Turning Your Backyard Into a Summer Camp
School’s out for the summer, and you might be wondering what you’re going to do to keep the kids occupied and happy for the next few months. Summer camps book up fast, and if you don’t have a spot reserved already, you may be out of luck. You might even start wondering how you can start a summer camp for kids, yourself!
Fortunately, even if you don’t have your kids signed up for summer camp, yet, you can still give them the experience of a camp at home! This can be a great idea if you’re looking for a fun way to spend the summer with your kids, or if a few families get together to multiply the fun. Regardless of which direction you go, here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Plan Team-Building Activities
One of the best parts of camp is meeting and having fun with all your fellow campers! You can capture that same spirit at home. A good place to start is by naming your camp. Brainstorm ideas and come up with a name that everyone can support. Having a great name really makes everyone feel as if they’re a part of something special.
You can also create camp flags, t-shirts, and anything else that you think will elevate the experience for the kids.
Once you’ve set up your camp, it’s time to try some team-building activities. These will help everyone feel more comfortable with one another and set the tone for the fun you’re going to have. Some great ideas include a team obstacle course, a scavenger hunt, a game of dodgeball, a trivia game, and much more.
Try to think of activities that will get the kids working together towards a common goal, rather than competing with one another.
Come Up With Camp-Like Art Projects
One of the most fun parts of summer camp for kids is doing arts and crafts projects, and you can do a lot of these at home! Break out the markers, crayons, construction paper, glue, glitter, paint, and anything else you can think of and start making some crafts.
Some fun and simple ideas include painting rocks with camp-themed designs, filling water pistols with paint and spraying a canvas to create art, tie-dyeing t-shirts, making bird feeders with pine cones, and drawing giant murals with sidewalk chalk.
Play Camp Games
There are lots of great games that kids can play in the backyard to make it feel just like summer camp. Frisbee, outdoor checkers, giant tic tac toe, ring toss, and much more. You can even get truly adventurous and put together a water balloon fight — at your own risk, of course!
Have a Bonfire, Tell Stories and Sing Songs
Nothing makes for a better camp experience than having a campfire, and your backyard may be the perfect place to do it! Before you do, be sure to check local laws and regulations to see if this is allowed. If it’s not, you can still sit around on rocks or logs outside and still get most of the experience.
Put together some campfire snacks (marshmallows, popcorn, etc.) and sing some of your favourite camp songs. You might even want to change a few of the lyrics to better suit your situation or just to make everyone laugh. Take turns singing songs, telling stories, or playing word games. It’s a great way to celebrate outdoors!
Looking for a break from the backyard this summer, or out of summer camp ideas? Jumbaloo Playgrounds is a safe and fun environment where children can play, get physical activity, and have a great time. Call us today at 905-785-3990 or book your family’s visit online, today!
