Pitching a tent in your backyard is an enjoyable way to shake up your routine and introduce your children or grandchildren to camping. The best part? Indoor plumbing is only a short walk away!

Set up camp

• Run a power cord from your home to pump up an air mattress and sleep under the glow of string lights
• If you don’t have camping gear, you could clip sheets to a rope suspended between two trees and weigh the sheets down on the ends with bricks or rocks.
• A waterproof tarp will keep you dry whether you use your regular pillow and sheets or a sleeping bag.
• Citronella candles will help keep the bugs away.

Have some fun

• Try playing some lawn games, such as backyard scrabble and Jumbo Jenga®, before dinner.
• Sing songs around the fire or tell kid-friendly spooky stories.

Eat and enjoy

• Roast hot dogs over a campfire and make delicious s’mores for dessert, or mix things up with a campfire potato salad.
• Fill a cooler with ice and some of your favorite drinks, or make ice cream sodas, to help keep you refreshed and hydrated.

The next morning, have a breakfast of easy overnight oats.