Family Activities on the Deck: Camping
Camping: Enjoying Fall Together
It’s hard to squeeze in everything you’d like to do with your kids in the summer, but your back deck provides weekend vacation opportunities all year long. If you haven’t taken the kids camping yet, a safe and easy way to start would be in your own backyard.
Fall is the perfect season for introducing your kids to camping. There are fewer bugs, stars shine brighter through the cooler atmosphere, and it’s not too hot to be sitting around a nice fire.
Use your outdoor deck space to rig up a tent, much like kids do in their rooms. Your kids will love redecorating the deck with lightweight comforters, hanging blankets, pulling deck chair cushions onto the floor, and covering them with sleeping bags. Try draping a sheet on a tree branch, getting a projector, and watching movies outside! Show them your camping gear, and teach them how to use and care for the equipment suitable to their ages.
If there is room, you can simulate a campfire by placing chairs, pillows, or small stools around a tabletop portable grill, set on the deck floor. Use this camping opportunity to teach them or remind them about fire-safety. Have the kids “find” branches in the yard (you can place them there ahead of time) and roast hot dogs and marshmallows in the twilight. Take turns telling each other ghost stories, sing campfire songs, and make a game of listening for birds and other critters. Make some camping treats by the fire and teach them how to make the perfect Smore! Even homework is more fun when curled up by the fire or in a sleeping bag outside. From afternoon set-up to breakfast the next morning, you’ll be creating lasting memories of your children’s first camping experience.
You’ll want to make sure the deck is nice and clean before you and your children eat and sleep there. DeckMAX® products are safe, effective, and environmentally friendly. For more information on the application process, check out some DeckMAX videos.
And for more Pin-spiration check out the DeckMAX Pinterest boards for loads of more ideas on how to make your backyard camping experience awesome!
