With everyone’s travel plans on hold for this Easter Long Weekend, now is the time to get creative with the kids and have some fun in your own backyard. Here are some ideas to get you going.
Happy Easter Everyone!
Pitch a tent – or something else!
To get that backyard (or even frontyard) campsite heading in the right direction you’ll want to set the scene… and there is an option to suit everyone! You can set up the caravan / camper trailer, pitch your tent, or if you don’t have one of those options you can easily set up your own DIY backyard tent by running a rope between two trees then laying a sheet or blanket over it.
Be sure to make it feel cosy and fun with lots of plush blankets and cushions! For the DIY tent, make sure you also pop a tarp down underneath to prevent any moisture from coming through.
Light it up
Setting up lighting is both practical and a way to add a bit of magic to your backyard landscape. You can get lamps, lanterns, and fairy lights to create a magical garden kingdom. Then have those torches on hand for night-time activities and to really set the camping scene.
Explore the yard
Your own backyard is filled with many interesting and educational things. You can arrange an “expedition” and have your little explorers write down different types of insects, plants, flowers and trees in the yard. A magnifying glass or binoculars are sure to add an element of fun to your adventure! They can even collect specimens of different leaves and flowers in a paper bag or bucket.
Nature collage & crafts
Now that you have an array of interesting garden artefacts, you can make a collage to commemorate the occasion by gluing these items to a piece of paper or coloured card. Get creative and make any sort of craft experience – you can even use the items to create shapes of animals and bring in additional supplies such as pipe cleaners and googly eyes.
If you feel like getting a bit creative yourself then plan ahead and create a mini treasure map for your own backyard! This is sure to be a hit and you can lead the children around the yard with clever clues, or you can create the classic “X marks the spot” style of map.
Outdoor games
This is a great time to utilise the backyard for some outdoor recreation. You can always bring the boardgames outside but there are lots of great outdoor activities too!
There are family favourites such as backyard cricket, soccer and frisbee or you can make some fun and simple games like beanbag toss.
Tell “campfire” stories
Even without a campfire, storytelling is a classic camping activity. Spooky stories are always a hoot but tread lightly because you still want to the kids to sleep at night… maybe keep this for the big kids and you can create some theatrics with a torch shining under your chin – you’ll have them hanging on your every word.
For the younger ones you can tell any sort of story – read from a book or if you feel creative, ask them to create characters that you can then weave into a story just for them. Encourage them to get involved and they may even want to make up and share some of their own tales.
Singalongs
Everyone loves a family singalong! A guitar, harmonica, or tambourine can turn any family into a camping choir. There’s a reason this has been a camping favourite for a long time!
Belt out some classics, learn some new songs, or even make up your own.
Stargazing
They don’t call it “sleeping under the stars” for nothing. Now we know that the night sky doesn’t put on the same star show in the city as it does when you camp out, but this doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy its beauty. Get comfy and lay down in the yard – you can gaze at the moon and stars, and with good phone connection you can even get some apps to help you identify the stars that you see and learn more about them.
Backyard movie night
If you have a projector at home then why not set up an outdoor movie. Just string up a white bedsheet as a screen and pick a family favourite to watch (perhaps a classic camping themed movie such as The Parent Trap, RV (Runaway Vacation), Heavyweights, Meatballs, or Scooby-Doo: Camp Scare.
Get grilling
If you’re in the backyard already then you might as well fire up the grill. Whether it’s BBQ glazed chops, hotdogs, burgers, kebab sticks, or whatever takes your fancy; get that charred, smokey flavour for a little taste of the great outdoors.
S’more ideas
Some more camping classics are of course… S’MORES! There are some nice and easy twists on the classic s’more that don’t even require a campfire. Just pop into the kitchen if you want to make these sticky and sweet home camping treats. Try Flame-Free S’mores or S’more “Campfire” Cones.
