Ideas For Camping Fun At Home

According to the June 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, their summer vacation guide has more fun ideas than the most dedicated camp counselor.  Below are some of the ideas from that article:

1. Backyard Camp out - Kids love pitching a tent no matter where it lands.  Set up your own or jury-rig a  pup using a sheet stretched over a rope tied between two trees, with rocks t hold the corners.  If local laws allow, add some fire.  Now you're ready to sing campfire songs and play flashlight tag. 
2. Drive-In Movie - No matter how old you are, outdoor films are a treat.  The easiest arrangement is with a laptop, projector, and either PC-powered speakers or an adapter that plays music thought your car radio.  Set up the projector on a table or on the roof of your car, stretch a white sheet over your garage doors, then show the movie while the kids are sitting in the car and chowing down on popcorn.  If you have a station wagon, turn the car around so that kids can stretch out in the back, or borrow a friend's pickup and spread blankets on the bed.

3. Make Your Won Mini Golf - For kids, building their own course is almost as much fun as the game.  Use whatever materials you have handy.  Make a ramp form loose bricks and aluminum siding; lay an old pipe or a roll of wire on its side from a tunnel.  Create water hazards by burying plastic buckets ad filling them with water.  Stick flowerpots in holes marked by sticks with paper flags to catch the balls. (Don't want to dig? stakes or tipped and weighted plastic cups are fine targets.) Young kids might do better with croquet mallets and balls, but older kids can use regular golf clubs and balls.