Backyard Camping {getting in the spirit}

We're going camping next weekend, for the first time in a long time. And even then, we've only gone a couple other times with the kids. As a child, I camped with my family a lot. Usually on the beach in the Florida Keys, but all over the state and into the Georgia mountains some too. These are some of my very fondest childhood memories. With my girls now 9 and almost 6, it feels like they are the ideal ages to begin making new family-camping memories. So we pulled out our gear and took it for a "test run" on the back porch on the eve of the Autumn Equinox.

It was fun! We cooked dinner on the grill, and ate next to our tent as the sun set over the water behind our house. The girls roasted marshmallows over the hot coals for s'mores (of course). And then they watched a movie in their camp chairs, because, well we were just on the back deck... and daddy pushed the TV cabinet around to face out the sliding glass doors! After that, we slept in the tent, through the muggy, still Florida night. (I'm really hoping for a cooler, dry weekend.)

It was good to take stock and test out our gear... the air mattresses went flat in the night. We're missing a tarp. Batteries need replacing. My camp chair is the pits. So now we're re-stocking, and getting set for the real deal. The girls and I have been perusing The Down & Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids*... what a great resource! It offers gear checklists, camp grub recipes, outdoor recreation & camp craft ideas, smart tips, and more. The girls want to do it all... hiking, stargazing, wildlife watching, nature journaling, fishing, canoeing, and geocaching! With only a weekend trip planned, we'll see...

If you have any camping tips, gear suggestions (we need a camp stove),

or fun ideas for camping with kids, please share them here!

*After reading this book, I visited the author's blog, because I'm just curious like that. She had some good resources from the book under the "camp" tab, including her ultimate camp checklist and a recipe for apple pie s'mores! Plus, there was a fun list of the 11 Best Camp Books for Kids.