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Camping in Your Backyard

Jul. 9 2020 Lifestyle By Camp Site RV

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Times have changed, but summer is still here and the kids are out of school and itching for some fun and excitement. If you find yourself reaching for activities to do that will bring some novelty into your lives, why not try camping in the backyard? You can easily turn a dull night into a thrilling adventure with a few supplies and some s’mores on the grill! It’ll be just like any RV getaway with the advantage of being close to home, low-maintenance and basically free.

Camp Site RV is your premier location for RV sales in Iowa. Here are some ways you can make camping in your backyard a night that your family will remember.

Gather Your Supplies

First, you’ll want to get all the necessary supplies together to have a fun and pleasant camping experience. It won’t take nearly as long since you will be right by your house if you need something, but try to get everything you need so that you can avoid going back in except for using the bathroom or dealing with an emergency.

Some of the supplies you’ll need are a grill (unless you have a fire pit you can cook over), charcoal and grilling tools, aluminum foil, plastic or paper plates, paper towels, a citronella candle, pillows and blankets, a tent or a tarp, sleeping bags, flashlights, board games, craft supplies (friendship bracelets, anyone?), food and water. It’s best if you leave your electronic devices in the house so that you can truly relax and spend time with your family.

Choose Your Sleeping Location

You have a few options when it comes to where to “camp.” If you do own a camper, you can opt to run the generator and camp inside it for a night, parked in your own backyard. Pull out the awning, set up your grill and your patio table, put fresh linens on the beds and you’re in business! You can always use the bathroom in the house to avoid dealing with the greywater and blackwater tanks. Staying in your camper overnight can feel like a vacation even if you don’t leave your driveway!

If you’d rather not deal with the camper, you can set up a tent with sleeping bags or an air mattress for your campsite. If you don’t own a tent, build one out of a clothesline strung between a few trees with a tarp thrown over the top. Put a waterproof tarp underneath it and then load it up with all the pillows and blankets from your house to make it extra-cozy. You can hang up a string of LED lights or a few garden lamps to add some ambiance, too, and ensure that people can see where they’re walking.

Cook Over The Fire

One of the best parts of camping is food that’s made over a fire. If you’ve got a fire pit, you can use it to toast your s’mores marshmallows and roast hot dogs or veggie kebabs. If not, set up your charcoal grill for preparing burgers, chicken, fish or grilled vegetables. You can wrap up foods in foil to prepare them or cook them right on the grill, and there are tons of recipes online for anything you can imagine. 

If you want to avoid cooking, then use the afternoon to prepare yourself a dinner picnic in a cooler with sandwiches, pasta salad, pickles, chips, cans of soda or juice boxes and fresh fruit. You can even make s’mores without a fire by melting chocolate chips and spreading marshmallow creme over graham crackers!

Plan Some Fun Activities

Camping isn’t camping without games and story-telling around the fire. Here are some options for things to do:

  • Plan a scavenger hunt by hiding items in the backyard during the afternoon for everyone to find with flashlights after dusk. 
  • Fill up water bottles and shoulder your backpacks for a hike through the neighborhood to spot birds and animals. Bring a camera to record everything you see and pack some plastic bags for gathering leaves and pinecones and flowers to press later on. 
  • Play a board game or a game like Telephone or Simon Says. 
  • Get out an acoustic guitar and some tambourines to sing songs around the fire.
  • Hold a flashlight up to your face and tell a scary story!
  • If it’s a clear night without too much light pollution, you can lay back on the grass and watch the stars, pointing out constellations and planets.

We hope we’ve given you a fun new way to camp this summer! Of course, you can always go out in your RV instead if you want more adventure, and we’re happy to help you get your camper tuned up and ready for your next trip. Just get in touch with our service department to schedule a maintenance appointment. Seeking camper dealers in Iowa? Browse our website to check out the vast selection of new and used RVs for sale at our Cresco dealership. Camp Site RV proudly serves the cities of Cedar Falls, IA; Rochester, MN; and La Crosse, WI.