Your Ultimate Guide to Backyard Camping for an Easy, Fun Summer Experience for Kids
- Joanna
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Raise your hand if you like camping! (Me raising my hand...) Raise your hand if you like loading and unloading all the gear to and from your home, to your car, to the campsite, back to your car, and back to home! *Crickets chirping... Hey, we haven't even started camping yet, and we're already hearing crickets! So peaceful... Before I lose you, please allow me to introduce you to a much simpler, and still super fun, method of camping with the magical destination of: your own backyard.
When I was a kid, my family regularly went camping. I grew up in Texas, and I remember my dad and mom walking to and from, loading up boxes, coolers, and an array of well-worn, extremely heavy (all metal back then!) camping gear. The occasional hollers and muttered swear words filled the air as they struggled to hitch trailers, line up towing, and strap on bicycles. The car would be loaded to the ceiling with each family member's items; I remember doing a little bit of my own packing, bringing extra necessities such as my own favorite stuffed toys, Barbies, and coloring materials that I knew I would definitely need along the journey to the great outdoors. Since the only temperatures we had in Texas were warm, hot, pretty darn hot, or hotter than Hell, we always went camping by lakes so we could swim or go boating. There was only one hammock, which we would all fight over whose turn it was to swing or snooze in, and our days ended with the best part of camping, the challenging game of achieving perfectly roasted marshmallows by the campfire. Camping as a kid felt fun, relaxing, and magical.
Now, as an adult, I've realized it is in fact me and my husband who have to pack all the clothes, the bags, the food, the endless snacks, the toys, the tent, the flashlights, the batteries, the bikes, all while bickering over how to back up our SUV to line up to the hitch for our pop-up camper... the list goes on. Gone are the blissful days of just grabbing your flip-flops and showing up in the car for someone else to chauffeur you around. Ha! But, if you have ever enjoyed those simple days of camping and are feeling too overwhelmed or tired at the idea of all the work that secretly goes into it, I encourage you to let your inner cool-mom flag fly and recapture those carefree days by creating an easy, fun summer experience of camping in your own backyard.
Here are just a few of the many perks of camping in your own backyard:
No reservation? No problem!
You don't have to remember to pack a million things because if you need something, simply walk back inside your house.
No several hours-long drives to the middle of nowhere with your kids saying, "I need to potty... I want to get out... I'm hungry....Are we there yet?"
No camping site fees, and save gas money. Because seriously, gas prices are next-level insane right now.
The nearby shower and toilet (your own) are easily available, in working order, and don't need quarters.
But the real reason I decided to create a camping experience in our own backyard for my kid was this: I just wanted to have some simple fun with my kid. At the time of writing this post, my child is three years old. We are nearing the end of their first year of pre-school, and honestly, I'm shocked at how busy and fast-paced life has felt. The regular days and hustle experience of life, plus the new experiences of having to dress, feed, and get my child out the door on time this last school year, have been no small feat. There have been so many events, fundraisers, parent meetings, play dates, and kid sport classes all on top of everything else, the things you want to do, the things you have to do, that it has felt like a jam-packed schedule. If I'm feeling the tiredness and, quite frankly, the overwhelm of the constant go, go, go, you better believe my kid is feeling it, too. So, we went backyard camping.
We set up our 4-person Coleman tent, hooked up our fire pit to our outdoor grill propane tank, set out a few lawn chairs, rolled out our sleeping bags, and relaxed with some camping tunes playing from my phone. It happened to be a weekday when I had the wild hair to throw this all together so it was just my son and I hanging out as we somewhat normally would, just with the new excitement and feel of it being a camping trip! We had snacks around the campfire and sang along with songs. We talked and read books together, snuggled into sleeping bags. We played "camping" with his toy camping set, and we did some nature exploration in our own backyard by looking for bugs and types of birds that we could find or hear.
Did we have a picture-perfect setup or experience? Absolutely not! Did I mention I have a very independent, persistent, determined three-year-old who has a knack for getting into everything? Also, rain was ironically in our forecast for the first time in months in the late evening. It rarely rains here in California!
Even though you'll camp in your own backyard and not some far-off spot in the wilderness, it still takes effort to haul things out, set them up, and eventually clean or pack them all away. But if it starts feeling complicated or things aren't "just-so," know the important thing, which is that somewhere, deep down, you are creating special little core memories over time, not just for you, but for your kid. And when they are all grown up, they will reflect and remember these fun times they had with you camping in their own backyard, and they will want to do it for their future family one day, too.
Without further ado, here's what I recommend to make a fun camping experience in your own backyard.
The Things You Need for a Fun, Backyard Camping Experience with Kids:
Snacks: Bring all the goodies! Popcorn, fruit, chips, juices, hot dogs, veggie skewers, hot cocoa or lemonade, and the key camping treat: marshmallows or s'more supplies. Whatever items you normally have on a real camping trip are still fun to have around to make your backyard camping trip feel authentic.
Fire pit or campfire: Depending on your yard space, it's best to use a fire pit rather than building a real fire. We don't want your backyard camping trip to turn into a visit from the local Fire Department.
Lights: Ah, yes, let's not forget some lighting details to set the mood. Also, kids like lights so they won't feel spooked at night. Whether it's hoisting up a simple strand of string lights, bringing out the flashlights that are supposed to be just in case for power outages, or actually hauling out head lamps and lanterns for camping, make sure to add some shine and sparkle outside. If you happen to have glow sticks around, you can add those in for a glow-stick dance party!
Cozy bedding: Whether you have sleeping bags or just use lots of blankets, pillows, and cushions from inside your home, make sure to create a nice, warm nest to snuggle in.
Snacks: Did I mention those? I feel like all camping is is setting things up and eating outdoors. Bring on the snacks!
For Those With Itty Bitty Camping Spaces
If you are concerned your outdoor space is just too small, I hear you. We live in California, and unfortunately, our outdoor space is a small concrete patio, which I have tried my best to modify with faux turf rugs so my child has something that feels like a yard. Surprisingly, I was able to set up a 4-person tent with plenty of room to move around, our camping lawn chairs, and our fire pit! But even if your space feels extra small or you don't have a tent, I encourage you to get creative and craft your own cozy spot with a diy tent or canopy. Your kids will still feel the mini adventure vibes.
Activities for Backyard Camping
There are a lot of activities you would do for a real camping trip that you can still do in your own backyard. Here are some ideas for making it a fun experience:
Nature Scavenger Hunt: Grab a pair of binoculars and a magnifying glass to see all of the wildlife and critters you can find in your own backyard.
Games: Play flashlight tag, water gun fights for hot days, hide and seek, ring toss or cornhole, ride bikes, or simple card games like Memory or Go Fish.
DIY Crafts: Channel your inner hippie with rock painting, leaf and flower collages, flower crowns, or necklaces.
Make it a Party: Invite friends or neighbors over to play during the day, or make it an outdoor camping cookout around the fire at night! Even if sleepovers aren't a thing for your family, you can invite people to stop by and join in on the fun.
Sing Along: For musical campers, you can play a guitar or ukulele around the campfire. Or, just crank your favorite tunes to sing along. You can create guessing games by humming songs and trying to guess what they are.
Storytelling: Read or share spooky or funny stories around the campfire.
Stargazing: For the night owls, make sure to look up. Even in big cities, you can still glimpse a few stars and constellations before drifting off to sleep.
Lastly, The Gear I Recommend:
The following items are direct links to items I personally own and have enjoyed using. My family camps often so these items have become a part of our collection of gear. If you decide to click on these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Do not feel like you have to buy things to create your own fun camping experience! These are just items I use and like, which may be fun or helpful for you:
Final thoughts:
All in all, we hope this gives you a fun, occasional ritual you can do from your very own home. It's an idea you can pull out for those times when life feels busy and you'd like to slow down a bit. Or, for when you'd like to go somewhere but perhaps don't have the time or finances to splurge really getting out. Either way, we hope this will bring a little adventure right to you. Happy camping!
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