Camp Night, Without the Insect Bite

Camp Night, Without the Insect Bite

Danielle Padilla

In California, when our family wanted to spend time together, we would eat out at one of our usual spots in the city. We had outgrown the family fun centers and our single mother could not afford a family vacation on her own. When my family first moved to Utah and far from our usual city surroundings, I realized that nature is filled with a variety of activities a family can do to spend time together. During the summer, lots of families go fishing, camping, and hiking. In the winter, you can find the young and old speeding down the steepest hill on their sleds. However, planning a family camp can be stressful and expensive if you don't already own the necessary equipment. Coordinating schedules, asking for days off at work and delegating church responsibilities is like waiting for the planets to align to get the perfect outcome. So, why not use the nature in your backyard?

The girls' sleeping tent grounded in their living room

Many families find camping in their backyard a fun, affordable and easy-to-plan family trip. There is no need to reserve campground or carry a heavy propane stove for morning breakfast. Together, you can build the tent or spread a comfortable blanket over a patch of soft grass and lay under the stars. Not too long ago, my adorable nieces Aylen age 4 and Kiana age 1, camped in their very own living room. Dad set up the tent while the girls gathered their favorite stuffed animals and blankies.

Aylen, Kiana, and dad catching up on their daily adventures.

The girls were excited to play inside the tent and unzip, unbutton and untie every possible gadget they could find. The change of environment alone was entertaining as they rolled around in their sleeping bags and claimed their sleeping spot for the night. Together, the happy family of four told 

stories and caught up on updates from the 
week. Aylen told dad about her new adventures at karate and Kiana communicated to all that she wanted to watch a movie by waving around the remote control. Mom prepared triangle sandwiches as dad and the girls got started on the movie. Halfway through the movie, dad surprised everyone with a delicious snack and soon the air was filled with the buttery scent of freshly popped popcorn. Mom, dad, Aylen and Kiana were soon worn out from story telling and pillow fighting in the tent. Finally, it was time to turn off the flash light and tuck everyone in their sleeping bag.

A camping trip may be especially difficult to organize with young children and uncertain schedules. Using the resources in your own home like the backyard, the living room and even sleeping bags, can leave everlasting memories in the hearts of your young explorers. When I asked Aylen and Kiana's mom, what the girls enjoyed the most, without hesitation she said, “Just being together as a family, talking and storytelling.” It is the inexpensive things in this life that young children appreciate and with a little imagination, we can create an entirely new realm of adventures in our very own living room.