Desert camping with kids: safety, packing and fun

A night in the desert can be a highlight for children: a huge sky, a campfire to sit beside and the chance to run around with nothing to break. It also asks more of the adults. There is no shade, no shop and often no toilet or bin, and heat and cold both change quickly.

This is general safety and planning advice, not medical or legal advice. Every family is different, so check official guidance from health and municipal authorities before you go, and follow posted signs.

1. Choose the season and the spot

Go between November and March. City average highs are roughly 31°C in November, 24 to 26°C from December to February and about 29°C in March, while May to September is too hot for small children. Desert nights can be properly cold, so plan for both ends of the thermometer. Our best time to visit Al Qudra guide has the month-by-month detail.

Where you camp matters as much as when. Treat overnight camping at the lakes and Love Lake as not permitted, because Dubai Municipality banned camping and bonfires there in 2017 and we have found no reversal. Dubai Municipality runs official winter camps at Al Aweer, with the 2025 season running from 1 November to 30 April for family use. Check the municipality for current dates and booking. Our camping rules and permits guide has the sources.

For a first trip with young children, many families start with a day visit and a picnic. Our Al Qudra Lakes family guide has a half-day plan.

2. Heat, sun and water

Health organisations that publish guidance on children and hot weather generally say the same things. Children overheat faster than adults, they often forget to stop and drink while they play, and the adults need to build in the breaks. Commonly listed early signs include thirst, unusual tiredness, headache, nausea and cramps, and confusion or collapse is an emergency that needs urgent medical help. We are not medical professionals, so use official local guidance for anything beyond the basics.

• Water: at least 2 litres per person, more for hot days, and offer drinks often rather than waiting to be asked. It starts at AED 2 for 500 ml at Zad, and a 20 L water can with tap is AED 80.
• Timing: keep the hottest hours of the day for rest in shade, and save games for morning and late afternoon.
• Shade: assume there is none. Tents are AED 80 to 226 and beach mats and umbrellas AED 20 to 52 at Zad.
• Clothing: light, loose clothes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, reapplied often.
• Cool spot: a car parked with the boot open for shade, or a cooler, gives a place to rest. Never leave a child alone in a parked car.

3. Safety around camp

• Fire: keep children well away from the fire pit or grill and never leave it unwatched. No fires directly on the sand, no open flames inside a tent, lights and heat at least 50 cm from tent fabric and firewood at least 15 feet (about 5 m) from tents.
• Water: there are no lifeguards and swimming is not allowed at the lakes. Keep small children well back from soft, muddy edges.
• Vehicles: stay on hard tracks and park clear of the cycle track, where riders move fast. Agree where children may and may not go, and keep a head count.
• Wildlife: look but never feed or chase. Teach children to watch birds from a distance.
• Rain: avoid wadis and valleys when rain is forecast.
• Getting lost: agree a meeting point, save a location pin before the signal fades, and carry a charged phone and a power bank. In the dark the lakes look alike, so set up before dusk.
• First aid: bring a first-aid kit and know the way back to the road. Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
• Fuel: fill the tank before you leave the city, because we do not sell fuel.

4. Packing list for camping with kids

The full list is in our Al Qudra camping checklist. For children, add these:

• Sleep: a tent big enough to share, sleeping bags (AED 45 to 105 at Zad), mats and a jumper or pyjama layers for the cold hours.
• Light: a lantern or torch each. A Geepas LED lantern is AED 55 and torches and camp lighting AED 12 to 55 at Zad.
• Seating: picnic chairs from AED 52.50, folding tables AED 65 to 157.
• Food and drink: simple, cold and easy to eat with one hand, plus a flask. Karak chai is AED 7 for the adults, and London Dairy ice cream is from AED 12.
• Bugs: citronella and insect killers are AED 12 to 60.
• Comfort: wet wipes, spare clothes, towels and bin bags, because lake edges are muddy and children find the mud.
• Toilet plan: assume none at the site. Use the toilet at Zad before you turn in and tell children where the next one is before they need it.
• Comfort items: a favourite soft toy or book for bedtime.

Prefer a ready set? The Camp Night for Two kit (from AED 289, you keep the gear) has a 2-person tent, 2 picnic chairs, an LED lantern, medium firewood, fire-starter cubes and a bag of ice. The Lake Picnic Box for 4 (AED 199) covers lunch. Both are on the outings page.

5. Activities for kids

• Bird bingo: print a checklist or play first to spot a flamingo wins an ice cream. See the wildlife guide.
• Sunrise walk: a short walk on hard tracks at first light, with a hot drink waiting. Times are in our sunrise guide.
• Star watch: lie on a mat and count shooting stars on a meteor night. See the stargazing guide for dates and a red-torch tip.
• Photo hunt: give each child a list of things to photograph. Our photography guide has ideas.
• Camp cooking: let older children toast marshmallows from home or thread skewers, with an adult in charge of the fire. See campfire cooking ideas.
• Space games: frisbee, a ball, bubbles and sand toys. Space is the main attraction.

6. A calm first night

Arrive in daylight, pitch the tent first, then eat. Keep bedtime close to normal, and bring the sleep items children are used to. Layers matter because temperatures drop after sunset. Pack up in the morning before the sun is high, and put the fire out completely before anyone leaves.

If the night goes badly, you are close to the road and a 24-hour shop. Children and adults both sleep better when you have a Plan B, and Zad is the last shop before the desert at the Last Exit on Al Qudra Road.

Frequently asked questions

Zad Food Store is open 24/7 at the Last Exit, Al Qudra Road (Seih Al Salam), Dubai, the last stop before the desert since 2013.