Backyard Camp Out

Many parents of young children are scared or reluctant to take their children camping. It seems like a lot of work, the kids might not like it, and there just isn't enough time in today's busy schedule.

Why not try camping in your own backyard? It is easy, safe, and a lot of fun. This past weekend my family was relaxing around the house since we had gone camping the weekend before and had a lot of things to catch up on.

On Friday evening we invited the neighbors over for a little camp fire. We roasted marshmallows and enjoyed each others company. The kids were reminded of recent camping trips and asked me if we could sleep outside. Of course my initial reaction was no way, but really it was just a matter of setting up the tent, so why not.

My daughter and I set up the tent in the backyard and had a nice little camp out all within a few hundred feet of working toilets. We read bedtime stories around the lantern and enjoyed a quick camp out without any of the work or stress of actually taking the family on a trip.

This is a great way to do something fun as a family without leaving home. It is also a good way to test out your family's ability to sleep all night in a tent. If something goes wrong you can just run inside. It is a great test run to make sure everyone is ready for a real camping trip and is a great way to test out all of your old equipment that maybe you haven't used in a few years.

You may just discover that the family loves camping and soon you'll be planning a real trip for more family fun.

Camping with Kids: Menu

One thing that many people worry about when they consider taking their kids camping is "What are we going to eat?" It seems daunting to have to feed a child while camping but it is actually pretty easy and can be half the fun of camping.

We bring a basic propane camp stove whenever we head out to the back country. With this simple and easy to use stove we can easily boil water, saute vegetables, or fry things in a pan. Think about your children's favorite foods. The might be grilled cheese, mac-n-cheese, pancakes, scrambled eggs, quesadillas, and pasta. All of these things are easy to make on a camp stove. Your child is sure to find something they will love that is easy to eat outside.

Everyone loves s'mores for a special treat around a campfire but if your child is old enough they might like roasting a hot dog on a stick. If an adult is close by and able to help this can be a lot of fun. It may even be fascinating for a child to watch if they aren't big enough to roast their own.

On our recent trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Park our family ate veggie quesadillas, chicken burritos, peanut butter sandwiches, and just add water pancakes. The kids were as happy as can be. Add in some granola bars, chips and guacamole, and some fruit and you are good to go.

So stop using food as a reason not to take your kids camping. Actually feeding them outside is as easy as feeding them at home.

What are some of your favorite camping meals?

A Place of Their Own

Whenever we go camping as a family we always bring a small kids tent just for play time. We have a small tent that the girls can use as their own little space. They can read books, play games, pretend its their own home or anything else they can think of. Obviously we encourage the kids to play outside in nature but at some point on each trip they just need a little space all on their own to do their own thing.

They've never even asked to sleep in it but they always want to bring it along. It is small, light weight, and has filled many hours of playtime around the campsite. I encourage you to find ways to help your children create their own space when camping in the wilderness.

Children in Nature: Make it a Game

About a week ago we arrived in Moab, UT after about 7 hours in the car. The sun was setting and I had a tent to set up, a fire to build, dinner to cook, and some relaxing of my own to do. My two daughters had spent all day trying their best to be good in the car but the excitement of a 3 day camping trip was more than they could handle.

As I worked on setting up the tent and unpacking the car the girls kept asking me to do things with them. I was happy that they were excited about the trip but I just couldn't give them the attention at that moment. Just as I was about to get angry at them for not understanding the work I had to do, I stopped and helped them think of a game.

There were two large rocks side by side. I took a break from working and said, "watch this". I ran around the the two rocks making a figure 8. Then I asked the girls if they could do it faster than I did. Suddenly those two boring rocks that they hadn't noticed was now a game. They took turns running around and around the rocks seeing who could do it faster. Then they tried skipping around them. Then walking backwards, galloping, scissor steps, baby steps, and walking with waggling their arms.

Soon the tent was up, the car was unpacked, and the fire was burning. The games expanded and changed each night but a quick minute of my time was enough to get their imaginations started and the games never stopped.