Ghost stories by flashlight may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but probably brought many a backyard campout to an early end. A special time with the kids or grandkids can produce a lifetime of good, happy memories with just a little planning and very little expense.
Start the backyard activities early in the day, maybe with a basic peanut butter and jelly lunch, then let the kids help with the setup of their campsite. Let them help choose where the tent will be set up, and any other outdoor items, such as a badminton net, cornhole boards or maybe the croquet game. Table and chairs may need to be set up, also, and letting the kids participate in the decisions might keep them engaged in all of the activities. Don’t forget a cooler full of ice, and just plain cold water may prove to be the most popular drink!
The backyard shelter may be as simple or as elaborate as you choose and can either include a tent purchased from the store, or the kids’ own creation. Look ahead to the weather forecast, and have a backup plan just in case the weatherman misses his guess!
As long as the weather is favorable and bugs are not an issue, building a teepee with a few poles, some rope and some old sheets or other large pieces of cloth can bring out everyone’s creativity and imagination. An inexpensive painter’s drop cloth from your home improvement store is also an option. Spread the cloth out on tables or just on the ground, and let the kids use markers to decorate it with “outdoors” pictures, such as the sun, moon, clouds, stars, trees and animals. Lash about five poles together, each 6 feet long, with quarter-inch rope. If you have time to do a little preparation before the kids get started, drill a hole through each pole about 10 inches from the top and run the rope through, then stand the poles up, spread them apart into the teepee shape, and wrap the rope around several times and tie it off securely. Put the covering on and use clamps to hold it in place.
While playing yard games is fun and can expend a lot of the children’s energy, making simple crafts is another idea to make the campout more than their typical sleepover, and a craft to keep is a memory made. Your local hobby store will have a number of craft kits for children. One idea is to let each child make a decorative leather souvenir. Keep it simple by instructing each child to make essentially the same craft, but with a different design that is unique to each of them. A 4-inch, round piece of leather becomes a coaster for their drink. A long rectangular piece becomes a book marker, or perhaps a key fob.
Another project that is fun for kids in the backyard is painting their own T-shirt. Perhaps you could give your “camp” a name, and the kids could put the camp name and their name on the shirt, then add any other additional design ideas that they have, such as pictures of their favorite sporting equipment, outdoor scenes, Bible verses or friends’ names. Each child could add his or her name to the other’s shirts. Purchase plain T-shirts and wash them once beforehand, so they will not shrink after they are painted. Be sure to place a piece of cardboard inside the shirt so the surface will be nice and flat, and so the paint will not bleed to the other side of the T-shirt. Fabric paint is available at your local hobby supply store.
As the evening approaches, move toward the evening meal, and let the kids participate in the preparation. Of course, hot dogs can be made on the grill, but each child can cook their own at the end of a slightly sharpened stick or a straightened coat hanger. Another individual serving meal is foil packs. Cut up the vegetables beforehand and let the kids choose what goes into their piece of foil. About a quarter of a piece of corn-on-the-cob is a good choice, as are pieces of carrots and potatoes. Let the kids add their own spices (with your supervision, of course). Most of the time, this is done with ground meat, but for kids, why not use wieners instead?
As the day wears down, it is time for the s’mores to come out. One simple variation from traditional s’mores is to use a fudge-covered cookie instead of the graham cracker and chocolate. Just cook the marshmallow over the fire, place it between two cookies, and you have an almost instant dessert.
It’s time to crawl into the tent (or teepee). Instead of the ghost story, how about reading a children’s book to end the event? Now, sleep tight! It’s been a full day of fun!
Sources:
1. Personalcreations.com.
2. Goodhousekeeping.com.
3. Youtube.com/c/ElktracksStudio.
4. Wikihow.com/paint-a-t-shirt.
Written by Bill Smith
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