caught in the beam of light becomes the new pirate.
It is ever so simple to shine a torch on the inside of the tent and create a shadow puppet show, by making all sorts of shapes with your hands. This has been one of the most popular kids games for many years. Also take some glow sticks with you and the children will love some glow in the dark dancing or writing glow messages in the night sky. A really exciting thing to do is to mix the contents of the glow sticks with bubble mixture and make glow in the dark bubbles. This obviously should only be done by an adult, with the children watching and be warned it is messy, but truly magical! Bubble kits are always a great toy to pack for young children, especially the giant bubble kits that are around today.
‘Squeak piggy squeak’ is an old favourite. A family member is blindfolded and another person turns them around three times so that they are just disorientated enough not to know who is where. They reach out to touch someone close by - they can touch their face or a part of their body. No one must make a sound until they are touched by the blindfolded camper and then they say 'squeak piggy squeak' in any voice they like. Can the blindfolded camper guess which member of the family they have laid hands on and heard? Don’t play this game near a bonfire, camping stove or BBQ for obvious reasons!
An obvious favourite with children is scooters and bikes. On most campsites it is safe to let older children ride around by themselves and get younger ones to stay within your eyesight. You will find that your children will meet other children and make many friends around the site. Not only do campsites offer exciting places to explore, but there are often many cycle routes around the sites that the whole family can discover together. To get your bikes safely to and from your holiday destination, look here on Leisureshopdirect,
Caravan Bike Rack. A leading manufacture of bike racks, Fiamma, provide well trusted ways of transporting your bikes and along with being very easy to fit, many say they are the strongest bike racks currently on the market. Browse here to see all the different models of Fiamma bike racks,
Fiamma Bike Racks. Another well trusted brand are the
Thule Bike Racks, which offer excellent value for money.
So take your family away in your caravan, motorhome or tent this summer…………there is so much to see and do! As you can see there are many kids games that will add just that little bit more fun to your holiday. If these family games aren’t enough, then check out next weeks ‘Family games Part2’. You really will have a most memorable experience with your children and you will soon be booking more family holidays away in the caravan or tent.
