Backyard Camping Ideas for Kids

These backyard camping ideas are perfect for when your kids want to go camping but you don't have time to get away. Backyard camping is also a great way to introduce kids to camping before a real camping trip.

You and your family don't have to leave your home to have a great night camping. Some of the best camping trips don't go any further than your own backyard. The advantages of backyard camping are fairly obvious, but they are still worth noting. You have hot water, a bathroom, and food if you need it. Below are backyard camping ideas to make your backyard camping trip a bit more exciting and fun.

Backyard Camping Ideas

A Makeshift Tent

If you don't have a tent, don't assume you can't camp outside. A piece of canvas works well, as does a plastic tarp. If it isn't going to rain you can even use a good old-fashioned bed sheet. All you need to do is string a rope from one sturdy object (like a fence post) to another. Drape the material over the rope and set rocks on the bottom of it to hold it in place. Otherwise, you can just invest in an affordable tent for the backyard. Either way is great fun.

Essential Camping Things

Every campout needs certain things. You'll need a campfire and you might want some marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate to make s'mores. Snacks, drinks, and flashlights are also part of the package. The flashlights are for holding under the chin when telling ghost stories at night as well as those late night noises.

Hunger Games

The movie has now inspired a whole new kind of game. Don't worry, the kids don't have to kill each other off. The kids pretend to be a group who has come together against other imaginary players. As a parent, your job is to countdown before they start and provide packages throughout the game. Use lip balm as a healing aid, juice drinks as a treatment for illness, and similar ideas for game fun. Just yell “Drop off” as you set the items in a designated spot outside. The kids will love the fact that you are playing a part in their game. The campsite is their “home base”.

Light Up the Night

Camping is a great time to play with glow in the dark materials. Get some glow bracelets and let the fun begin. You can add the liquid to a bubble solution and make glow in the dark bubbles. You can add it to water in a jar for a sort of night light. You might also use glow in the dark spray paint to paint some of the planters or rocks around the house before the kids camp out. Here are some more fun games using glow sticks and other night games for kids.

No matter what your kids do while they are camping in the backyard, remember that they are just kids. You are going to be tempted to sneak out and scare them or tell them scary stories. It's all in good fun as long as you understand that they might really get scared. Leave the porch light on and the back door unlocked. You might even suggest the dog camps out with them to make them feel more secure. Just don't be too surprised or judgmental if the kids come running in the house in the middle of the night. The imagination can be a scary place to be in the dark.