Children and teens alike love summer camps. You can turn your garden, porch, or spare bedroom into a play camp this summer. If you wish you could go to summer camp or wish you could stay longer, or if your relatives are visiting and you want to camp out, use these ideas to set up a camp at home.
Porch Camp
If available, a screened-in porch makes a fine summer camping spot. Use a couch or a cot for the bed and make it up with sheets and a blanket or quilt. Decorate the porch with camping gear and give it a camp atmosphere. String a clothesline across the room for hanging up swimming suits and beach towels.
Add a small table for meals. Cover it with a red and white checkered cloth. Keep your food items in an ice chest and or a picnic basket. Set up a nice place to enjoy lunch each day during your camp days. Keep things tidy and swept. A fan is great to keep the porch cool. Wear camp-style clothes and use camping plates and straws for cold drinks—plan outdoor games and nature hikes.
Garden Camp
Camping in the garden can be near as fun as camping by the lake or in a state park. You’ll need to set up a small tent. Choose a flat spot, preferably under a shade tree, to keep the tent cooler.
Meals can be cooked indoors and brought outside to eat at a picnic table or a small card table. Arrange lawn chairs around your camping spot. Perhaps you can plan a cookout with fire if your parents can join you for a hot dog roast. Keep cold soda or lemonade in an ice chest.
Remember bug spray and a jar with a lid to capture fireflies in. A butterfly net is fun for catching butterflies. Plan some daytime games and crafts to keep you busy. One activity could be swimming or wading in a plastic wading pool or playing in the sprinkler.
Take along a flashlight and also a pillow and a sleeping bag if you plan to stay overnight.
Spare Room (Indoor) Camping
Spare room camp can be set up in a guest room, extra bedroom, or even in a family room or an attic room. Try to make the room have a camp cabin feeling by stacking some good books for reading on a table. Make a place to sleep. If the room is large enough and the tent small enough, you can set up a pop-up tent inside. Add some pillows and blankets, a flashlight, and some camp snack foods.
Plan walks or bike rides outside unless you have to stay inside. If so, plan “hikes” to other rooms as if they were far off places or mountaintops to hike on. Call one area or room in the woods. Plan crafts and other leisure activities for your camping trips – such as leather craft, knot tying, beading, or art projects.
Eat out on the porch steps or on a blanket spread in the yard. How about popsicles, freezing your own ice cream, serving shaved ice, or making root beer floats to add to camp fun?
Wherever you choose to set up your camp, make a camp sign. Make up a name and logo for your camp. Write a camp song and a list of camp rules. Appoint a counsellor and leader each day. Wear a camp hat and a whistle around your neck. Carry supplies and bottled water and snacks in a backpack.
Camp at home in your own garden or in a spare room or out on a screened porch. Camping activities can be fun with cousins, siblings, or friends or even alone if you set them up and plan fun food and camping activities.
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