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Camping on the Isle of Wight with children

Family campsites, the beaches with rock pools and lifeguards, the days out within half an hour, and how to keep the costs down.

8 min read · Updated October 2026 · Live figures from 104 campsites

In short: the Isle of Wight is one of the easiest places in Britain to camp with children. Nowhere is much more than half an hour's drive away, the sandy beaches of Sandown Bay and Ryde are shallow and safe-feeling, and there are big days out in every corner. 77 of the campsites we list welcome families, from holiday parks with pools and evening shows to quiet farm fields with a play area and a rope swing.

Holiday park or farm field?

The first choice is what kind of holiday you want, because the Island's family campsites split into two quite different types.

Holiday parks with everything on site

The big parks put a camping field alongside their caravans and lodges, and campers get the same pools, play areas, bars and evening entertainment. They suit families who want the children busy without leaving the site, and they're useful on a wet day. Whitecliff Bay near Bembridge has an indoor pool with a flume and toddler splash area, a seasonal outdoor pool, crazy golf and a covered adventure playground, with up to six people included in the pitch price. Nodes Point above Priory Bay has an indoor pool with slides and Priory Bay at the bottom of the park. Landguard and Lower Hyde on the edge of Shanklin both have indoor and outdoor pools and evening entertainment, and campers at one can use the other's facilities.

Family-run sites and farms

Smaller sites are quieter, usually cheaper and often have more space between pitches. Ninham above Shanklin is built around quiet family holidays, with a heated outdoor pool in summer, play areas and quiet time from 9pm. The Orchards at Newbridge has an indoor pool open all season and an outdoor one in summer, and sees itself as a quiet family park rather than a party one. Grange Farm sits on the cliff above Brighstone Bay with a playground and a play boat, and Southland at Newchurch has a big playground on a flat meadow. For something wilder, Kingston Smallholding near Shorwell opens for a few weeks in the summer holidays with more than fifty goats, a fire pit on every pitch and half price for school-age children.

Small certificated site · St Helens

Fakenham Farm CS

Tents, caravans, motorhomes

  • Dogs welcome
  • Near beach

from £15/night

View

Glamping site · Ryde

Retro Staycations

Tents, caravans, motorhomes, pods, airstreams

  • Some dogs
  • Campfires
  • Glamping

from £16/night

View

Campsite · Shalfleet

Camp Wight

Tents, caravans, motorhomes, pods, pre-pitched tents

  • Dogs welcome
  • Campfires
  • Glamping

from £20/night

View

Campsite · Northwood

Comforts Farm

Tents, caravans, motorhomes

  • Dogs welcome
  • Campfires

from £20/night

View

Campsites with a swimming pool

14 family campsites have a pool, and 8 of those have an indoor one, which is the one to look for if your dates are outside July and August. Outdoor pools on the Island mostly open from around the late May bank holiday to early September, weather permitting.

Pool rules are stricter than many parents expect. Several parks set ratios for young children in the water, such as one adult per child under four, and some ask you to book a swim session in busy weeks. Day visitors usually can't use campsite pools. See every campsite with a pool or just the indoor pools.

West Wight1 of 10Back of the Wight0 of 11North and Central Wight3 of 35Ryde and the East3 of 14Sandown Bay5 of 16Ventnor and the Undercliff2 of 17
Family campsites with a pool in each part of the Island, out of all the campsites there.

Beaches for children

The south-east has the classic bucket-and-spade beaches. The north and west have quieter bays, and the south-west is wilder.

  • Sandown and Shanklin: one long sweep of sand round Sandown Bay, shelving gently, with a pier, cafés and toilets. Sandown has had lifeguard patrols in the summer holidays in recent years. See Sandown Bay campsites.
  • Ryde: the tide goes out a very long way, leaving huge flat sands that are ideal for small children. Keep an eye on the tide coming back in over the flats. Ryde has also had summer lifeguards. Campsites near Ryde.
  • Colwell Bay: a sheltered sandy bay in the West Wight with beach huts and calm water on most days. Campsites at Colwell Bay.
  • St Helens Duver and Priory Bay: sand and dunes on the north-east coast, quieter than the resort beaches. Campsites near St Helens Duver.
  • Rock pools: the ledges around Bembridge and the little cove at Steephill near Ventnor are good for crabs and anemones at low tide. Campsites near Bembridge.
  • Compton Bay: big surf, dinosaur footprints at low tide and a steep path down from the car park. Brilliant for older children with an adult close by. See our fossil-hunting guide.

Most Island beaches have no lifeguards at all, so check the tide times before you go and keep children close on the beaches with cliffs. 28 family campsites are close to a beach; there's more in our guide to the best beaches near campsites.

Whitecliff Bay's beach path is steep. The paths from the holiday park down to the sand are about 30 degrees and the park says they aren't suitable for pushchairs. Bring a baby carrier if you have a toddler.

Days out within half an hour

Because the Island is small, you can stay almost anywhere and still reach the big attractions. Most open daily from around Easter to the end of October and run shorter hours or close in winter, so check before you go out of season.

Adgestone CampsiteAlverstone Ponds CLAppuldurcombe Gardens Holiday ParkBank End Farm YurtsBorthwood Caravans CLBrighstone Holiday CentreBury Lane Farm CLCamp CorveCamp WightCastlehaven Caravan SiteChapelfurlong FarmCheverton Copse Holiday ParkChine Farm Caravan and Camping ParkComforts FarmCompton FarmCorf Scout CampDairymans Daughter Cottage CSDownsview CLEddie's Farm CLFairway Holiday ParkFakenham Farm CSFar Out RetreatForelands Pop-Up CampsiteFort Holiday ParkFour Lakes RetreatFreshwater Camp Equipment Trust CampsiteGlamping The Wight WayGrange FarmGurnard PinesHeathfield Farm CampingInto the WoodsIsland Riding Centre Safari CampIsle of Wight Festival CampsiteKids Love YurtsKingates Farm Shepherd's HutKingston Smallholding Goat Farm CampsiteKingswood Bembridge (glamping)Kite Hill Farm Caravan & Camping ParkLandguard Holiday ParkLast Post CSLinstone Chine Holiday Village (Brambles Chine and Cliff End)Lower Hyde Holiday ParkLucketts Farm CampsiteMeadow Lakes Caravan Site CLMeadowview HolidaysMill Heights CampsiteMoor Farm YurtNature's HavenNew Bank End Farm CSNinham Country HolidaysNodes Point Holiday ParkOakdene OrchardOld Mill Holiday ParkParadise Cottage CSPerreton FarmPigsty FarmPriory Bay YurtsPuckaster Cove Hideaway (Stargazers' Retreat)Queen Bower Dairy Caravan ParkRetro StaycationsRodgebrook Farm CLRusty MeadowSandhills Holiday ParkSibbecks Farm GlampingSilver Glades Caravan ParkSouth Thorness Farm CLSouthland Club CampsiteSpringfield OaksSt Helens Coastal ResortStoats Farm Caravan and CampingSunnycott Caravan ParkSunrise Hill CampsiteTapnell Farm Glamping (Tom's Eco Lodge & Camp Tapnell)The Ark ParkThe Bay ColwellThe Bungalow CLThe Chequers Inn Motorhome & Caravan PitchesThe Garlic Farm YurtsThe Hut at Godshill Park FarmThe HydeawayThe Lakes RookleyThe Old Barn Holiday ParkThe Orchards Holiday ParkThe Woodland RetreatThorncross Farm CSThorness Bay Holiday ParkTiny Homes HolidaysTroopers View CampsiteValerian Sun ClubVillage Way Caravan and Camping ParkWarren Hill CampWaverley Park Holiday CentreWest Wight BellsWestfield FarmWhitecliff Bay Holiday ParkWhitefield Forest Touring ParkWight Classic Camping (Three Gates Farm)Wild Oak FarmWillow Brook CampingWillow Shepherd's HutWindmill CampersiteWoodside Bay Lodge RetreatWoodside Coastal RetreatBlackgang ChineRobin HillTapnell FarmIsle of Wight ZooDinosaur IsleMonkey HavenSteam RailwayThe Needles
Family campsites, with the Island's big days out for children marked.campsitesplaces in this guide
  • Blackgang Chine near Chale: a clifftop theme park with dinosaurs, a pirate cove and rides for younger children.
  • Robin Hill near Arreton: woodland adventure park with a toboggan run, play areas and trails. Kids Love Yurts is close by.
  • Tapnell Farm near Yarmouth: farm park with animals and an aqua park.
  • Isle of Wight Zoo and Dinosaur Isle at Sandown: big cats and lemurs, and an indoor dinosaur museum a short walk apart on the seafront.
  • Monkey Haven near Newport, a primate sanctuary, and Amazon World near Arreton, a zoo that's largely under cover.
  • The Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Havenstreet: vintage steam trains through the countryside between Wootton and Smallbrook Junction.
  • The Needles: the chairlift down to Alum Bay's coloured sands, and the old battery on the headland.
  • Osborne near East Cowes: Queen Victoria's house, with the royal children's Swiss Cottage and a private beach.

For wet days, see our rainy day guide.

Keeping the cost down

  • Check how the site charges. Some sites price the pitch with two adults and two children included, and Whitecliff Bay includes up to six people; others charge for every child. For a family of five the difference adds up quickly.
  • Go just outside the school holidays if you can: June and early September are noticeably cheaper than August at sites with seasonal prices, and the ferries are cheaper too.
  • Cook on site and save eating out for one evening. Many family sites have a shop selling bread and milk.
  • Mix paid and free days. The beaches, the downs and the chines are free; one big attraction every other day keeps everyone happy.
  • Use the campsite's ferry deal. Many family sites can book a cheaper crossing. See our guide to cheap camping.

Book early for August: the family sites near the beaches fill first. Browse all family campsites or check prices for your dates with the price checker.

Questions people ask

What is the best area of the Isle of Wight to camp with kids?

Sandown Bay is the classic choice, with long sandy beaches, the zoo and Dinosaur Isle close by. The West Wight suits families who want quieter beaches and the Needles, and anywhere on the Island is within about half an hour of the big attractions.

Which Isle of Wight campsites have a swimming pool?

14 of the family campsites we list have a pool, including holiday parks such as Whitecliff Bay, Nodes Point, Landguard and Lower Hyde, and quieter sites such as Ninham and The Orchards. Outdoor pools are mostly open from late May to early September.

Which Isle of Wight beaches have lifeguards?

Very few. Sandown and Ryde have had lifeguard patrols during the summer school holidays in recent years; check locally which beaches are covered this year. Most other beaches have none, so check the tides and stay close to children.

What is there for children to do on the Isle of Wight?

Blackgang Chine, Robin Hill, Tapnell Farm, the Isle of Wight Zoo, Dinosaur Isle, Monkey Haven, Amazon World, the Steam Railway and the Needles chairlift, plus rock pooling, fossil hunting and sandy beaches. Most attractions open from around Easter to October.

Is camping on the Isle of Wight good for toddlers?

Yes, if you pick a site with a play area and a toilet block close to your pitch, and a gently shelving beach such as Sandown, Shanklin or Ryde. Holiday parks with an indoor pool are a good fallback on a wet day.