Tips for a Simple Summer Staycation: BACKYARD CAMPING

Summer is a wonderful time for making memories with kids, but sometimes hitting the road for an exotic locale isn't possible. But don't fret... camping is a fantastic way to do something fun as a family, and you don't even have to leave home. Check out my tips (below) for planning a simple "backyard camping" summer staycation.

First, you are going camping supplies. We went to Walmart where I was able to get everything I needed for our camping adventure at everyday low prices.

Of course, our biggest purchase was a new tent. Our old tent was way too small for my husband and I and our growing boys, but our new 8 person tent has plenty of room for all of us. It was easy to put up too!

A fire pit is also a good investment. Nothing says "camping" like sitting around a campfire, and basic fire pits are pretty inexpensive.

My boys love s'mores, so for our camping adventure, I set up a decadent s'mores bar. I purchased lots of marshmallows and a variety of cookie and chocolate choices.

I also purchased a package of baby wipes because s'mores can be pretty messy!

My boys had a wonderful time coming up with new and delicious s'more combinations.

I even designed a little sign for our s'mores bar. You can download it (for free) by: right-clicking on the picture below, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8X10 photo. I printed mine for $0.39 at my local copy store and displayed it in an inexpensive black frame.

I also picked up some backyard games to keep the boys busy.

And when it got dark, we watched an outdoor movie. 

Our night ended with everyone piling into our tent for a good night's sleep. We stocked up on Energizer® flashlights and lighting solutions to keep everyone safe in the dark. We purchased a wonderful Energizer® lantern and Energizer® Vision Headlights for every member of our family so no one would have any trouble finding their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

A night of backyard camping is a wonderful way to spend a warm summer night. My boys still have their tent set up, and are having a great time playing board games and reading in it during the day.

Have you tried this simple staycation idea with your family? With the right supplies, it can be an enormous amount of fun. Enjoy!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I was given a gift card to purchase products to be used on our backyard campout. Although I was compensated for promoting the #EnergizeYourSummer campaign, all opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.