Nine Year Old Lizzie Enjoys Backyard Camping

Camping is hugely exciting for kids.  I remember when my own mother first agreed to a holiday under canvas; I was nine years old, and my six year old brother and I capered around yelling with delight at the idea.  Camping is good for adults too – a complete change, lots of fresh air, and maybe waking up to a dawn chorus of birdsong.  But…will everyone like it?  What about trying camping out in your own backyard first to find out.

Hints and Tips on Camping in Your Backyard

• Pick a spell of good weather.  Nothing is worse than a soggy tent and muddy ground – and bored kids.

• Try to pick a time when the kids don’t have school the next day.  They could well be too excited to sleep and then too tired to get up in the morning!  Also, make sure they go to bed at the normal time or even later. They may want to get into bed early for the novelty of it; but then they’re even more likely to be awake in the small hours

• Don’t have too large a tent.  A small one will be much quicker and easier to erect.  Actually, kids love small tents which they have to crawl into.  Many years ago, I went backpacking with a tiny one-person tent, and I attracted all the children on the campsite!

• Let the kids take their favourite toys, but no TVs, radios, or electronic games.

How to Bring Excitement to Backyard Camping

You need to treat it as an adventure. The following ideas may help:

• As much as possible, pretend the house not there.  Take cooking stoves, torches, and hurricane lamps. Don’t use electricity even if you can.  Don’t forget sleeping bags – not the familiar duvets and pillows.

• Involve the kids as much as possible in erecting the tent.  Little ones can remove sticks and stones, while older children can help with the tent.

• Arrange lots of outdoor activities – football, baseball, frisbee, even old-fashioned games like crochet. In the evenings have storytelling, and teach them about birds or stars.

• Sheltering from the occasional shower can be fun!  Arrange one at a suitable time using the garden sprinkler.

• Provide food for a midnight feast.  The kids may eat it all by 8 pm, but they’ll love the idea.

Camping for Older Children

Kids approaching their teenage years may get a little blasé about the idea of camping in the backyard.  To maintain excitement for this age group, try the following:

• Make a campfire if possible, legal, and safe.  Involve the kids in collecting wood, and teach them how to light and manage a fire safely.

• Try to arrange singing around the fire and find someone who can play an instrument such as a guitar. They don’t need to be good!

• You can even let older kids camp alone while the adults sleep in the house.  Kids definitely find this exciting!  However, make sure they can contact an adult and/or get in the house if necessary, as the excitement may begin to pall at around 4 am, particularly if they can’t sleep or it starts to rain.

Overall, camping is a great way for parents and children to be together and learn to work together.  It can bring families closer and teach skills which can be useful in later life.  But trying it close to home is a good way to start.