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Go Camping in Your Backyard!

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The warmer weather and longer days offer the perfect time for the family to get outside and have some fun. For many parents, this means opening up their wallets to spend, spend, spend to achieve those magical summer memories. “On top of camps, eating out and pool passes, the day trips are killer in the summer,” Patricia Welling, Olathe mom, says. “There are so many fun places to go, but it really adds up. Summer is such a costly time.” But this doesn’t have to be the case! You can enjoy lots of fun, family activities right at home for little to no cost.

One of the most popular of those activities is camping in your backyard. “We have an annual summer campout in our backyard right before July 4th. We look forward to it every year. We cook out; we sleep in sleeping bags. It is a really special night, especially for the kids,” says Janet Burgess, Shawnee mom.

Camping in the backyard is an easy, cost-free activity the family can enjoy together. It involves much less hassle than traveling to a campsite, and children often are more comfortable camping in a place that is familiar. So how do you create this adventure without adding cost or creating unnecessary complications? Here are some tips for making the most of your night in the yard:

  1. If you don’t have a tent, no need to break the bank and buy one. You can create a fort out of sheets that will work just as well!
  2. Don’t forget the bug spray! Nothing ruins a fun time outside like bug bites. Just in general, remember to take precautions to keep everyone safe.
  3. Cooking outdoors adds to the fun. Grill, make s’mores or cook hot dogs over the fire—it all adds to the festive feeling of being outside together.
  4. Plan out your activities. Simply being outside will be exciting, but there is more to camping than just sleeping in the tent. Identify some yard games to play, go on a scavenger hunt or bring a deck of cards to keep your daylight hours occupied. “We always do a scavenger hunt when we camp out. We make a list of things in nature to find—the kids love it,” says Nancy Peters, Overland Park mom.
  5. Singing songs or telling stories are also fun ways to add to the outdoor atmosphere and don’t cost a thing. This is a great time to pass down the stories Mom or Dad learned at camp many years ago!
  6. When the sun goes down, a whole new world of entertainment options opens. Stargazing is a favorite pastime for campers. “This is the night our kids actually want to learn about the stars,” says Amy Hollis, Kansas City, MO, mom. Work with your kids to identify the constellations using a star guide or draw pictures together of the shapes you find in the sky. Flashlights can also provide fun in the dark. “We make shadow puppets, we play flashlight tag—it’s great,” says Becky Brooks, Overland Park.
  7. To help keep the parameters of the night clear for everyone, be sure to set some ground rules before you begin. Decide when it is and isn’t okay to go back in the house and keep everyone on the same page about electronics.

In addition to having fun, kids can learn valuable lessons from camping—even camping at home. Putting up the tent together requires and teaches teamwork. Starting a campfire and cooking outdoors can be a science lesson. Gazing at the stars and exploring nature in the backyard offers the opportunity to experience more of your environment. And, of course, no measure can be put on creating memories, laughing together and falling asleep as a family in a tent … that is just a short trip to your own indoor bathroom!

If you are interested in a camping trip a little farther from home, many great options are within driving distance of the Kansas City metro. Here are some family-friendly places to start:

  1. Smith’s Fork Campground in Smithville, MO
  2. Lewis and Clark State Park in Rushville, MO
  3. Perry Landing Campground and RV Park in Oskaloosa KS
  4. Lake Shawnee Campground in Topeka
  5. Oak Grove KOA in Oak Grove, MO
  6. Lake Jacomo in Lee’s Summit
  7. Camp Branch/Crows Creek Campground at Smithville Lake
  8. Atchison County Lake in Atchison, KS

Melissa Bellach is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three living in Overland Park.

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