Backyard camping is an excellent way to bond with the family without breaking the bank. It is also a perfect way to get the feels of camping as a newbie without going far away from home. The numerous benefits of the backyard make it a great option. We have compiled a list of backyard camping ideas to make the experience fun and memorable for you and the kids. Let’s get started.

Set up a tent

The first thing to do is to set up a tent and give your backyard the traditional camping site feeling. Grab your pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags and fill your tent with them. The idea is to treat your backyard as a campsite, and as such, you are to remain outdoors overnight and not wobble back to your bed when it gets dark.

Set up your tent on a flat surface and design the tent with lanterns, flowers, and string lights. Get an air mattress that will elevate you guys and provide the much-needed comfort. Avoid sleeping on the bare ground with your family.

Set up a backyard firepit

A camping trip is incomplete without your campfire, and so is a backyard camping incomplete without a backyard firepit. The firepit will keep the fire contained while giving you the camping euphoria.

Put on your pajamas while you all share your childhood memories with your kids. Engage them with campfire songs while you play the guitar. Everyone can take turns to tell ghost stories and see whose story is the scariest. These activities present an opportunity to bond with your kids. Oh yes, you can also make s’mores while seated by the firepit.

Organize game sessions

There are many outdoor activities to keep everyone entertained and occupied. You can play games such as frisbee, badminton, twister, and freeze tag can be played out back on the lawn. You can also keep it simple by organizing a paint session where your kids get to connect with mother nature by drawing what they see around- trees, the colorful sunset, an animal in the backyard, or even a picture of the camping set-up. Everything depends on their imagination.

Later in the evening, you can bring out the board games and get everyone to participate. Card games, monopoly, scrabble, or chess can liven things and bring out the competitive side in everyone.

Have a Treasure Hunt

Planning a treasure hunt is one way to take the camping experience up a notch. Map out clues for the kids that will test engage them intellectually and watch as they go around looking for the hidden gem. Each clue can refer to nature, inside jokes, past family experiences, and objects in the house. You can also hand out a treasure map to the kids with numbered steps, coordinates, and a mark that points out the hidden treasure’s location on the map.

Stargazing

Cap off the night by stargazing with your family. Get the little ones to count the stars and even name them. Tell stories of what each star stands for, and if you are into astrology, you can take it up a notch. You can also form conversations by talking about what you guys see in the sky, such as airplanes, the moon, and other planets.

The beauty of backyard camping is how you can enjoy all these activities from the comfort of your home without having to plan extensively or exhaust your savings on a camping trip.