Just the smell of being out in the woods makes my heart happy! Our family loves to go camping, but because of the pandemic, we have had to miss out on two camping trips. We weren't going to let that get us down though!
Instead, we brought the camping trip into our home!
We got the whole family involved in our camping at home idea. It turned into a weekend to remember!
Here's how we did it:
Step 1: Pick a campsite
We talked about what camping sites are our favorites and why. My family picked our local Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts because they love the jumping pillow, mini-golf, swimming areas, and riding their bikes.
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Step 2: Build a tent
The tent is the first thing that makes it feel like camping! You can put up an actual camping tent in your living room, build one with blankets, or make fun DIY mini tents, like we did. You can even make a campfire out of construction paper to put outside the tent!
Step 3: Camping snacks
There are always some special treats that we get when we head out on a camping trip, including s'mores. I asked my boys to tell me their favorite sweet and savory snacks and I picked those up at the store along with some burgers and hot dogs for grilling.
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Step 4: Get crafty
Think about why the campsite you chose is your favorite. Decorate a sign with the camp name on it, make a fun activity that you do there, or just draw something that you love about camping and share it with your family.
Step 5: Play some family games
When we go camping we try to get away from the devices and bring board games, card games, and lawn games. We had some fun, family competition playing corn hole and Uno!
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Step 6: Tell a campfire story
Ghost stories can be too scary for the little ones, so we like to mix it up with the one sentence campfire story game. We pass the flashlight to shine up on your face, and each person tells one sentence of a story and then passes the flashlight. With each pass, the next person adds a sentence to the story. It can get pretty wacky and fun!
We had so much fun as a family camping at home, and I hope we created memorable moments that our kids will cherish!
Mary Campbell is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Lodi, Calif.
This story originally appeared in Macaroni Kid Family Travel. Sign up today for Macaroni Kid Family Travel to receive offers family-friendly travel ideas, reviews, and tips each month.
