Two years ago, our family was invited to go camping with a group of ah-mazing people (mostly CC friends). Although neither Dan nor I have experience or knowledge relating to camping, we really wanted to participate. We reserved a site, and I checked out the book Camping for Dummies from the library. Now, I'm not opposed to occasionally taking on tasks that are typically considered masculine, but I didn't feel the need to take the lead on this one, so I put the book on Dan's desk and asked him to read it. Several weeks later, I received a notice that the book was due back at the library, and there it sat, still untouched.

"Are you going to read the Camping for Dummies book, or should I return it?" I asked.

"Oh! I forgot it was there. I'll read it."

I logged into my library account, renewed the book, and it sat there for another several weeks.

This game continued until the library wouldn't let me renew it anymore. I returned the book, still unread by either of us.

Between these shenanigans and the fact that we had found out we were expecting our fourth baby (woo-hoo!), I talked to Dan about pulling out from the camping trip. First, we really didn't have any business camping, and I was only half-kidding when I told people I was pretty sure we would die. Second, when I'm pregnant, I'm not even comfortable in my own bed, so I could only imagine how well I'd sleep on an air mattress on the ground.

As much as I wanted to go camping with this group of friends, I realized we needed to be honest with ourselves. We're not exactly "camping people," BUT we would like to be someday. So until the day comes that we are brave enough and have the time to adequately prepare ourselves, we'll stick with our annual backyard camp outs.

{5 Reasons to Have a Backyard Camp Out}

1. When you have little ones, backyard camp outs are a great way to gently introduce them to camping. They get to experience building a fire, making campfire food, and sleeping in a tent, all with the security of knowing that home is only a few feet away.
2. Although our version still requires a good deal of preparation, the amount of work involved is waaaay less than if you actually travel to a campsite.
3. You are much less likely to get an eaten by a bear, wolf, or other predator. Sure, the chance of getting eaten by a bear while legit camping is probably .0000000000000013%, but when you camp in your own backyard, the odds are even more in your favor! Comedian Jim Gaffigan has a lot of hilarious things to say about camping, but skip on over to about 2:47 for his thoughts on being eaten by a bear. (I was crying!)
4. You--the mom--don't have to spend the night in the tent! Someone has to stay in the air-conditioned house with the baby, right? You're just being a responsible parent. 😉 Even if you don't have a baby to get you off the hook, you can always declare that it's a father-son bonding experience, which brings me to my next point...
5. Backyard camp outs are fantastic ways to create amazing summer memories. Our boys look forward to our backyard camp out all year long, and one of them is guaranteed to announce, "This is the best backyard camp out EVER!"

{How to Have an Epic Backyard Camp Out}

Supplies:

• notebook and pencil (for nature walk, optional)
• tent
• lantern
• flashlights
• sleeping bags, pillows, and cuddle buddies
• air mattress (optional, but it makes sleeping outside much more comfortable)
• water bottles, 1 for each camper
• books
• firepit {optional, but highly encouraged}
• Sid's Backyard Camp Out DVD
• pie irons (ideally, two or more)
  Note: You can get them on Amazon, but I found them for a much better price at our local Fleet Farm. You will also need to make sure they are seasoned. This is kind of a pain to do, but once it's done, you won't have to do it again.
• Pudgie Pie ingredients: whole wheat bread, pizza sauce (I like the kind in a squeeze bottle), shredded mozzarella cheese, pizza seasoning (optional), and pizza toppings your family enjoys (I typically have turkey pepperoni, sausage, onions, and basil on hand)
• marshmallow roasting sticks
• s'more ingredients (graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows)
• Campire Colorants (optional, but awesome)
• warm pajamas, undershirts, and socks

How To:

1. Go for a nature walk. If we could have a redo of this year's backyard camp out, this is what we would do better. We live in a neighborhood with lots of houses on our street, so our nature walk was lacking, well, err, nature. We saw half of a squished rodent on the street (some neighbor kids showed us the other half a few yards away), a duck flying, a bird sitting on a rooftop, and we listened to some crickets. You guys, we didn't even see a dog. Next time, we'll spend the morning at a local nature reserve (we have some fantastic ones around here) and see some real nature!  If you want, you can have children brainstorm what kind of wildlife they expect to see on their nature walk. They can write or draw this is a notebook and check off the animals as they see them.
2. Set up the tent. Be sure to have your children help, so they can learn how to do it. They also just think this is really fun.
3. Make the tent cozy with sleeping bags, pillows, cuddle buddies, and books. Ideally, each child would also tuck a flashlight into his pillowcase, but our children manage to break/take-apart/lose any flashlights within a five-mile radius of them.
4. While my husband gets a fire going in the fire pit (something he doesn't want the littlest ones around for), I pop in our Sid's Backyard Camp Out DVD. Not only does this movie get the children out of harm's way, but it is also a great way to get them primed for their outdoor camping adventure! The DVD is great for talking about why we need to take care of nature, what we might expect to see outside, as well as some practical camping tips. My kids think it's hilarious how Gerald wants to bring practically his entire house. {Actually, I can relate to Gerald. That's pretty much what I carry around in my purse on a daily basis!}
5. While Dan is tending the fire, I help the boys make their Pudgie Pies.
   {a} Spray the inside of the pie irons with cooking spray.
   {b} Lay a piece of bread inside one and squirt a generous amount of pizza sauce on top. Spread it out a bit with the back of a spoon.
   {c} Allow your child to sprinkle on the cheese and any toppings he likes.
   {d} Cover with a second piece of bread, followed by the other half of the pie iron. Cinch closed. With a knife, cut off any bread that may be sticking out.
   {e} Stick the pie iron in the fire. After a couple of minutes, take it out of the fire and check it. It should start to look golden brown.
   {f} Flip it and cook for another minute or two. Check the other side. It's done when both sides are golden brown. Be careful not to let them burn!
   {g} Remove from the pie iron, allow to cool, and enjoy some cheesy goodness!

   

6. When the Pudgie Pies have been devoured, the fire has usually died down a bit, and it's time to roast some marshmallows for s'mores. If you don't have a firepit, don't despair! My friend Sumer at Grace, Giggles & Naptime has the cutest DIY instructions for Mini S'mores Pots for Kids!

   

7. When you're done making campfire food, stoke the fire to get it good and roaring, and toss in a Campfire Colorant. I bought these on a whim this year, and I'm so glad I did. Our fire was dying down when we threw it in, so it could have been even better, but we saw brilliant shades of green, blue, and purple in our campfire (in addition to the more typical colors, of course.) Very Harry Potter and very cool. (I took a couple pictures, but they didn't do it justice.) For you families who have a way of making everything educational (like us), it's also a great lead-in to a conversation about how various metals burn differently and how fireworks are colored. Caution: Be sure to throw the colorant on the fire after you're done cooking. You don't want metal ending up in your food!
8. Have your children change into some warm pajamas. Even though it's summer, the temperature drops quite a bit at night. I had the boys put on undershirts, their warm winter pajamas, and socks. I also had them take a few extra blankets into the tent, just in case.
9. When it's dark, have the little children go inside for bedtime and the older children snuggle into the tent with Daddy. (In our family, children can stay outside in the tent when they are three years or older. This year was Logan's first time in the tent, and was he ever excited!)
10. Read books until everyone in sleepy. Lights out!
11. Our children always wake early the morning after their backyard camp out. Dan tries to keep them outside until 6:00 AM, and I have a nice big hot breakfast waiting for my campers!

That's it! Someday (probably when our youngest is three or older), I really do hope to attempt a legit camping trip with our friends, but our backyard camp out will certainly tide us over in the meantime. Are you a camping family? What should we do/read/buy to be prepared?

{P.S. And the winner is...}

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my blogiversary giveaway! Congratulations to Lori @faithfamilyfridaynightlights! I will be contacting you via direct message to make arrangements for getting your prizes to you!