With such busy lives, sometimes we just need to stay close to home and
have a blast while doing it.
Most of the activities
listed can be done in your own backyard or in your neighborhood…no backyard
required.
Camping, in any form,
provides families with a fun alternative for creating long-lasting memories,
new traditions, while saving time and money.
Plus, it helps foster a healthy development of family bonds. With summer
here, the temperatures will be perfect for a day or nighttime adventure. Remember,
the camping adventure can come to a halt at a specified time…it doesn’t always
mean sleeping outside all night. Some
kids enjoy the adventure for a few hours and return to their familiar bedroom for
sleeping.
Here’s just a sampling
of some of the benefits:
- Not
as time consuming -
Camping in your backyard is not time consuming. Preparing for your ''trip'' and
getting to your campsite takes less time than traveling to a campsite away from
home.
- Money-saving - In terms of family finances, it is a less
expensive option than your usual camping trip, as you don't have to purchase
all the additional travel supplies, because you are staying close to your home.
- Proximity
to home - You can enjoy full
benefits of stocked fridge and indoor plumbing. Being relatively close to your
clean bathroom is particularly handy, especially for small kids.
- Security - Your kids may feel more secure staying in
your neighborhood versus the unknown area and wildlife of a strange camping
place.
With these activities, every camp out will be a winner whether you use your own
backyard or explore your neighborhood:
1. Set up a play tent
or a real one if you own one
Supply the kids
with a tent to retreat to with items such as books, stuffed
animals and games. A deck of cards and a board game will keep the kids entertained, while at the same time teach them some basic
skills such as counting, colors and letters.
2. Build a Fort outside or indoors
Create an outdoor fort
with cushions, blankets and sheets, clothesline, branches or other items. Use
your imagination. Your fantasy fort can be a tree house, a blanket fort, a cushion castle, a fairy house or a teepee. Children are all about creating these tiny little private
getaways. Such activities will teach younger children about construction,
engineering and sustainability.
3. Explore your yard or your neighborhood
Go on an "exploration" of the area to discover the many
different types of insects, plants, flowers and trees in the yard. An age
appropriate book on birds, insects, plants or animals will surely excite any
tiny explorer. A magnifying glass or binoculars are sure to add an element of
fun to your adventure. One mom went on a neighborhood community walk and gave
the kids specific things to find.
4. Make a nature collage
Give each child a bag
or bucket. During the exploration of your backyard or neighborhood, encourage
the kids to collect interesting and odd things. When the exploration is over,
engage the kids in an art activity involving the collection. Use glue to adhere items to a piece of cardboard or paper. Use
the items to create different animals and creatures using additional supplies
such as pipe cleaners, google eyes, pebbles, sticks, pine cones and
feathers. This can be a map of your family adventure.
5. Organize a treasure hunt
It is important to
plan ahead for activities such as this one. Create a treasure hunt for the children with clues that will
lead them around the yard and to a final payoff. Each clue can be geared
to a nature reference, family activity reference (swing set, garage, flowerbed,
etc.), or possibly as a treasure map complete with numbered paces, geographical
direction, and an "X" to mark the spot! (You can download treasure
maps from the Internet.) Search on Google for treasure maps for kids. You can
download blank ones to use here.
6. Play backyard bingo
Create or print
out outdoor themed bingo cards from
the internet. Engage the family to travel or look around the yard to find
the objects on their cards. The first camper to find all of the items on
their card wins a prize. This activity can be adjusted for younger campers with
the use of pictures in place of or in addition to the written words. Find printable cards here.
7. Tell Campfire Stories
Before you call it a
night, either create campfire using a fire pit, or even battery-operated candles
and tell some scary – but not too scary – stories. One family member can start the story and then go around so that each person adds content to the story. Check out froddo for lots of family fun camping ideas.