cleve
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Thought I'd post a few tips about travelling with young children. We've had vw campers since before children but now have 3 children so have tried several pushchairs, travel cots and sleeping configurations over the years! We've just got back from 2000 miles round france and did the same last year with all the little people to consider.
Long journeys- travel tray is fantastic. Stops drinks and snacks rolling off, stuffed the side pockets with little toys and then put a film (or several on) for the older 2, mixed with a few episodes of peppa pig for little one. The older 2 have a small backpack which i fill with pocket money toys, colouring books and pencils but they don't get to see what's inside until we get off the eurotunnel and keeps them amused for ages.
sleepingYoungest (15 months) goes to bed on the parcel shelf and then she's not really disturbed when I go to bed as her bed just becomes part of mine. Middle child (3 year old) goes upstairs, shut the hatch and she can't argue with her brother who sleeps across the front seats leaving us space to sit on the rear seat if raining or cold, or just outside. My husband has to sleep upstairs until youngest is old enough to join her sister in the upper bed. We use silver screens on the windscreen and roof to keep it darker to help the children sleep in later. The roof screen also means they can't peek at what's going on outside but can still have the windows open if it rains!
I have sometimes used a necessity pop up travel cot to stop my daughter rolling all over the bed and climbing on me. I can sleep better knowing I won't roll on top of her either!
We also have some voice activated walkie talkies we use as a baby monitor if my daughter falls asleep in the van as we can't see our driveway easily from the house. These are handy if you want to listen in when they are sleeping without opening the sliding door. During the daytime, the older children use them to have a bit of independence to go to the park or neighbouring pitches on campsites so we have a good idea of where they are, and if they get lost they can tell us!
car seatsWe have 1 chunky car seat and 2 boosters but they stow in the front and support the self inflating mattress my son sleeps on. If we're on a campsite then they go in a pop up tent.
pushchair After trying several, we now have the mamas and papas armadillo. It lays flat, has a larger sun hood for hot holidays & good shopping basket. With the wheels off it stows under the extended multiflex on its side (narrowest edge) so takes up very little space. We also use a babasling to save getting the pushchair out all the time now youngest is walking a little. The babaling folds into a little pouch, is very comfortable and useful for sightseeing where it isn't pushchair friendly. It also means if the older children get tired, we can carry the little one and they can have a quick ride in the pushchair.
Eating- As the Beach table isn't big enough for a family of 5 to dine round, we use a folding table with seats and the beach table gets used as a side table or for food preparation. A folding booster seat with tray is great to contain messy eaters, takes up little space, sits securely on the bench seat if cold or clips onto the cali deck chairs easily.
Hope that helps other people shopping for baby equipment to pack, or just deliberating how practical cali camping and young children is! We've had so many memorable trips in our cali, the children love it!
Long journeys- travel tray is fantastic. Stops drinks and snacks rolling off, stuffed the side pockets with little toys and then put a film (or several on) for the older 2, mixed with a few episodes of peppa pig for little one. The older 2 have a small backpack which i fill with pocket money toys, colouring books and pencils but they don't get to see what's inside until we get off the eurotunnel and keeps them amused for ages.
sleepingYoungest (15 months) goes to bed on the parcel shelf and then she's not really disturbed when I go to bed as her bed just becomes part of mine. Middle child (3 year old) goes upstairs, shut the hatch and she can't argue with her brother who sleeps across the front seats leaving us space to sit on the rear seat if raining or cold, or just outside. My husband has to sleep upstairs until youngest is old enough to join her sister in the upper bed. We use silver screens on the windscreen and roof to keep it darker to help the children sleep in later. The roof screen also means they can't peek at what's going on outside but can still have the windows open if it rains!
I have sometimes used a necessity pop up travel cot to stop my daughter rolling all over the bed and climbing on me. I can sleep better knowing I won't roll on top of her either!
We also have some voice activated walkie talkies we use as a baby monitor if my daughter falls asleep in the van as we can't see our driveway easily from the house. These are handy if you want to listen in when they are sleeping without opening the sliding door. During the daytime, the older children use them to have a bit of independence to go to the park or neighbouring pitches on campsites so we have a good idea of where they are, and if they get lost they can tell us!
car seatsWe have 1 chunky car seat and 2 boosters but they stow in the front and support the self inflating mattress my son sleeps on. If we're on a campsite then they go in a pop up tent.
pushchair After trying several, we now have the mamas and papas armadillo. It lays flat, has a larger sun hood for hot holidays & good shopping basket. With the wheels off it stows under the extended multiflex on its side (narrowest edge) so takes up very little space. We also use a babasling to save getting the pushchair out all the time now youngest is walking a little. The babaling folds into a little pouch, is very comfortable and useful for sightseeing where it isn't pushchair friendly. It also means if the older children get tired, we can carry the little one and they can have a quick ride in the pushchair.
Eating- As the Beach table isn't big enough for a family of 5 to dine round, we use a folding table with seats and the beach table gets used as a side table or for food preparation. A folding booster seat with tray is great to contain messy eaters, takes up little space, sits securely on the bench seat if cold or clips onto the cali deck chairs easily.
Hope that helps other people shopping for baby equipment to pack, or just deliberating how practical cali camping and young children is! We've had so many memorable trips in our cali, the children love it!
