Rainbow mat $39.99 | Outdoor pillows $29.99 | Franks Campfire sticks $6.99
I love waking up listening to the bird’s chirp and the loons call as the sun rises to signal a new day. Starting the day with the sounds of nature, rather than a screen or an alarm is always a welcomed occasion.
If you’re looking for a fun activity with the family this summer, I cannot recommend backyard camping enough. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it holds so many opportunities for great memories to be made. After all, you never know what adventures await, right outside your backdoor!
Yellow boho throw blanket $99.99 | Sun Hat $49.99 | Clever G & Tonic Mocktails $3.99 each
Let me start by saying - kids don’t need fancy. They don’t care about the curated Instagram life that we may strive for. All they want is you. They want to be seen, they want to be heard, they want Mom and Dad to take notice of all their new tricks, and they want to play. So, I highly suggest putting the phones away, and enjoying some sought after quality time with the family, right in your own backyard. We had so much fun playing together in the sun!
There are countless ways to enjoy a backyard staycation. We went all in this time and began the day by setting up the tent. This in itself is so exciting for the kids. We had lots of fun making our little nest cozy with all kinds of blankets and stuffed animals. I just let the kids have at it, and then, they played together in the tent for quite a long time! I find that bringing old toys into a new and exciting location always breathes new life into them.
To keep the kids from asking for screen time during the day, we set up plenty of fun activities in the backyard…After all, variety is the spice of life! And, like I said earlier, kids don’t need fancy. Don’t feel the need to go all out creating extravagant setups. A well-placed sprinkler, slip n slide, or obstacle course is more than enough to give the kids hours of entertainment.
We enjoyed lots of quieter activities as well. My kids love mostly everything in nature, so we were sure to take time to rummage through the wildflower garden to see what kind of little bug friends we could find and what new flowers were in bloom. Then, we picked every ripe tomato, pea and strawberry we could find in the veggie garden, and we enjoyed lounging in the sun and snacking.
Yellow boho throw blanket $99.99 | Sun Hat $49.99
For dinner, we committed to cooking over the fire. Nothing brings back summer memories like the smell of campfire in the air! And the kids love the sense of deep responsibility that comes with supervising their own hotdog while it roasts. And of course, we couldn't forget the marshmallows!
Franks Campfire sticks $6.99 | Dandies Vegan marshmallows $6.99
We lucked out, and it actually cooled down quite a bit for sleeping, which was wonderful. At the end of the day, the kids were wiped from a fun day spent in the sun. They fell asleep instantly, and I followed suit shortly after.
All in all, backyard camping was a big hit! It was so nice to have a camp-like experience without all the fuss of packing. And at the end of the day, we asked our son why he is always so happy, and he said "Because you fill me up with love!" Oh man, you fill me up with love too buddy!
We are truly blessed to spend our days with these incredible kids.
Rainbow mat $39.99 | Outdoor pillows $29.99
