Friday 12 January 2018

Kokopelli for Kids


"I love your site, but what is there to do for my children?"  

Probably our most asked question, so, briefly summarised, Kokopelli Camping does seem to be loved by children of all ages, many of whom have been back a number of times.  


Making new friends at Kokopelli, collecting cherries and preparing tea


Firstly, it's important to understand that we’re in a relatively undiscovered and rural part of Italy, where there’s not much in the way of tourism or organised activities.  That said, what nature has to offer is truly splendid and children seem to enjoy it as much as the grown-ups, particularly the freedom to just be children.  


Learning to slack line at Kokopelli


One evening last summer, I saw a group of children, all different ages, all lying in the grass under a tree, clearly totally absorbed with something fascinating.  It was a hedgehog, and they spent all evening just watching, chatting and laughing in the long grass.  Other times, I've watched children running around with butterfly nets and overturning stones searching for lizards.  We have rabbits that children can sit with, and chickens from which they can collect eggs.  And we have a border collie called Lizzy, who adores the children as much as they her.




We have woods to wander in and explore, build dens, follow animal tracks, discover new paths.  We have old ruins, castles, rivers and waterfalls.  Many on our doorstep, some just a short drive away, all within one hour.  

The beach is a 35 minute drive down the valley, and we can point you in the direction of some wonderful sandy beaches well off the tourist trail, or rocky coves perfect for snorkelling.  We can suggest some fabulous places for a seafood lunch or to indulge in a wonderful Italian gelato.  Have a look at this link from our blog that explains a little more:  Places to Swim

Although tourist activities in Abruzzo are few, we do have a forest adventure climbing experience nearby, and a couple of waterparks.  You can also go on guided canoe trips down the Pescara river, or hire mountain bikes, etc.  There are a couple of links here to give you an idea:  

http://www.ilbosso.com/
https://www.aqualandvasto.com/
http://www.parconaturalemajella.it/attivita/parco-avventura/

Pasta making with Stefano

If you like, you can even learn how to make pasta with Stefano, our local chef who runs the restaurant in the village.

With the campsite, our facilities are pretty good and very well equipped, but we don't have a children's play area.  Our showers and toilets are modern and clean and more than sufficient - even at the height of our season when we have a full campsite (absolute maximum of 35 adults and 15 children), there are never queues.  We also have outdoor cooking stations (gas and charcoal), a barn with three large fridge freezers, books, games and a gas oven.  Another link here that you might find useful that explains our facilities:  Facilities

Where accommodation is concerned, you will either be coming in your own tent (or small campervan), or you will be hiring one or two of ours.  You could have either two Bell Tents (pitched next to each other), or perhaps one Bell Tent and one of our €1 per night standard tents, which seems to be a favourite option for families.  This link here, explains a little more about our €1 tent hire scheme:  €1 Tent Hire 

Bell Tent in the background

I hope this all helps, but do get in touch if you have any questions.  We're always happy to chat through options with you over the phone or on skype, just let us know and we'll give you a call.

Stealing the grapes!

Yoga

Painting