The nearby safety of home and parents (and the comfort of familiar bathrooms) makes backyard camping ideal for kids old enough to go on a sleepover. An entire family can camp in their backyard or a child can invite a friend to join him or her an evening in the great outdoors.
A backyard doesn’t have to be large, although parents should review the area for gardening tools or other nighttime hazards. For adults unfamiliar with campfires, stick to cooking on a grill – and never leave children near a fire that isn’t watched by an adult. Have children help to plan the evening’s event.
Tents and Sleeping Bags for Kids
A small pup tent can accommodate two kids. Even if the entire family is camping, everyone may appreciate the privacy and quiet of smaller tents than a family tent that everyone shares. No tent? Encourage kids to try rigging a blanket or tablecloth over rope string between two trees and then staking the corners of the cloth to the ground.
Turn a blanket into a sleeping bag by folding the two edges in toward the center of the blanket. Use giant safety pins to keep those edges together. Fold up the bottom of this tube and pin it in place. Another option is to keep one blanket spread on the ground and a second blanket for covering the body. Even if the day has been warm, the evening will feel chilly.
Set up the campsite on level ground. Use a compass to determine southeast. Turn the opening of the tent in that direction to get the morning’s first warming rays. Remind kids that people didn’t always travel with tents and sleeping bags – when they were forced to spend a night outdoors they had to improvise.
Camping Supplies
Bring supplies outside so kids aren’t running back and forth into the house. Challenge them to imagine that they’ve traveled far from home and that there’s no going back for one more thing. Bring out liter bottles of water. Pack dry snacks and food like pretzels, granola, and cereal.
Kids should plan on eating a simple breakfast outdoors to celebrate the night. Place milk and orange juice in small containers that fit in an insulated bag or case filled with ice. Be kind to the environment and bring along reusable utensils and dishes.
Pack a flashlight with fresh batteries for each camper. Kids should have pants, a sweater or sweatshirt, and extra socks in case they get chilly during the night. Coordinating bandanas can give a group a team feel and are useful for wiping up spills, covering the head, and many other uses.
Backyard Games to Play in the Dark
Put a ban on battery-operated televisions, radios, and handheld games. Break out the board games, puzzle books, novels, playing cards, harmonicas, etc. Have kids pack a backpack or bag with a few more things than they think they might want to play with. If this is a first-time experience sleeping outdoors or away from home, kids may nervously bounce to a variety of activities.
Parents can direct some outdoor games that are perfect for playing in the dark. Kids will have fun testing their night vision, so avoid having too many bright lights illuminating the yard. If there is a light near the door kids will use to enter the house, look for the lowest wattage possible.
Spending time outdoors, particularly with the opportunity to quietly observe the nature around them, can help children develop a sense of place. Backyard camping is an inexpensive and safe way to introduce children to tent camping.
Join the Conversation