Fall is well and truly here, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is looking pretty delightful right now. But just because outdoor activities are put on hold, that doesn’t mean you have to stop taking the kids on weekend adventures – camping doesn’t have to be a summer-only experience. Grab a duvet and your coziest pair of pajamas, it’s time to bring the great outdoors, indoors!
Pillow Fort > Pop-up Tent
No outdoor camping trip is complete without a torrential downpour whilst you’re trying to put the tent up. The whole thing will be wet through before you’ve taken a step inside, and there is NOTHING worse than waking up to water dripping on your head. Of course, it may not rain, but why risk it? Trade the cold for comfort with your own indoor pillow fort! Gather together all of the blankets and pillows you can find, using light blankets for the roof, and more sturdy furnishings for the floor. The kids will love the excuse to rearrange the furniture – the bigger the better if you want to fit the whole family inside!
Fairy Lights > Fire Pit
You can’t start a fire in the middle of your lounge for obvious reasons, so opt instead for sparkling fairy lights. String them inside your pillow fort, branching out from the roof, or even bundle them up and make a DIY flameless fire pit to sit around and sing campfire songs. Granted, making s’mores is mildly more difficult with light than fire, but you’re indoors with an oven – what does it matter?
Delicious Dinner > Stodgy Snacks
Talking of food, one of the brilliant things about camping indoors is the food! Forget stodgy porridge and boring boil in the bag options, on this camping trip you can eat whatever you like! Cook everyone an easy, delicious dinner like these bonfire night baked potatoes and sit around the faux campfire, or stock up on popcorn and other snacks to watch a film in the pillow fort. Even a stack of pancakes for breakfast isn’t ruled out this time.
Board Games > Boredom
Having an indoor campout is a great excuse to switch off all of the electrical devices, and get the kids excited about doing something that isn’t watching TV. Cozy up at home and try doing all of the things you’d do if you really were camping. Think board games, card games, hang man or charades!
Clear Skies > Cloudy Skies
There’s something pretty magical about sleeping under the stars, but the weather won’t always be on your side. Don’t settle for the odd glimpse of the moon behind a cloud, bring the stars to you with a night sky projector. They range in standard, from basic children’s nightlight versions, to realistic planetarium projectors that show the night sky exactly as it looks outside. They make a soothing atmosphere for sleeping, or, if you’re clued up on constellations, do some star-gazing and take your children on a tour of the milky way!
Who said bedtime was boring?