These long months of lockdown protocols and distance learning may have your kids hungry to be outdoors once again. The breeze, the trees, and the adventure are hard not to miss, after all!
While we wait for the time when camping trips are safer and easier to organize, there are several ways to bring the campsite to your own backyard! All it takes is a bit of planning to make the magic happen.
Setting Up Your Backyard Campsite
Creating your own camping area in the backyard is simpler than it seems. Follow these steps and mix in your own ideas and family traditions to make the experience fun and interesting for your kids.
1. Put up a tent.
You can’t call it a camping trip without having a tent to sleep in! If you have some tents in storage, set them up with your kids. You can bring out your sleeping bags or cots, too, to make it more exciting.
But one of the best perks of camping in your own backyard is being able to enjoy luxuries you wouldn’t have on an actual camping trip. Level up your backyard campsite by renting a bell tent that can fit your whole family. A bigger tent lets you comfortably bond with each other over games and bedtime stories.
2. Have a scavenger hunt.
Have a look around the backyard before camping out to prepare a scavenger hunt for your kids. This kind of activity gives them a sense of adventure and engages their senses.
Make it more challenging by letting them solve a mix of codes, puzzles, and riddles to find certain clues. You can also give them a treasure map that they can follow while looking for items.
3. Bring out the grill.
A long day of fun activities will have you needing a hearty meal to re-energize. Set up an outdoor grill and make your family’s favorite camping dishes together. Kids are sure to love grilled hotdogs, barbecue chicken, and cheese sandwiches.
Since you will be just a few steps from your home, you can cheat a little and pre-cook or bake some dishes instead! Warm them up when it’s time to eat by wrapping the food in foil and putting it over the heat for a few minutes.
4. Bond around a campfire.
If you have a fire pit at home, set it up for the evening so you and your family can sit around and hang out. Ready some graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars so you can make s’mores. You can also teach the kids campfire songs with the accompaniment of a guitar and percussion instruments.
Operating fire pits entails a bit of risk, so exercise caution, especially if your children will be helping out. Also, take note of rules and regulations in your area about recreational fire pits before building yours.
5. Study the constellations.
Camping out is fun for kids, but it can also turn into a creative educational activity for them! Being outdoors at night presents the perfect opportunity to learn about constellations. Feel free to assist them in identifying the stars using stargazing apps and other learning tools.
If you have a telescope at home, you can also use this to allow them a much closer look at heavenly bodies. Guide them as they explore by discussing the planets and constellations they encounter while stargazing.
What Makes Backyard Camping Great
It’s convenient.
The obvious reason that makes backyard camping perfect is because of how easy it is. By doing it at home, you don’t have to worry about scheduling the trip or making sure you got the directions to the campsite correctly. You also get free access to actual bathrooms and home supplies!
For a camping trip, you would usually set aside quite a bit of your finances to cover gas, campground costs, and other gear. At-home camping lets you make use of resources you already have in the house. This also allows you to allot the money you would have spent on your camping needs on other necessities that may come up at home.
It is the safest vacation you can have (for now).
Being in a location you know well provides a sense of security, particularly for younger kids who tend to go their own way. This minimizes the risk of injury or getting lost during camping.
While the world is on its way to easing into looser guidelines, the best way to keep you and your family safe is to stay put. But this doesn’t need to be at the expense of making great memories! Backyard camping lets kids go on an enjoyable getaway without compromising their safety.
