It is always good to expose your children to something new, especially when they are young. In an age where most kids are hooked on video games, TV, and computers, parents need to know how to turn their attention to a fun activity the whole family can do together. Camping in tents with young children is a smart way to introduce your children to the great outdoors and, at the same time, a fun bonding activity for everyone in the family.

Of course, when you’re just immersing your child in the idea of ​​camping in a tent, you don’t have to immediately go on a long camping trip. You can set up a small campsite in your backyard, just to give you an idea of ​​how outdoor sleeping works. Children, no matter how old they are, can be very imaginative, and you probably won’t run out of ways to motivate them to try camping in a tent instead of staying indoors with the TV or computer on.

A fun motivation for the kids would be to pitch the tent together. This teaches them how valuable teamwork is and how following directions can get the job done in less time. Assign a task for each child, such as putting up tent poles, securing stakes, and more. If you like, you can give each child an individual tent, such as those made for just one person, or they can all stay together in a larger tent.

Have plenty of snacks on hand. Let your kids choose what kinds of food they would like to bring on their backyard camping trip. If you plan to camp overnight, you can build a small fire, following fire safety precautions. Use your fire pit to roast marshmallows, make smores, or even pretend cooking with camping cookware.

As bedtime approaches, telling stories and singing songs are classic campfire activities for the family. Provide each child with a blanket to sleep on and apply mosquito repellant as needed.

Be creative with the activities you want to do with your children. Teach them how to be responsible and how to clean and organize while camping. Let your kids associate your backyard tent as something they’d like to do again. This is a great way to prepare them for a real camping trip. Very soon, you and the rest of the clan may be on your way to camping in the great outdoors.