The joys of riding on a Steam Train & Camping with the Family!

So last week we sped full throttle into the new term with the much loved TRANSPORT Theme. We drove our big red buses, zoomed to the moon, met Adam the Astronaut, flew like Aeroplanes and caught the runaway train! 

Chugging on the train reminded me of our recent camping trip when we caught and spent the afternoon on a wonderful renovated Steam Train. Read below about our experiences with camping or skip down to the bottom for lyrics to some of the songs we sang last week at the TRANSPORT Theme.

---

CAMPING...

Camping is a wonderful family experience. We started camping last year when my youngest was 3 1/2 years old. Many people camp when their children are younger but I'm glad we waited until all our children were out of nappies, generally sleeping well through the night and we didn't have any midday naps to work around. 

Dorset as you probably know is just beautiful. We were located very near to Swanage. The beaches are just fab for families with little ones. We loved going to Studland's Middle Beach where the water is fairly shallow for some way out so easy for the little ones to paddle around happily without being knocked over by waves. 

It's a lovely little sandy beach, with a cafe, an ice cream hut, a and rockpools too - perfect! There's even a place where you can hire kayaks. There were parents taking their young children out which looked like fun. £10 for an hour with life vests that could fit a child as young as approx 4 years old.

Last year the weather was just amazing, so most days were spent at the beach. However this year it was much wetter. The great thing about this area is that there are so many things to do if the beach isn't really an option - there's Monkey World, The Tank Museum which was fantastic - highly recommended! We even got to ride on a tank!

One afternoon we caught the wonderfully renovated Steam Train to Swanage. What a treat! It was a really fun family afternoon that was scrumptiously topped off with a good old clotted cream tea in Swanage.

You can visit Corfe Castle which the steam train can also stop at and there's even Punch and Judy on the beach at the end of the line in Swanage.

We stay in a very well organised, clean, tidy campsite called Wareham Forest Tourist Park. So far we have chosen to have a few 'luxuries' to sweeten the family camping experience. We opt for an electric hook up which means we can plug in a camping fridge and can easily charge up mobiles etc. However this particular campsite even has lockers where you can charge up phones, ipads etc. They have a heated pool, a shop and you can buy freshly baked croissants, pain au chocolate and baguettes in the morning. A fish and chip van arrives weekly every Tuesday too!

---

Camping is an adventure. The kids love it and you will love it because they do. Last year was so much fun because it was sunny every day. This year was much harder because it rained most of the time. Thankfully our tent didn't flood and there were lots of things to day trips that we could do.

So my tips for your first camping trip would be:

1. Borrow as many camping things from friends as possible
   
2. Only go for 3-4 days max.
3. Preferably have a 'tunnel' tent - the larger the better. For the four of us we were very fortunate to have been able to borrow a 10 man tent and this was perfect for the 4 of us. A 'tunnel' tent means you can stand up anywhere in the tent and therefore you are bending over less, so less aches in your lower back! (see picture of a tunnel tent below)
4. Before your trip, cook the food for your evening meals such as mince, ratatouille, chicken casseroles, pasta sauces etc.. and freeze them. Once you are there the food can slowly defrost in your camping fridge or coolbox and all you need to do then is re-heat your chosen meal for the night and to cook some pasta or rice to go with it and grate some cheese.
   

Here is our check list of things to take:

• tent (obviously!)
  
• mallet
  
• poles
  
• tent pegs
  
• camping/inflatable mattresses
  

---

• Fridge (this year we bought a Waeco/Mobicool W24 and it was perfect for the four of us)
• kettle
  
• bottle opener
  
• ipad/tablets etc 
  
• duvets
  
• pillows
  
• sleeping bags

---

• electric plug socket (if you choose a pitch with an electric hook up)
  
• Tilly lamp (please be careful. These get really hot and my son burnt his finger on ours so keep them away from small hands!)
  
• collapsible bucket or washing up bowl
  
• washing line
  
• clothes rack
  
• wind break

• Water Container (bought a 10 litre one from Amazon which came with an airflow tap - very handy)
• torches (plus head torch if you have one)
  
• inflating pump
  
• dust pan & brush
• 1 if not 2 tables
  
• folding chairs
  
• picnic rugs (we took 5. Excessive I know but 4 went under each of our mattresses to keep us dryer and warmer plus we used an extra one as a rug for our living area which we could roll up for the beach too)
  
• cling film
  
• dettol spray
  
• kitchen roll
  
• Plates 
• Bowls 
  
• Cutlery (not forgetting teaspoons for your morning cuppas!)
  
• mugs
  
• plastic glasses

---

• bog in a bag stool plus bags (you'll laugh but for trip to the loo in the middle of the night it's SO much more convenient than traipsing 5/10 minutes to the loo block in your PJs and with your torch!)
• ice bag for lunches
  
• cafetiere (a luxury item I know but we LOVE real coffee)
  
• Water bottles for lunches
  
• Cheese Grater
  
• phone chargers
  
• apron
• matches/lighter
  
• colander
  
• sanitizer hand gel

---

• jungle spray (we didn't need this but it's good to have just in case there are mosquitos/midges)
  
• 2 x drying up cloths
  
• Tray for wet shoes
  
• washing up liquid
  
• washing up brush
• clothes pegs
• plastic bags
• slippers or indoor socks for inside the tent
• gas canister
  
• wooden spoon
• 2 if not 3 saucepans
  
• scissors
  
• knife (preferably with protective blade cover)
  
• coolbox (to store dry foods)
  
• washing power & softner (this campsite had a washing machine and tumble dryer)

---

Out & About kit plus games:

• bucket and spade
  
• kite
  
• coats
  
• wellies
• wetsuit shoes
• wetsuits
• pack of cards
  
• boule
• umbrella
• books, toys and family games

Food items:

• (pre-cook and frozen meals for each evening meal)
  
• cereals
  
• tea bags
  
• coffee
  
• salt & pepper
  
• hot chocolate
  
• butter (put in a tupperware box)

The rest can be bought at the supermarket/shop when you're there.

Lyrics...

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM

Zoom Zoom Zoom
We're going to the Moon
Zoom Zoom Zoom
We'll be there very soon!
5 4 3 2 1
Blast Off!

(Tabby's 2nd verse)
Zoom Zoom Zoom
To Earth we're going to go
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Look out for a U.F.O!
5 4 3 2 1
Blast Off!

BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

Chorus:
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang,
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We love you.
And our pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Loves us too!

High, Low, anywhere we go on Chitty Chitty we depend.
Bang bang Chitty Chitty bang bang
Our fine four fendered friend.
Bang bang Chitty Chitty bang bang
Our fine four fendered friend.

You’re sleek as a thoroughbred
Your seats are a feather bed,
You’ll turn everybody’s head today!
We’ll glide on our motor trip with pride in our ownership
The envy of all we survey!

THE RUNAWAY TRAIN

The runaway train went down the track and she blew, she blew, x2
The runaway train went down the track
Her whistle wide and her throttle back
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew, blew, blew…

The engineer said the train must halt and she blew, she blew x 2
The engineer said the train must halt
He said it was all the driver’s fault
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew, blew, blew…

The fireman said he rang the bell and she blew, she blew, x2
The fireman said he rang the bell,
The driver said ‘it was just as well’.
And she blew, blew, blew blew, blew, blew, blew.


The runaway train went over the hill and she blew, she blew x 2
The runaway train went over the hill
The last I heard she was rolling still 
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew, blew, blew…