5 Reasons I Love Caravan Holidays

I am pretty sure that we've taken a caravan holiday every year for as long as I can remember. Our first ever holiday with Harry was to Reighton Sands Holiday Park near Scarborough when he was a few months old and it's a tradition that has continued over the years. Caravan holidays with toddlers are very different to caravan holidays with older kids but they're both have their benefits. There is a certain type of snobbery around caravan holidays but I honestly think I'd still enjoy the odd break away in a van if I was a millionaire. I love it.

When H, H and J were younger, we were permanently skint. I think going from 0 - 3 children in four years was a bit of a shock to the system. There are almost always good deals to be had with caravan holidays and as there's usually entertainment included, we always found our trips away to be very affordable. I'm sure we once managed a break to Haggerston Castle for £79 for the 5 of us in March at the very start of the season.

During the toddler years, I would never have considered taking 3 kids under 5 abroad without an extra pair of hands and caravan holidays offered an easy (and manageable) alternative for us to enjoy a trip away just the five of us. Back then it was all about the character shows, managing to get a seat in the clubhouse and long days at the park. These days, it's very much about freedom and relaxation and we all still very much have a soft spot for caravan holidays. Here are 5 reasons we love staying in a caravan:

1 - The Great Outdoors 

A caravan holiday has all of the benefits of camping without any of the bad stuff. You're super close to nature and the great outdoors and can cook old school on a little hob or BBQ yet there's no need to pitch a tent, worry about the rain, you have your own bathroom, heating and a proper bed. Sitting on caravan decking with my book and a beer in-hand is honestly bliss and it definitely gives you the same feels as camping does. 

2 - Freedom for the Kids 

I remember our caravan holidays when I was younger. As the eldest child, I'd be in charge of walking all the kids in our party to the shops and getting a few bits and bobs. Looking back this was an obvious ploy to get us kids out from under our parent's feet but I remember the sense of responsibility like it was yesterday. Similarly, it's our caravan holidays over the years where the kids have had their first taste of responsibility. Their first unaccompanied trip to a shop was at Cresswell Towers as was the first time we let them visit the park without a grown-up. More recently, I was able to let the kids go swimming without a grown-up for the first time as I watched from the side with a coffee. Smaller caravan sites definitely offer the opportunity for freedom.

3 - Nostalgia and memories 

I have SO many happy memories from caravan holidays over the years. There's the time I went on holiday with my next door neighbour, beat her at monopoly and she tipped the board over and stormed off OR the time I bought Mariah Carey's Fantasy Album (in tape form no less) from a car boot sale at a caravan park we were staying at in Scarborough and played it non-stop OR the time I stayed in a caravan with the girls and we spent three hours trying to light a BBQ.....

We have created plenty of memories with the kids too. I'll never forget the time we stayed at Haggerston Castle when Heidi was 2. Harry ran into our bedroom in the morning to say that Heidi had woken up, unlocked to door and was playing at the park next to our caravan. It was 6am!!! Or there's the time we had an epic water fight outside of our caravan at Blue Dolphin and ended up drenched or the times I used to balance feeding Jack in his babygrow at the clubhouse whilst occasionally sipping a glass of wine and trying to keep an eye on two toddlers dancing to the witch doctor on loop and thinking how it was a massive change from the 5* all-inclusive holidays we were used to but I wouldn't change it for the world.

4 - Close to the beach 

Caravan holidays are almost always super close to the beach and it's usually less than a 5-minute walk before you can feel the sand between your toes. I love being so close to the seaside and caravan holidays can offer beautiful coastal views, easy beach access and lots of opportunities to enjoy some fresh sea air.

5 - Perfect for relaxing with the family 

Caravans don't offer too much space and usually only have one TV (unless they are super posh) so you are pretty much forced to spend time with your family. This is no bad thing though and during our mini breaks we always look forward to playing some of our favourite board games, building LEGO sets and bringing our duvets into the living room at night to all snuggle up and watch a movie together. There's always nearly always no WiFi or games consoles and the kids will happily spend hours playing in the park and making new friends without thinking about Fortnite or Minecraft once. I always welcome a bit of a tech-detox when we stay in caravans too and it's a great opportunity to catch up on my reading.

Do you have a soft spot for caravan holidays?