Ah, camping. A classic family tradition that goes back decades. Loading up the car with sleeping bags, a tent, a cooler full of goodies, and your nearest and dearest – it’s a tale as old as time.
Say you find yourself daydreaming about taking the kids out on a wild camping adventure that they’ll not soon forget, but you’re feeling a little ill at ease about undertaking such a big excursion, especially if your family doesn’t already have a lot of camping experience under your belts. Well, a super fun way to mimic the real deal is by having a backyard camping night! That’s right, you can have (almost) all the pleasures of regular camping with all the comforts of home just steps away.
Can backyard camping actually be that fun? Of course! Kids love the idea of sleeping outside. For kids, any occasional break-up in routine is exciting – in a similar vein, how many of us have fond memories of when our parents would let us do something zany, like eat breakfast for dinner? Even if you don’t drive miles outside the city to a campsite, kids can be thrilled about the idea of sleeping outside in their own backyard. Backyard camping is also a wonderful way to test out the waters before actually heading out into the wilderness – you can see if your kids enjoy roughing it outside, and they can also learn more about the process of camping while having the amenities of home not too far off. Precisely because you’ll remain so close to home, backyard camping is simply less stressful than actual camping. On the other hand, if you’re already avid campers, camping in your backyard can be a low-stakes way to experiment with new camping gear. It’s a win-win situation!
Check out the following tips to start planning your own backyard camping adventure.
Set some ground rules.
Think about how authentically you’d like to recreate the camping experience. Is anyone allowed to go back inside the house once camping has begun? You can suggest that everyone pack their bags as if they were leaving on an actual trip. This can include packing a change of clothes, some layers to account for cooler weather, and a pack of cards to keep busy. Consider the snacks, too! You can stock a cooler with juice boxes and sandwiches to make sure everyone remains refreshed without needing to go back inside the house to fetch provisions.
A night of backyard camping can be a great excuse to get your family to do a digital detox. If you’d like, encourage your family to leave the phones and tablets inside. It doesn’t matter what age you are; we could all benefit from a break from the fast lane to just sit outside and really be with each other.
Overall, keep aflame the spirit of fun and contentment. If strict “no going back inside” type rules are too much, it’s also okay to forgo that entirely in favor of a more relaxed evening. Just have fun and do what works best for your family!
Prepare the area.
If you have grass in your yard, it might be a good idea to make sure the sprinklers are turned off for the night. To encourage a darker night sky, you can turn off all the house lights, or, if you’d rather some extra lighting, you can string up some pretty twinkly lights around your makeshift campground.
Arizona is known for having a few particular frequent visitors in many a backyard, not the least of which are scorpions, brown recluses, and black widows. If these little creepy crawlies like to visit you, just make sure that you have the right supplies on hand to ward them off as best as you can. A blacklight can be super handy to ensure you’re not sleeping on any scorpions by accident!
Set up your campsite.
If you’ve got a tent on hand, this is, of course, the perfect time to break it out. Find a nice, level spot in your backyard and have at it. If your kids are old enough to help out, initiate them into the quintessential camping experience of tent-wrestling. If you don’t already have a tent, don’t feel pressured to go out and buy one if you don’t see yourself camping frequently in the future – tents can be pretty expensive. Instead, you can get creative by hanging a few sheets you don’t mind getting dirty, and laying down a blanket or waterproof tarp on the ground under your sleeping bags. Tie a synthetic cord or clothesline between a fence or two trees and drape your sheets over them for a nice, cozy shelter that’s a little reminiscent of your bed at home.
How much are you willing to rough it? If sleeping bags are too unbearable, inflatable mattresses are fair game, and so are plenty of pillows and flannel blankets!
If you have extra time on your hands, you can truly go all out in transforming your backyard space into a dream site. You can set up a whole “living area” outside by setting up a few folding chairs and tables or using whatever you have on hand.
Light the campfire.
A lot of the magic of backyard camping can be found in the smokey crackle and luminous warmth wafting from a campfire. There are many small and portable woodburning fire pit options for purchase online ranging anywhere from $50 to $200 and above. A fire pit can be a great investment for plenty of magical outdoor evenings to come. However, if a new pit just isn’t the budget, don’t worry about it. You could also set out an old pie tin with a few candles on it! As long as you act with the special intention of spending quality time with your family, any backyard camping night will be wonderful, campfire or not.
Cook dinner.
Cooking outside over an open fire (or a grill, if you have one) elevates the camping experience to include all the senses – the smell of roasting hot dogs, the taste of baked beans, and the visual of a bright burning flame. For dinner, think classic campfire food. Hot dogs are always a great option, but so are breakfast burritos, sloppy joes, and foil dinners.
Don’t forget about dessert. You can’t go wrong with a campfire classic – s’mores are as great as they come!
Play games.
Here’s a great place to get creative and think about the types of games and activities your kids enjoy, and what you have space for in your backyard. If you’ve got a variety of organic materials in your yard, you can plan a scavenger hunt by making a list of natural items for your kids to find.
For more active, physical games (great for kids with lots of energy), any classic field day type of game would fit right in. Sack races, freeze tag, horseshoes, and even a good-old game of cornhole will set the mood quite nicely.
Enjoy quality time.
By its very nature, camping is the ideal quality family time. Jostling with a tent and waiting patiently for marshmallows to crisp up over an open fire provides ample opportunities for conversation and jokes that may not happen so readily in our busy lives. Keep the quality time going by sitting around and telling stories – encourage your kids to invent their own ghost stories, or share the family anecdotes that have been passed down through the generations. Do you have any musicians in the family? If your neighbors wouldn’t mind the joyful noise too much, bring out the guitar and sing some family favorites. Camping, even in the backyard, creates precious, priceless moments you’ll want to cherish forever.
The morning after.
Think about what you’d like to do for breakfast. If you want to keep the authentic experience going, you can make oatmeal or pancakes outside. Or, if you’d like to reward your kids for a night well spent outdoors, you can set up a nifty cereal buffet inside with all of their favorites, just waiting to be poured.
Happy backyard camping!
Contributed by Raquel Medina
