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3 Mega Tips for Camping this Easter School Holidays

Posted by Gav Grayston.
First Published Mar 2012; updated May 2023.

Easter is a good time of year to get away. Here's some tips on camping during the school holidays.


This Easter School holidays is the first break for many this year, and the sun is now starting to shine.

Many campsites that have been closed for the winter will now be opening their doors, with a lot having done refurbishments during the winter.

And we're often lucky with nice weather at Easter, so a great time to find a campsite and explore somewhere different.

But Easter time can still be cold, which can ruin the break.   So, here are three mega tips for camping this Easter.

1. Stay Warm

Make sure you take the duvets from the beds at home to put over the top of your sleeping bags.

Check that your sleeping bag isn't summer-only.  

Don't sleep on the floor.  Inflate an air bed and put a mat or blankets under the air bed as you will lose a lot of warmth through the ground.

Put down rugs and a tent carpet.  Again, this helps with ground insulation.  It makes a big difference, even in summer.

At night, having a campfire can help keep you warm. Find sites that permit campfires.

Get an Electric Hook-up and a tent heater (read more on this tip).  Find sites with Electric Hook-up.

Take plenty of layers.  Base layers are still good for the night at this time of year.

Building a tarp shelter is also advisable, as this can help trap some heat when having a campfire and keep the rain off.  Keeping dry is a big part of keeping warm.

2. Eat Well

Now is not the time for diets! 😉

This is related to keeping warm: your body burns more calories when cold.  It is far better to stay warm with clothes and food than warm up once cold, so ensure everyone has regular snacks.

Warm meals are advisable. This doesn't mean burnt sausages on a disposable BBQ, either.  We use a Dutch Oven, which can cook up plenty of warm dishes.

A snack before bed is also good as it gives your body extra calories to fight the cold off a night.

Hot chocolate typically goes down well and is quick and easy to make at camp.

3. Have Fun

As any parent knows, distraction is a great tool for taking the kids' minds off things.  It works for adults too.

There are lots of family-friendly places open this Easter, so find a campsite near a family attraction.  You can use our map to find campsites that are near family days out.

You can also have fun at the campsite too.

Why not take some small Easter eggs and plant your easter egg trail?  This could be around your tent, or if the campsite is not too busy, it could be across a much wider area than the kids could normally do.  You can go to town on this and create clues to keep them entertained longer.

Although it will be British Summer Time, it will still get dark earlier than in the summer.  You can find fun ways to light the tent.  Glow sticks and illuminated balloons will go down well.


There you go, three mega tips for enjoying camping this Easter.  Happy camping!

PS. Don't forget the Hot Cross Buns. They taste great when toasted over the campfire.