Glamping the Toddlers … Our ‘Not Scary’ Guide!

Glamping with toddlers is a relaxing experience here at Humble Bee Farm!

If you’ve had a baby during the last two years, having a glamping break may seem a bit scary! Glamorous camping and young children might seem a tricky combination. Our site is perfect for parents with pre-schoolers for a peaceful glamping break.

There are so many things to think about.

Don’t worry, though, as here at Humble Bee Farm, from the moment you arrive, you can relax and enjoy the countryside around you!

The Tick List … Some Extra Bits You Might Want to Pack!

• Pack lots of tasty snacks … treats are available in the Humble Bee Shop, however bringing fruit, toddler snacks and other treats is a good idea.
• Bring lots of clothing layers if the temperature drops at night.
• Bring a ball, a small jigsaw, card games and a favourite toy for the evenings, particularly for the darker evenings.
• You can bring a ride on bike or similar however best to keep an eye on the little ones when they’re using them.
• Bring a torch for the kids (and not the one on your phone)! It’s great fun!
• Remember in most glamping accommodation types, everyone sleeps in one room! Always have some earplugs for grown-ups (if your kids snore).
• For young children, the novelty of glamping usually means a later going to bed time. In the summer, most families can spend time outside but in the winter, it might mean a long evening. Plan ahead and download movies onto portable devices and remember headphones.
• Pack a first aid kit – calpol, teething gel plaster, thermometer … the usual things!
• Remember swim nappies – if your accommodation includes a hot tub.

I’ve not been glamping with my toddler/baby before … help!

The last two years meant that going away for a staycation or holiday hasn’t been possible. And now it is, it can be a scary thought. If you book your break at Humble Bee, we have a very relaxed pace of life which will make your trip away so memorable.

• What is there for the kids to do? Our site includes a small children’s play area and a football field for young children to play in. If your children are very young then you can take them to feed the ducks, see the pigs, see the guinea pigs and also see our friendly hens. We also have our indoor Play Barn which is open at selected times.
• What happens if it rains? If the heavens open, from early summer 2022, you can enjoy our undercover Play Barn. Lots of farm-themed activities will be included in this lovely facility.

Mum’s the Word! 

“Going away on your first family break is exciting but can also be worrying!

“What to pack and take with you, planning the journey, organising drives and activities around naps and routines … there’s a lot to think about.

“Lots of families with young children or lockdown babies haven’t been away much due to the Pandemic.

“It is understandable for parents to be anxious about that first holiday or short break, so when one of our recent guests brought her 5-month-old baby and two-and-a-half-year-old toddler for a weekend here at Humble Bee farm, for the first time, we asked mum to share her top five tips …

1. Plan the journey around naps – we arrived in the area well ahead of our check in time to make the drive easier with the boys asleep, then explored some of the surrounding area before checking in.
2. Bring all weather clothes – we stayed in May and the weather very mixed, we packed wellies, trainers, sand shoes, all-in-ones and coats, as well as sun hats and shorts and we used all of them!
3. Plan what and when you will be eating – there is nothing worse than a hangry toddler! We planned both tea time meals in advance – we booked out the Smokehouse BBQ Hut on the first night and brought sausages/burgers, bread and salad with us, then we pre-ordered pizzas from The Hive on the second night, which we took to our accommodation and ate with what was left of the salad. We wanted to go out and about during our stay so we also brought food to make packed lunches with.
4. Sleeping – we booked a cottage and decided the best layout would be to have both boys in with us as we also brought grandma  to stay with us. Grandma occupied the second bedroom and this worked out really well for our multi-generational holiday. Humble Bee’s cottages offer a choice of a travel cot or a Z-bed so we asked for both and tried both out to see which worked best. We brought night lights as it was really dark with the curtains drawn (good for getting the boys to sleep!).
5. My boys get up early which is great when there is a farm full of animals waking up to see too! At 9am during school holidays, Farmer Percy goes out to feed the animals and children can go and help so we loved doing that.

“For one of our days out, we drove into Scarborough for a day at the beach! We hired Humble Bee’s Beach Hut in the North Bay and it made a great base where could leave our gear and picnic lunch. The beach hut was also great for sitting inside for lunch and some quiet time. The location is ideal – it overlooks the beach and also very close to Peasholm Park where we hired a dragon boat and explored the park too.

“My only regret was how fast it passed, we booked 2 nights yet we could have easily stayed for at least 3 as there was so much on the farm which  we didn’t get chance to do. Try and relax – I was quite worried but it was much easier than I thought and seeing how excited the boys were to be away made it all worthwhile. ”

 

Accommodation here at Humble Bee Farm.

• What about your accommodation? We different accommodation types including holidays cottages, luxury cabins, spacious lodges, nomadic yurts and bell tents. All are family friendly and have plenty of room inside. You can bring a travel cot, cot bedding, toddler cutlery and crockery and a pushchair as there is room for all of this in our cabins, yurts, and bell tents.
• What about the cottages? If book one of our cottages, then you can hire our travel cot, a step-up stool, and a high chair. All you need to bring is cot bedding and a couple of extra towels.
• Can we meet the animals? Our farmyard experience is easy to walk around giving toddlers a chance to find their feet. Meet Tilly the Shetland Pony, see Farmer Percy on his rounds, visit our shop for some ice cream and simply relax!
• What about lambing and calving? In springtime, it’s lambing season and you can join us for our Lambing Experience. We have a small herd of Belted Galloway cattle who have calves in the late spring in the fields.
• Is your site flat or hilly? We are in a hilly area and the main access road is fine for buggies and pushchairs. Cars are asked to keep to a low-speed limit at all times.
• What about food onsite? You can bring your own food while The Hive, our takeaway café bar, is open at weekends and at other times at during school holidays. We host our pizza nights on Saturdays during peak times. You will need to pre-book and pay for your pizzas, which are made fresh to order.

A Peaceful Pace of Life at The Place to Bee!

• Is your site peaceful? We have a low noise policy in place so you can hear the birds, the sheep and other animals in our fields. You can also see the stars at night too!
• What about local walks? Walking on Humble Bee Farm is a must! While our three farm walks are not pushchair friendly, there is a tarmaced access road down the site (also used by vehicles) which is suitable for prams and pushchairs. The walks themselves are all circular (ie starting and finishing in the same place and vary from about 30-minutes’ duration up to over an hour.
• What about things to do nearby? We are close to the seaside, Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington where there are lovely beaches, attractions and places to eat.
• Do other children stay at Humble Bee? We are very family friendly and we have lots of families staying with us throughout the year.
• Is there a pharmacy and a laundrette nearby? If you need a chemist or laundry facilities, we can provide details for you. Only our holiday cottages have private laundry facilities.
• What about washing up and toilets? We have two shower blocks with toilets. Depending on your accommodation, some of our cabins have ensuite loos and showers with cooking facilities. We are happy to advise as to the different types we might have available.
• Any other special events? Our Pumpkin Patch takes place each October and our Lambing Experiences in March. Ask us about other possible experiences we have during the summer.
• How do I book? Click here: https://humblebee.angelfishbooking.co.uk or call us on 01723 890437.

Animals at Humble Bee Farm

• What animals do you have at Humble Bee Farm? Our farm is a working one so our animals are either in the fields or in spacious pens. These including our pigs, cattle, Tilly our Shetland Pony and sheep.
• What about collecting an egg? We have hens and you can check for eggs during your stay. Sometimes our hens don’t lay enough eggs for everyone, so we also sell eggs in our onsite shop.
• What about feeding the ducks? We have a clutch of different ducks who quack happily either on the duck pond or around the farm, and you can feed them.
• What about the dogs and cats? We have dogs and cats here at Humble Bee Farm. Our dogs are working ones, but you can see them out and about on leads or on Farmer Percy’s rounds. We have two cats who are friendly but usually keep themselves to themselves.
• What about guinea pigs? We have some guinea pigs who have their own safe and spacious hutch to live in.
• What about wild life? You will see plenty of curlews, corn buntings, hares, deer while staying onsite. You might also see owls, moths, butterflies, beetles, frogs and other creatures!