The sun is out, the skies are clear, and we are successfully rounding the bend of our first month of stay-at-home. While our current executive order “remains in effect until ended by the governor,” our recent coordination with California and Washington to reopen the West Coast might realistically mean at least another month of stay-at-home. Another month at this point might feel a little daunting. We are pretty sure we have aged 15 years and gained 15 pounds since…yesterday. And some of our sweatpants are starting to fit weird. And we haven’t really been the same since we watched Tiger King. But Oregonians, we got this!
As both public and private campgrounds are still currently closed, a burgeoning phenomenon has emerged on the national scene: Backyard camping. With temperatures rising and tempers fraying, outdoor sleepouts are gaining popularity. If you have a backyard, it can be an entertaining way to spend an evening “under the stars” with your kids. It can be done with varying levels of equipment/outdoor space/and kids of any age. Want to make a whole night of it? Set up some tents, download a star map, build a simple fire-pit, and roast some easy homemade marshmallows (recipe below). Want a simpler version? Build a fort inside with some stove-top smores and a few flashlights. There are any number of games, songs and activities that can be easily folded into an evening in the (not-so-great) outdoors! Depending on the age and inclination of your children, you might even get a night inside without them! Below are a few fun and easy things to incorporate into your backyard
Homemade marshmallows: https://homemaderecipes.com/marshmallow-recipes-kids/
Homemade graham crackers: https://playdatesparties.com/homemade-graham-crackers/
Kid’s campfire cooking activities: https://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-campfire-cooking.html
Easy-Build Backyard Fire Pit: https://www.thespruce.com/diy-backyard-fire-pits-4142011
Campfire Games: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/8-campfire-games-whole-family.html
https://thedyrt.com/magazine/lifestyle/5-campfire-games/
https://coolofthewild.com/campfire-games/
