What better way to spend a summer evening than to host a children's camping party outdoors! Popular among adventurous children campers, or for newcomers to the camping scene, a summer camping party is the perfect way to experience the outdoors and have all the comfort and safeties of home.
Invitations
It's an evening of camping and you're invited! A Camping theme party is bound to generate enthusiasm from children who will revel in the concept of being "away from home." Of course with adult supervision… Be sure your invitation informs children and parents of items they will need to be. i.e. Sleeping Bag, Pillow, Change of Clothes, snacks to share with others. The more detailed you can be about the evening's festivities, the better.
Have a cookout!
There's nothing quite like roasting marshmallows and hot dogs over an open fire. Before you start digging a fire pit in your backyard, you may want to check with your fire station and see if this is legal. Remember, the idea here is the camping can be as realistic as possible without having to be at a campground. Having said that, a Barbecue is just as effective (and faster to cook things too!)
Some food ideas to include are:
Hot dogs, Hamburgers, Beans, Chile, Corn on the Cob, Sausages on a Stick (Could be pre-made hot dogs and serve on camping sticks if desired) Trail mix, Marshmallows, Smores (an easy microwave able treat, take 2 marshmallows place them into the microwave for 15-30 seconds, careful, microwave times may vary, drizzle melted chocolate chips onto the graham cracker/marshmallow sandwich) Popcorn, Hot Chocolate.
What to do:
A campfire is the ideal addition to any Camping Party. Again, if creating a campfire is not a possibility, consider having a makeshift fire. Pick a spot on your lawn. Place a Lawn light (something like a Noma Moon light) in the center of the area, and then have children gather around. Placing blankets, pillows and giving children flashlights is just like the real thing!
Camping Trip is a good campfire game. One child can start the game by saying, "I'm going on a camping trip, and I'm bringing ______." The next child will repeat what the first child says, and the process goes on, challenging the children's memory, and having a lot of fun in the process.
Consider having a scavenger hunt. Depending on the size of the group, children can play in teams and look for certain things that are on a pre-made list. The list itself could include nature things such as dandelions or things "placed" in and around the "site" by a supervisor. First team or child to find all or most of the items wins a prize.
A great way to challenge children's creativity is to have them take turns adding to the same story. You'll be surprised what imaginations children have!
Accommodations:
Ideally your camping party would include having children sleep in tents. If the weather or spacing is an issue, consider pitching a couple tents in your basement. Creating indoor tents is a matter of using blankets/sheets and chairs. Boys in one tent, girls in the other. Periodically throughout the night, you may want to check on the children to ensure they feel safe sleeping outdoors (exciting for older children, could be too scary for the youngsters) and they are having a great time.
