I am not sure what type of vacation plans you had arranged for this summer but chances are you are rearranging.  June is looking as if we might all need to get creative and plan something fun and exciting at home.  You and your family have been home a great deal these past couple of months so you ask…. “What can we do that is different?”

I am speaking from personal experience when I share this idea. My family has been living this fun every weekend for the past month. We have been using this as a weekend getaway but you can use however you see fit. Come Friday and here is our camping plan, which has already produced lifelong memories.

CAMPFIRE WITH S’MORES

We can’t go camping without producing S’mores for our children.  So we build a small fire in our fire pit and get right to roasting marshmallows. It is not only fun to eat these amazing nuggets of chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers but the joy in setting up is part of the fun. My boys love hunting for the perfect roasting stick. They love building the fire layer by layer with insight of the mechanics of creating a good fire and watching it come to life.

BBQ

Cook your meals outside on your BBQ or on your campfire. Think about roasting veggies, hotdogs, hamburgers, potatoes, etc.

TENT:

We pop up our family tent for four and make sure that we have the necessities for a warm and cozy night’s sleep. We have our air mattress, sleeping bags, pillows, lantern, deck of cards, water bottle and snacks. We normally spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday night sleeping in our haven under the beautiful stars. You don’t need a tent to sleep under the stars as you can sleep out in the open or you can get creative and build a blanket fort of some nature.

MOVIE:

Our family loves our already established routine of a Friday night movie. Each of us enjoys rotating who gets to pick out the movie for that week. We then project a family movie onto the side of the garage in our backyard. We have our lawn chairs, blankets as well as our favorite snacks and beverages. Our cats are able to join in on the fun, which doesn’t normally happen on a typical camping trip.

MAKE YOUR OWN LAKE:

We don’t have a lake in our backyard but we do have a hot tub or a raft that makes a perfect pool for children when filled with water. My boys get their goggles on and go for either option for hours of fun. We also are a huge fan of running through the sprinklers and playing in mud.  We have designated an area of our backyard where our boys can dig away with their muddy selves.

MAKE YOUR OWN WILD ANIMALS:

Need to see some animals from the wilderness? Draw some animals, cut them out and tape them up in your backyard. Or you can use chalk and draw them on fences and sidewalks. Speaking of wild animals, this opportunity has given us insight on what our cats do outside in the middle of the night.

HANG LIGHTS:

What an awesome opportunity to hang some strands of lights that you have stored somewhere.

CAMPING ACTIVITIES:

Campfire Stories:

Reading books to the children or telling stories around the fire.

Scavenger Hunt:

Set up a scavenger hunt in your yard and spend time not only finding these objects but also noticing the beauty of plants and small creatures that exist unnoticed sometimes.

Insect, Bird or Plant Journal:

Inspect your surroundings carefully and find some interesting nature life. Make a note in your journal with details on what you see. Take a photo or draw a picture yourself.

Maps:

Make a map of the layout of your yard and draw in sidewalks, trees, garden areas and structures.

Active Games:

Enjoy a game of family tag, kick the can, ghost in the graveyard, capture the flag or duck duck goose.

Board Games:

The possibilities are endless here. Bring out your board and card games.

Need a more specific suggestion? Email me at [email protected]

Be well. Best, Jhoneé

 Jhoneé Fillmore, Owner, Missplaced Organizing / thedavenportcompany.com/missplaced