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How to Camp in Your Backyard

June 26, 2020 in At Home 0

We’re thrilled our friend Laura Prietto had fun taking her kids camping with a few of our favorite products for the summer. Grill? Check! S’more supplies? Check! The best part is she didn’t have to pack a car full of gear and drive to some distant campground to give her kids a special outdoor experience. Camp was right out the back door.

“The beauty of camping in your backyard is that it’s all of the fun and not a lot of the stress,” Laura said. “At the end of the night, we easily washed all of the dishes in our sink, and the kids could take a bath in the tub as usual before heading back out to the tent with their flashlights to read stories before bed.”

If you love the idea of tents, grilled food, and a little stargazing with all the comforts of home, we’ll show you how Laura put together the most laid-back camping trip ever.

1. Pitch a Tent

Even if the kids decide at the last minute that they’d rather sleep inside, they can still experience a little nighttime stargazing.

"The kids loved seeing the moon and looking for stars once it was dark."

Laura
Photo: @_laura_prietto

2. Plan Easy Camp Activities

There are lots of simple yard games you can add to your camp that don’t require much effort. Water balloon tosses, relay races, bean bag toss, or rock painting all work.

3. Skip the Cooler

Make trays of veggies and fruit ahead of time for healthy snacking throughout the day. If you use trays with a cooling insert, you don’t have to keep unpacking a cooler or making frequent trips to the fridge.

"We began the afternoon by enjoying a veggie platter, fruit tray, and sliced watermelon while playing games like frisbee and ring toss."

Laura
Photo: @_laura_prietto

4. Fire Up the Patio Grill

You don’t need a backyard fire pit or space for a campfire to enjoy campfire cooking. A patio grill works just as well for grilled hot dogs and roasting marshmallows. Open flames still give you camp vibes. And, using extra-long sticks let your kids participate while still keeping their hands away from the flames.
Photo: @_laura_prietto

5. Pour Drinks for Mom and Dad

Backyard camping is mostly for the kids, but Mom and Dad should be able to relax, too!

Photo: @_laura_prietto

6. Dessert for Breakfast

To keep the camping vibes going the next morning, Laura made paleo pancakes on the patio grill using mini cast iron skillets. She topped them with ice cream because this is summer camp, and house rules don’t apply! See her recipe below.

"We decided to top [our pancakes] with ice cream because it's summer and why the heck not? We ate right out of the pan, making clean up a breeze.”

Laura
Photo: @_laura_prietto

Laura's Camp Out Paleo Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 eggs
  • fresh or frozen berries (optional)
  • vanilla extract (optional)
  1. Smash the banana with a fork in a bowl.
  2. Add the eggs into the bowl and mix.
  3. Stir in fresh or frozen berries and a small amount of vanilla extract.
  4. Coat a small cast iron skillet with a thin layer of olive oil and place on medium heat. When the skillet is hot pour in 1 cup (250 mL) of the pancake mixture. 
  5. Let the pancake cook until several air bubbles start popping and then flip it to cook the other side.  
  6. Once the pancake is finished cooking, top it with syrup, nut butter, jam, or ice cream.
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