7 Backyard Camping Ideas for Kids

While older kids (tweens and up) are probably ready for a real campsite, children 7 and under may not be prepared to rough it. By sticking close to home, your kids can feel safe and secure, be within walking distance of a bathroom, and still enjoy a wonderful family bonding experience. In fact, there's no reason to limit your guest list to family: A backyard campout also makes for a terrific sleepover party or birthday celebration.

Before you run off to the local megastore to buy equipment, see what you already have in your house. Stephanie Ogozalek, an avid camper and a blogger at MommyPoppins.com, insists you won't need a lot of equipment if you're hitting the great outdoor patio. "Get a run-of-the-mill pop-up tent, sleeping bags or bedrolls, a backpack, and flashlights; that's really it," she says.

And make sure the kids pack and bring everything they would need for a real overnight trip. This means pajamas, a change of clothes, can't-live-without toys, a camera, books, etc. You can also include a compass, canteens, binoculars, drinks, snacks, and food to barbecue.

You could walk out the back door into the yard, but why do this when you can hike around the neighborhood? Put on your backpacks and head out to enjoy nature. (Parents, it's okay to "cheat" by leaving unwieldy items like the tent at home.) 

Are there nearby roads you've never walked down or a park you've never visited? Now is the time to explore them. If you have a compass or a map—or even a GPS on your phone —plot a course and see if your kids can navigate it. Pull out those binoculars and see which birds you can identify. Take nature samples by picking up leaves, flowers, or rocks to analyze later. Snap some photos. Just make sure to be back at your campsite (AKA your backyard) about an hour before sundown!

You may be exhausted from your journey, but there's work to be done. Make sure the kids help put up the tent (a pop-up shouldn't take more than a few minutes to mount), unroll sleeping bags, and set up the tent's interior. Try out your sleeping spots and check on the supplies. Do you have everything you need to spend the night? This is a good time to make one last trip inside for any necessities you may have forgotten. 

If you opted to barbecue or roast food, get the grill going or create a fire pit (for a super-authentic experience). An adult should always prep and monitor these stations carefully while the kids play.

Some families may decide to break the campout tradition by heading indoors for a traditional meal at the dining room table. If you do, make a rule: no television, no texting, no computers or other electronic distractions. If you choose to eat outdoors, you can pop into the house for real dishes and utensils (no need to add more plastic forks and plates to your local landfill) and then dine by the flames. Or illuminate your meal by creating a "campfire" of candles or flashlights (make sure to pack extra batteries.) No matter how you eat, remember that dinner should be bonding time. 

Ask the kids how they're enjoying their adventure with questions such as "What's your favorite part so far?" and "What are you looking forward to later?" Pick favorite songs for the time-honored tradition of singing around the campfire.

Looking for some backyard camping ideas to increase the fun factor? Consider trying out these activities: stargazing, a scavenger hunt, bug observation, lawn games, analyzing animal tracks, tie-dying shirts, and reading books by flashlight.

Kids love s'mores, so roast some in the kitchen or over an open campfire in your backyard. It's also a treat to tell ghost stories over flickering flames. If camping with older kids, 9 and up, read from Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories, which contains 14 horrifying stories that Dahl chose from over 749 tales. With younger kids, try titles like Woo! The Not-So-Scary Ghost or The Not-So-Scary Monster Handbook. Get creative and make up your own stories or take turns stringing together a tale that winds its way toward a terrifying (or tame) conclusion.

Don't bother trying to enforce a curfew. "Not a lot of sleeping happens, especially if you've got more than one kid in a tent," says Ogozalek. Expect lots of giggling and tossing and turning, but at some point, the kids will get tired. Challenge them to tough out the night in the tent instead of having them sleep in their own beds. Aim to keep them outside for as long as possible. If they're cold, grab another blanket. If the sleeping bags are uncomfortable, put a mattress or cot onto the patio. If they're scared of spooky shadows or strange sounds, remind them that Mom and Dad are right there to protect them.

If they insist on going back into the house, that's okay—a good night's sleep trumps the outdoor experience. Determine what's best for your child's well-being, as backyard camping shouldn't be miserable but memorable.

Raven Snook has written for Time Out New York, New York Magazine, The Village Voice, and TV Guide. She currently works at home in her pajamas for MommyPoppins.com, a local NYC events site for families.