How to Plan a Fun Camp Out for Kids in Your Own Backyard

Are you and your kids looking for something different to do together as a family? Well, you can have lots of fun right in your own backyard by pitching a makeshift tent, roasting marshmallows, and snuggling down inside a warm sleeping bag. It’s easy to plan a campout without ever having to leave home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tarp
• Blankets
• Sleeping Bag
• Portable Grill
• Flashlights
• Cooler & Ice

1. Drape a tarp or a large sheet of plastic over a clothesline. Gather some rocks to hold down the corners. Lay blankets or another tarp inside on the ground and then roll out the sleeping bags.

2. Cook out on a portable grill. Breakfast is an easy meal to cook outdoors because there are so many simple menus to prepare. Nothing smells tastier than eggs, bacon and pancakes cooking in a cast iron skillet at the crack of dawn.

3. Let the kids use other camping gear like canteens, lanterns and camp chairs to make it feel like a real camping trip. Don’t forget the ice and a cooler full of snacks and cold drinks.

4. Build a campfire, even if it is just pretend. You can gather some real kindling and stuff red, orange, and yellow tissue paper between the sticks to look like flames. Place a lighted flashlight underneath to make it glow, and then circle your faux campfire with some rocks. This creates the mood for storytelling or singing songs around the campfire. It’s even more fun if you camp under a full moon.

5. Stargaze and search the nighttime sky for different constellations. Teach your children to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the great outdoors. Have fun exploring the nighttime sights and sounds. Help younger children identify sounds like crickets chirping, neighborhood dogs barking or insects buzzing.

6. Catch fireflies in a jar. Nothing delights a young camper more than those little lights twinkling and flashing in the night. The kids can have fun making some simple luminarias to add an extra warm glow to the night. Fill small brown paper bags half full with sand, and then nestle a votive candle in the sand. Be sure to supervise children carefully once the candles are lit.

Tips & Warnings

• The National Wildlife Federation sponsors an annual Great American Backyard Campout each year in June. The event encourages families across the nation to celebrate the great outdoors by taking this opportunity to connect with nature.
• When you camp out, you can roughly guess the temperature outside by the number of times the crickets chirp. Count the chirps for 15 seconds and add 37; this should give you an approximate temperature in Fahrenheit degrees.