Family Caravan Holidays: Keeping Children Entertained

By Choosing the Right Awning for Your Caravan
Comments 35
27 Jul 2026

Family Caravan Holidays: Keeping Children Entertained

Set the Pitch Up as a Play Space

Children settle fastest when they know where their things live. Before you unroll the awning, hand out a small crate or drawstring bag each and let them claim a corner of the caravan: a shelf, a bunk, a basket under the seat. It sounds trivial, but a child who knows exactly where their torch, cards and colouring pens are kept spends far less time asking you to find them.

While you set up, put them to work. Pegs sorted by colour, water containers filled, the step wiped down. Younger children love a job with a title — "official water monitor" or "chief peg keeper" earns far more enthusiasm than "give me a hand". Once the pitch is sorted, walk the site boundary together and agree on the limits. Being shown the invisible line is what makes children feel safe enough to explore inside it.

Simple Games That Work on Any Pitch

You don't need much equipment for games that keep children occupied while you cook or relax.

Peg and target: dig a shallow hole or set out a bucket, then let them toss wooden pegs, beanbags or pine cones from a marked line.
Egg box nature hunt: an empty six-hole box labelled with colours, shapes or textures. They fill each hole with something that matches.
Card games: a pack of cards or a small tin of family games takes no space and works beautifully at the table on wet evenings.
Torch games: once dusk falls, a torch and the side of the awning provide half an hour of easy entertainment.
Bike and scooter laps: if the site allows, agree a route around the pitch and time each circuit.

A rotating "game of the day" prevents the boredom that creeps in when everything is available at once. Keep most of it packed away and bring out one thing at a time.

Outdoor Activities That Cost Nothing

The campsite itself does a lot of the entertaining for you. Den building with a tarpaulin, a few guy lines and whatever sticks are lying around can occupy a group of children for a whole afternoon. So can a simple nature list: three different leaves, one feather, something that flies, something that smells of summer.

Water is always a winner. A bucket, a net and a shallow stream — checked for safety first — turn into a morning's exploration. Puddle jumping is a legitimate activity, and a competition for the biggest splash will exhaust them nicely before tea. Evenings are worth planning too. Star charts, cloud spotting, or a torchlit walk to see what comes out after dark keeps interest long after the sausages are finished.

Rainy Days Inside the Van

Every caravan holiday gets at least one wet day. Rather than panic, treat it as an excuse for slower pleasures. Audiobooks and stories downloaded in advance are worth their weight in gold, especially at bedtime when the awning is drumming.

Keep a "wet box" packed and don't open it until it rains: playdough, sticker books, small puzzles, a pack of cards, one or two board games. Rotating them makes them feel new again.

Cooking together is another reliable filler. Baking biscuits in the caravan oven, or laying out an indoor picnic on a blanket on the floor, breaks up a long morning. Chalk markers on the windows, or magnetic tiles on the fridge door, give younger children somewhere to be creative without wrecking anything.

Smart Packing for Families

A little forethought at packing time saves a great deal of stress later.

Layers and spares: one more set of clothes per child than you think you need; campsite mornings are cold and afternoons can be warm.
Wellies and waterproofs: not optional in the UK, whatever the forecast promises.
A wet bag: a drawstring sack or two for damp swimming things, muddy trousers and unexpected laundry.
Head torches: far safer than handheld torches when children walk to the wash block in the dark.
Comforts from home: a favourite blanket, pillow or cuddly toy helps small children sleep in an unfamiliar space.
A weatherproof storage box: a lidded crate outside keeps outdoor toys tidy and dry, and doubles as a seat.

A Little Freedom Goes a Long Way

The best thing about a caravan holiday is the space children get to be independent — within limits you have agreed. Let older children walk to the play area or the site shop on their own once you are confident about the route. Give them a meeting point, a time to be back, and a whistle or a phone.

Expect tiredness and the odd meltdown. Early nights, quiet time with a book and a decent breakfast the next morning solve most of it. Keep plans loose, follow the weather and the mood, and the holiday will largely look after itself.

Family

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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