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10 Creative Backyard Camping Ideas for Mini Explorers

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

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Who needs to pack up the whole family for an outdoor excursion when you can create a kid-friendly campsite in your very own backyard?

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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Exploring Your Great Backyard

The great outdoors is only feet away, and kids can be the ultimate explorers without heading far from home. Simply set up camp right behind your home, and let them create their own adventure.

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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DIY Kids' Tent

This little tent can go anywhere! Build this small-scale tent frame with a simple garden trellis cut to your desired size. Then, connect the two pieces at the top with hinges to create an A-frame. Drape a colorful flat sheet on top, then when it's time to pack up camp, just fold it up for easy storage.

Let the kids put their own stamp on backyard camp by adding colorful pillows, garlands and stuffed animals into the mix. Add a little nighttime sparkle with solar lights and LED strings.

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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Let Them Make It Their Own

Let the kids put their own stamp on their camp setup by adding colorful pillows, garlands and stuffed animals into the mix. Add a little nighttime sparkle with solar lights and LED strings.

Bring out easy to move stools to create kid-size coffee tables. Perfect for keeping games and snacks off the ground!

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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Create Easy Decor

Bring out portable stools to create kid-sized coffee tables. They're perfect for keeping games and snacks off the ground.

Kiddos can scout out the yard all day long with these cute, easy to make paper binoculars.

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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Explorer Binoculars

Kids can scout out the yard all day long with these cute, easy-to-make explorer binoculars.

Get the How-To Instructions

Photo: Tomas Espinoza, Flynnside Out Productions

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Handmade Sleep Pods

Create a custom, comfy sleep pod by connecting a few colorful pillowcases. They're great for outdoor camping or indoor sleepovers with friends.

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No camping adventure is complete without some creative sing-alongs. Don’t forget to include a few musical instruments so they can get a jam session going!

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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Make Some Music

No camping adventure is complete without some creative sing-alongs. Don't forget to include a few musical instruments so the kids can get a jam session going.

Let kids create their own journey sticks using colorful paints, yarns and tapes. As they find interesting and inspiring items like feathers, flowers and rocks, they can tie it to their stick to help document their adventures.

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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Journey Sticks

Let kids create their own journey sticks using colorful paint, yarn and tape. As they find interesting and inspiring items like feathers, flowers and rocks, they can tie them to their stick to help document their adventures.

Hang these simple lanterns off shepherd’s hooks to create a soft glow at night. Punch holes in cans or cardboard cylinders then add battery powered LED candles.

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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No-Flame Lanterns

Hang these simple lanterns off shepherd's hooks to create a soft glow at night. Punch holes in cans or cardboard cylinders, then add battery-powered LED candles.

These easy to make paracord citronella infused bracelets will help keep the pesky mosquitos off your kiddos

Photo: Flynnside Out Productions

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"Go Away, Mosquito" Bracelet

These easy-to-make, citronella-infused paracord bracelets will help keep pesky mosquitos off your kiddos.

Get the How-To Instructions

Photo: Tomas Espinoza, Flynnside Out Productions

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Color Scavenger Hunt

Send kids on an "I Spy" adventure with this color scavenger hunt. Have them search for things that match the color on their sheets, then add it to their bags. (Within reason, of course!)

Print Out the Scavenger Hunt Game

10 Creative Backyard Camping Ideas for Mini Explorers

Exploring Your Great Backyard

DIY Kids' Tent

Let Them Make It Their Own

Create Easy Decor

Explorer Binoculars

Handmade Sleep Pods

Make Some Music

Journey Sticks

No-Flame Lanterns

"Go Away, Mosquito" Bracelet

Color Scavenger Hunt

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