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Camping as a family is an excellent way to bond and connect with each other. Coming prepared with a few simple games and activities can help keep everyone happy, engaged and active. Check out these easy family camping games to see how fun it can be.

Bell tents have become one of the UK’s favourite tents and are popular for family holidays, festivals, parties, weddings and weekend getaways. With the choice to holiday in Britain becoming a family favourite, here’s our thoughts as to why to buy a Bell Tent. 

Farm campsites are often child and dog-friendly, can be both fun and tranquil..... and with gorgeous views, fresh air and nature on the doorstep, what's not to love!

Join the Guilty Mummy on their FIRST family camping trip with two children under 4. All the ups and some downs on a trip to Cornwall with their brand new Bell Tent.

For 2019 we are pleased to announce our new show space will be open here in Newark. We will be exhibiting our 3m, 4m, 5m, Dubpod, Touareg & Emperor tents. Open Monday to Friday and selected open weekends throughout the season, we'll be anouncing more details soon.

Eco Friendly Camping at it’s very best… If small and quiet campsites in great locations, that allow campfires and are gentle on the environment are what you are looking for, The Greener Camping Club is for you!

A quick unboxing and first set-up of our awesome 6 metre bell tent from Bell Tent Boutique. It's a great family run company with really friendly and knowledgable customer care and extremely high quality tents - we've already ordered a second!

We are often asked by customers if Bell Tents can be pitched by one person. In this time lapse video, Michael's partner demonstrates how easy it is to pitch a 6 metre tent by yourself.

Here are a few things that helped us to enjoy camping with the kids, so I thought I'd share. If you have any more tips / experiences to add, please do so below. I'd love to hear them.

Farrs Meadow, Dorset. Few sites can match Farrs Meadow for ingenuity and peace. Quirky touches include upcycled horsebox showers and cattle troughs converted into washing-up sinks. There’s a separate paddock for campervans, and accommodation in a yurt, a vintage Dandy camper and a converted stable. It has wild swimming in the Stour river, and is a 10-minute walk from one of the National Trust’s tiniest properties, the Vine Inn in Pamphill, and half an hour from one of its biggest, the 8,500-acre Kingston Lacy estate. • Pitch for two £25, then £10/£5 per extra adult/child, yurts (sleep 4) £100, stable £130 (sleeps 4), May-September, 07913 838726, farrsmeadow.co.uk Embers Camping Beaulieu, New Forest As the name suggests, it’s all about campfires at Embers Camping Beaulieu, where every pitch comes with its own firepit. Campfire cooking is an essential part of the “purist” camping experience the site aims to offer, along with acres of space, no electrical hook-ups, and a tents-only policy. On a farm beside the tranquil Beaulieu river, Embers has pitches scattered among the trees and lawns, and beyond it lie cycling or walking trails in the New Forest, plus the chocolate-box village of Beaulieu, the National Motor Museum, and Beaulieu Abbey. • Adults from £20 a night, children 4-16 £5, open July-September, 0845 257 2267, emberscamping.co.uk   The Fire Pit Camp, Norfolk On the leafy fringes of the village of Wendling, the Fire Pit is a family-friendly camping paradise, usually scented with campfire smoke. The large, car-free meadow is home to 420 saplings planted by the Woodland Trust and just 10 spacious pitches. The centrepiece is the Wren’s Nest, a two-level glamping dome sleeping eight, made from locally harvested hazel wood and recycled materials. The campsite hosts a food festival on 6 and 7 June. • Adult £15, child £7, Wren’s Nest £130 for up to four people, £12 per extra person (sleeps 8), open all year, 07717 315199, thefirepitcamp.co.uk    Ninham Country Holidays, Isle of Wight Given its nickname as “the garden isle” it’s appropriate that the Isle of Wight can boast such a green and well-groomed campsite. The camping areas are spread across two fields, one large with a stylish softwood-clad ablutions block, the other slightly smaller; but both sets of campers get to use the heated swimming pool. The mature woodland and rolling countryside of Ninham’s sprawling 120 acres have a fabulous network of footpaths and cycle routes leading directly from the campsite, and it’s less than a mile from the seafront resort of Shanklin. • Adults from £6.50, children from £3.55, pitch from £3.60, open May-September, 01983 864243, ninham-holidays.co.uk   Ocean Pitch, Devon Only a short strip of meadow and the sandy descent to the beach separate Ocean Pitch from the waves of Croyde Bay, north of Bideford. Its uninterrupted beach views mean surfers can keep an eye on the sea from their tent and race down with their board when the surf’s up. The wetsuit-averse will like the fact the site is on the coastal path, so it’s an easy ramble to quieter, neighbouring beaches. • Adults from £13, children half price, cars £3, open 17 June-6 September, 07581 024348, oceanpitch.co.uk   Tehidy, Cornwall This family-run campsite near Redruth, with its red phone box and old-fashioned Roskilly’s ice-cream sign, is quaint without being twee. There’s an array of pitches for campers and caravanners, and a carefully maintained feel, from the neatly trimmed grass to the well-stocked shop in the old blacksmith’s forge. The brand-new insulated wigwams are equipped with mod cons such as fridge, microwave and kettle. The sands and hidden coves of St Ives are a woodland walk away, through Tehidy country park. • Pitch for two from £14 then £4pp, wigwams from £50, open March to end of October, 01209 216489, tehidy.co.uk Cashel, Loch Lomond Located right on the loch’s “bonnie banks”, this campsite couldn’t be any closer to the water without being in it. Despite the fact that there are more than 160 camping spaces on the site, it’s not hard to find a pitch with unobstructed loch views. Facilities include very powerful showers, and a small shop selling groceries and pre-hike cups of coffee. Scaling nearby Ben Lomond is a must, for far-reaching views across the rest of Scotland’s first national park. • Pitch for two adults from £13.50 or £17 for family of four, open March-October, 0845 130 8224, campingintheforest.co.uk   Twitey’s Tipis, Warwickshire This is a back-to-basics campsite with a relaxed approach and acres of car-free space. Upon arrival, guests are presented with a wheelbarrow to help move their kit and can choose from 15 flat, mown pitches spread between two wildflower meadows. There are tipis to rent, furnished with lanterns and kitchen utensils, table and chairs, and logs for a sunset campfire. The site is four miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, and there’s lovely countryside to be enjoyed along Shakespeare’s Way, a walking route that replicates the 146 miles the playwright regularly travelled to and from London. • Pitch for four from £25 then £5pp, tipis sleeping four from £195 for two nights, open all year round, 07725 944204, twiteystipis.co.uk   The Sunny Field, Kent It is little more than a year since Sasha and Philip bought eight grassy acres on the Kent Downs, yet already their rural campsite is much-loved. Surrounded by ancient trees sheltering the wildflower meadow from the outside world, this peaceful enclave is blessed with lovely light. Facilities are basic (portable loos and standing taps), but there are campfires at each pitch and dogs are welcome. It’s a short stroll downhill to a hot shower in the couple’s farmhouse, and the city of Canterbury is a 15-minute drive away. • Pitch for two £25, then £10/£5 for each extra adult/child, two-night minimum, open all year round, 01233 750024, thesunnyfield.co.uk The Meadows, Cornwall The Meadows’ adults-only policy means tranquillity reigns supreme at this campsite in the heart of the Pentewan valley, south of St Austell. A few dozen tents and campervans can pitch up right beside the stream that leads to the Little Winnick river, or guests can opt to stay in one of two retro-chic vintage caravans. A shop sells newlaid eggs from the Meadows’ own flock of chickens, and homemade wild garlic pesto – and it also runs a handy book-swap service. It’s a 20-minute walk to Pentewan beach, and just a little longer to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. • Pitch for two from £10 then £4pp, caravans for two from £300 a week or £200 for a weekend, open May-September, 01726 844383, themeadowspentewanvalley.co.uk The Ceridwen Centre, Carmarthenshire In 40 acres of lush west Wales farmland, the Ceridwen Centre has just five stunning camping pitches in the fabled Teifi Valley, straddling Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The farm has a wealth of environment-friendly features, including solar water heating, a biomass boiler and solar electricity. Glamping guests can choose from three handcrafted Welsh yurts, an “eco-pod” for two and a 19th-century Romany Gypsy caravan. The centre also hosts workshops, retreats and courses. • Tents from £5 per stay plus £7.50pp (under-threes free), yurt/eco-pod from £130/£132 for two nights, caravan from £185 for two nights, open all year, 01559 370517, ceridwencentre.co.uk   Camping at Ynysfaen, Brecon Beacons Just outside the charming Brecon village of Trecastle lies the refreshingly no-frills Ynysfaen campsite. The tents-only five acres beside the babbling Usk river makes a great base camp for exploring the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains, and at night the stargazing is unbeatable, as the site is part of the Brecon Beacons Dark Skies Reserve. The Usk reservoir, a mile away, claims to be the darkest place within it. One cosy shepherd’s hut for two can also be hired. • £10pp, shepherd’s hut (sleeps two) £140 for a weekend or £450 a week, open late March-October, 01874 636436, campingatynysfaen.co.uk Underhill Farm, Shropshire Despite its yurts, tipi and small cabin, Underhill Farm in rural Shropshire doesn’t call itself a glamping site. The focus here is on back-to-basics, eco-friendly camping, with almost everything made from recycled materials. Wild grass meadows, a copse and a small apple orchard surround a barn space that hosts workshops on making use of materials found on the doorstep – willow, clay for pottery, and wool for weaving. There are just five tent pitches, with campfires permitted in certain areas. Walks nearby could take in limestone cliffs for climbing and caving, or the famous Offa’s Dyke footpath. • £15 per tent for up to four people, barn (sleeps 10) £60 a night, open May to the end of the summer holidays, 07773 046111, underhillfarm.org   Eskdale, Lake District Tucked away down a narrow country lane, the Eskdale Camping and Caravanning Club site is in one of the Lake District’s most secluded pockets, with eight acres of flat, well-maintained, tree-backed grassland and generous pitches bordered by a small stream. It’s ideally placed for climbing Scafell Pike. The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is also right on the doorstep. It may be part of the colossal Camping and Caravanning Club, but Eskdale has a cosy atmosphere. • From £7.70pp, open March-mid January, 01946 723253, campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk Walkmill, Northumberland Pinned in a meander of the weaving Coquet river, Walkmill’s waterside pitches have vast amounts of space, shared only with the sheep that graze here. A short stroll away in a caravan and campervan area, facilities include a proper bathroom alongside a mobile home that serves as an information centre. It’s two miles downstream to the beaches of the Northumberland coast, and on the way there’s the impressive cross-shaped keep of Warkworth Castle, one of the strongest fortresses in England. • Adults £6.50, children £2.50, open May to end of October, 01665 710155, walkmillcampsite.co.uk    All sites can be booked at coolcamping.co.uk and feature in Cool Camping Britain, 2nd edition, £16.95. Available from guardianbookshop.com for £13.56 including UK p&p http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/23/uk-cool-campsites-camping-glamping-yurts-britain

Most of us spend ages selecting our canvas tent, choosing the right size and specifications to suit our glamping style. Camping trips can create memories with friends and family, and having your tent in good condition can be an integral part of the success of any trip. With some care and attention your tent will become a faithful friend. There are a few things you can do to keep your tent in good condition and help extend its life. Here are some simple ideas that should improve your camping trips. 1. Before You Go: When you first receive your tent, it is advisable to practice pitching. Learning to pitch your tent correctly will help to minimise any wear and tear the tent may receive.  Before setting off on your holiday it's a good idea to pitch up in the back garden and take the time to check over your tent for signs of wear and tear. Check that all its parts are present and in good working order. It’s always better to find out you’ve lost your tent pegs or damaged a pole at home, not when you’re away.  2. Carry Spare Parts With You: Try to pack spare parts such as pegs and guy ropes, seam tape & sealant. Any spare patches of fabric and groundsheet that you have are also useful to carry with you. With a canvas tent having a needle and thread and some duct tape in your kit is always useful. Carrying spares will mean you can repair your tent whist away and can prevent any damage from potentially getting worse. 3. Care For Your Tent’s Zips: As zips receive regular wear and tear you need to pay special attention to their care. Brushing your tent’s zips with a clean, dry toothbrush can help to keep them running smoothly. DO NOT FORCE ZIPS! If there is a fold in the fabric caught in the zip, work to gently free it. Lubricating your zips can also be a helpful preventative measure. 4. Separate Your Pegs And Poles: When travelling try keep tent poles and tent pegs stored separately and away from the tent in their own bags. This helps avoid poles or pegs damaging the canvas or groundsheet whilst in transit. 5. Get An Awning: Some people choose to have an awning at the front of their tent, if you do you should try to utilise as much as possible. Items like shoes, should be left in the awning area when entering your tent and never worn inside. Soles of your shoes can bring in sharp twigs and small stones which can pierce your tent’s groundsheet. Food left lying around inside can attract hungry little animals in search of a snack! Be aware that small animals like mice can chew through your tent’s fabric in search of food. 6. The Perfect Pitch: Taking the time to pitch your tent properly is one of the best ways to preserve it. A well-pitched tent is more stable than one that’s poorly pitched, and taught canvas will flap less in the wind, which means there’s less chance of tent poles breaking or fabric tearing.  Poles are under great tension during pitching, ensure they are fully connected before fitting. Always use all the guylines as these contribute to the overall stability of the tent. Guylines increase the strength of the tent, particularly in bad weather. Pitching correctly also involves finding a good spot to put it up. Before you put your tent up find a pitch (away from trees which could cause damage from sap) and remove any sticks and sharp stones from the ground so they don’t pierce the groundsheet.  7. Prepare Your Tent For Packing Away: When packing your tent away and before putting your tent into its bag, shorten all the guy lines as much as possible in order to prevent tangling. Most importantly, remove any twigs, grass, leaves and small stones that may have made their way inside your tent before packing it away; damp grass left inside the tent can quickly create mould. Simple care like this will help you prevent wear and stop more serious damage occurring. 8. Rolling Up: There’s some debate about whether you should stuff your tent into its bag or take the time to roll it up What is certain is that your tent should never be folded up and put away. Over time, folding your tent will cause creases in the fabric and weak spots to develop. It can also damage its waterproof coating. If you are a ‘stuffer’ one tip is to keep your tent’s doors at the top of the bag so they goes into the bag last. Doing this will allow air trapped inside your tent to escape more easily. 9. Storing Your Tent Properly: When you get home from a trip, take your tent out of its bag and ensure that it’s well aired and totally dry before storing it away. This will help prevent mould forming. To speed up the process, hang your tent up indoors so that air can circulate. After airing your tent and making sure its dry, It’s best to store your tent in a dry cool and well-ventilated place. If you store your tent in its bag check its thoroughly dry before doing so.  We can’t say it enough – if you pack away a cotton tent when its still even slightly damp, mould will start forming immediately. Also, keep pegs in their own bag so you don’t lose them. Admittedly, taking care of your tent can involve a little work. However, doing so will extend the life of your tent for many seasons to come. Happy Glamping!

Fancy a proper family camping holiday this year? Here's a great video by Kate and family on their first bell tent camping trip with our tent and rugs☀️