We are a family of 4: Mum, Dad and two boys who have travelled to Center Parcs since they were three months old, enjoying breaks twice a year for 15 years, during the summer and winter. Having busy jobs, we like to arrive at Center Parcs and relax, it’s where we go to turn off and recharge. Going to Center Parcs well-prepared is essential. And we are going to share how we prepare and what we pack in our Ultimate Free Printable and Digital Packing List for Center Parks with Kids.
We’ve included food and drinks, toiletries and medicines, clothes and maybe some things that you hadn’t thought of before. We do have an electric cool box to keep our fresh food at a safe temperature during summer transportation.
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Plus, we find going prepared saves a lot of money; we don’t want to spend all of our time in restaurants, but having a home from home in the forest means we want to use it. Explore the forest with the kids and let them enjoy the surroundings.
What to Pack for Center Parcs with Kids? Here is our Packing List for Center Parcs With kids.
We plan to take two evening meals with us – spaghetti bolognese and sweet and sour chicken. If you don’t like these, swap with a similar alternative e.g. chicken curry. You could pre-make these or do what we do and bring a jar of sauce, some simple veg and the meat and cook in the lodge. We then eat out one night, too. After doing all of the activities, plus swimming, we all prefer to chill at night.
Packing For Center Parcs Can Take A Lot of Planning
We always plan to eat out in restaurants in the Center Paks village for the odd lunch and one of the nights. We do also plan a couple of backup meals for the kids – beans/spaghetti on toast and pesto pasta – just in case we had a disaster with eating out or fancied warm lunches instead of sandwiches.
Plus, we always bring breakfast and lunch and some of our usual snack foods which are suitable for the kids to eat during the day, or for us adults to have when we are sat out on the patio or by the log fire drinking wine after the kids have gone to bed!
Get Our Ultimate Free Printable and Digital Center Parcs With Kids Packing List
So here is our ultimate packing list for Center Parcs with kids (and other lodge holidays) you can download the printable lists by scrolling down and clicking on the download image below, which will give you our printable guide. You can use this as a printed checklist or upload the PDF to Goodnotes and use it as a digital copy.
Food and Drink – Packing List for Center Parcs with Kids
- 3 pint milk
- 1 packs mince beef
- 1 pack diced chicken breast
- 2 packs of sausages
- 1 pack bacon
- Ham
- Cheese
- 6 eggs
- Mayonnaise
- Oil/spray oil
- Salt/pepper
- Ketchup/brown sauce
- Loaf of bread
- Margarine
- Jam sachets
- Breakfast cereals
- Cordials
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Dried rice, dried pasta, dried noodles
- 2 tins of baked beans/spaghetti
- Cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 Cucumber
- Coffee/tea (sachets of sugar/sweeteners if you wish)
- Pesto (jar of sauce)
- Bolognese (jar of sauce)
- Sweet and sour (jar of sauce
- 2 onions
- 2 peppers
- A few cloves of garlic
- Rice cakes/crackers/bread sticks
- 1 or 2 tubes of crisps
- Roasted cashew nuts (for mum and dad because we love nibbling these with wine!)
- 1-2 bottles wine
- 4 x 2 litre bottles of water
- Hot chocolate powder (can be used to make chocolate milkshake too)
- Marshmallows and kebab sticks
- Plastic bowls, plates, spoons and forks
Packing For Summer At Center Parcs
- Disposable BBQ (Must be Lumpwood Charcoal)
- Marshmallows and kebab sticks
- Pack of Burgers
- Burger Buns
- Chicken Kebabs
- Plastic bowls, plates, spoons and forks
- Ketchup
For The Winter At Center Parcs
- Lightable logs for the fire ( Therese usually come in a paper that is easy to light)
- Matches
Toiletries and Medicines – What To Pack for Center Parcs with Kids
- Extra Toilet roll
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Hair brush
- Hair bobbles and clips
- Shower gel
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Deodorant and perfume/aftershave
- Mum’s make up and moisturiser
- Sanitary towels/tampons
- Packet of tissues
- Suncream
- Razors and shaving foam
- Contact lens solution, storage pot and spare lenses
- Lip balm with spf
- Nail file
- Shop bought First Aid Kit: plasters, antiseptic wipes, a few bandages of different sizes, triangular bandage, safety pins, saline solution, etc.
- Calpol 2 months +
- Piriton 1 yr +
- Infected-eye drops (we’ve had problems on 2 previous holidays)
- Paracetamol and ibuprofen for adults
- Loratadine (antihistamine) tablets for adults
- Insect repellant spray and insect bite cream
- Aqueous calamine cream (good for mild sunburn and minor skin rashes)
- After sun
- Sanitising hand gel
- Flexible ice pack (for bumps and bruises )
- Nappies, wipes and nappy bags (wipes are also good for removing make up and they can clean literally everything )
- Baby changing mat
Clothes, Shoes and Swimming Stuff – Packing List for Center Parcs with Kids
- Sun hats
- Sunglasses
- Arm bands
- Swimming costumes and goggles
- Swim nappies
- Kids towelling robes/cover ups
- Light clothes (T-shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses, etc)
- Jumpers/cardigans and jeans/joggers (for cool evenings)
- Canvas shoes/trainers
- Sandals/beech shoes/flip flops
- Underwear
- Nightwear
- Waterproof coats
What to Pack For Winter Trips To Center Parcs
Anything suitable from the list above plus
- Hats, Scarfs, Gloves
- Sweaters
- Jeans or trousers
- Waterproofs
- Warm Coat
- Wellies
- Walking Boots
- Warm Fluffy Socks
- Slippers
All the rest – PDF Packing List for Center Parks with Kids
- Drinks bottles and sippy cups
- Cling film and tin foil
- Kitchen roll
- Hair straighteners ( The lodges have hairdryers)
- 2 of 3 Dishwasher Tablets (Some are provided but never enough)
- 3 tea towels ( There are some provided but I like to have spare)
- Washing up liquid
- Laundry bag
- Books and games e.g. jigsaws, deck of cards and travel board games. We let each child pack a child-size backpack with their favourite things and their teddy so they can have it on the journey too. It’s always handy having a few colouring sheets, such as the free downloads from ABC Colouring.
- Speaker and iPod for chilling in the lodge
- Antibacterial Surface Wipes
- Matches/lighter
- Potty/toddler toilet seat
- Bin bags
- Phone chargers
- Back pack for swimming
- Small over the shoulder hand bag for mum
- Glow sticks for nighttime walks
- Aminal Safe nuts and seeds to feed the wildlife
- DVD Movies of X Box to connect for movie night
Get You Free Center Parcs PDF Printable and Digital Packing List
Click here or the image below to get your free Center Parcs printable and digital packing list from our free download shop.
