Camping in your back garden can be a great idea for a number of reasons:
To prepare for a camping holiday later in the year. Ease reluctant youngsters into their first camping experience. To allow your kids to have a summer adventure with little hassle.
Not only is it really easy to arrange camping in the back garden for your children, it’s also incredibly cheap (especially if you already have the main equipment). If you’re planning to organise some back-garden camping for your kids and any of their friends, these are the most important things you’ll need.
A Decent Tent
It makes sense to wait until summer, or at least late spring, before allowing a campout. There should be less chance of any severe weather but even though your kids may want to build their own tent, it’s best to use a proper one. If you don’t have one, choose a tent with a big open area where all the kids will sleep together. Put it up with them, to teach about the importance of finding flat ground and so they enjoy the challenge of constructing a tent.
Some Kind of Cover
Even if it’s summer, there’s always a chance of rain in the UK. Don’t let this literally dampen your kids’ campout; instead work with them to create a bit of extra cover so there’s still room to play outside near the tent. This can be done with a quality tarpaulin sheet, attaching to any nearby trees, draping over the washing line or erecting some posts to extend the tent’s entrance.
Sleeping Stuff
You’ll want your kids to sleep at some point, so forming a comfortable environment is essential. Use sleeping bags to get them in the real swing of camping but don’t be afraid to take pillows and any extra blankets or even an air bed too. Or tell them to use their rolled-up jumpers for pillows if they want the true wild experience.
Food and Drink
Supervise any cooking over a fire or BBQ at all times, but let your kids have a go. Stick with campfire favourites such as burgers or sausages, not forgetting marshmallows to roast afterwards. When it’s time to go to bed ensure they all have a bottle of water for the night and maybe let them take in a midnight snack. After all, it’s supposed to be fun!
Games and Fun
Prepare a number of camping games for the day and evening. These can range from scavenger hunts that take in the whole garden, to those round the campfire like catch or ring toss and games in the tent such as charades or simply telling stories.
Personal Items
It’s advisable to let your kids still use the house toilet(s) but to properly prepare them they could brush their teeth outside near the tent, for example. Personal items should be gathered such as toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, spare clothes, a torch and sun cream if appropriate.
With all of these basic items and plans, you should be able to arrange a back-garden camping experience that your children will enjoy.
This is a collaborative post.
