When you have no time to go out or have to stay at home, but your kids keep begging for a camping trip, look no further than a few steps out the back door and try a backyard camping.
With a backyard camping, you can give your kids the experience of sleeping out under the stars, but also enjoy the convenience, such as making food in your own kitchen, use the restroom, enjoy running water...
All you have to do is set up a tent and lay down air mattresses and sleeping bags to get one started, then use these family-friendly & nifty backyard camping ideas that we will introduce in this articles to turn this backyard camping trip into some truly fun family memories.
1.CAMPSITE DECORATION
The decoration is a magical process that can make family work happily to turns your ordinary backyard into a campsite.
Lights can add a magical touch to backyard camping, so remember to hang the lanterns inside your tent, and strands of lights from four poles—mapping out your campsite. You can let the kids do this work, and their imagination will make the decoration more creative. The moment the light comes on, the children will be very happy.
Remember to give the children headlights so they can use them to explore more corners of the family at night.
2. CAMPING GEAR PREPARATION
Let the kids pitch a tent, or just help set up the tent – handing you layer, or poles– which will really make them feel like they’re part of the camping action!
After laying down comfortable air mattresses and sleeping bags in the tent, you can let your little ones make their pallets just how they want them. They can put the toy or blanket that simply cannot do without at night or books plan to read at night in the tent.
3. DIY CAMPING ACCESSORIES
It is convenient to purchase camping accessories for your little ones, but DIY camping accessories will be more interesting and can exercise kids' handmade abilities and imagination.
You can DIY lantern with your kids like this: take two empty rolls of toilet paper and tape them together, to mimic binoculars; toss some glow sticks into a glass jar, or take an old milk jug and wrap a headlamp around it, and turn the headlamp on, they will provide some light in the dark night.
And you can try to make natural mosquito repellents-toss some rosemary or sage into the firepit, it will give off a scent that naturally repels mosquitoes.
4. DAYTIME GAMES & EVENING ACTIVITIES
You can try these sorts of yard games like horseshoes, corn hole, ring toss, frisbee, croquet, etc… are good Daytime Games to let the whole kids just hang out together.
A couple of good evening activities will make the backyard camping much more fun - they will make kids feel like they are having a real camping trip.
Here are some ideas for night activities:
- Hide and seek
- Catch Fireflies
- Stargazing
- Playing cards
- Board games
- Reading
- Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
- Kick the can
- Tell scary stories or funny stories
- Watch outdoor movie
5. COOKING DELICIOUS CAMPING FOOD
One of the best methods to help keep your kids out of the house is to prepare delicious food. Get the campfire set up so your kids can cook some simple food themselves – such as roasting hot dogs on sticks!
Prepare some delicious sandwiches, dessert, and snacks, and fill up a cooler with ice and juice boxes, water bottles, etc… and set it out by the tent, that will attract kids to backyard camping and makes things even more “campy”.
Some useful tips from experienced backyard campers:
- Always face our tent towards the house – so the kids have a straight shot to the door if they get scared or have to use the restroom.
- When your kids don’t want to stay outside, tell them they can drag their air mattresses and sleeping bags in and “camp” on the living room floor.
- Have snack baggies made for your kids.
SOME CAMPING GEARS SUITABLE FOR BACKYARD CAMPING: