Nice Backyard Campout is Easy on the Budget

A back yard campout can be a lot of fun for the whole family and it won't cost you much at all. You'll have the opportunity to mix, mingle and interact with family members and not be stuck in front of the TV all night. Just make sure the TV doesn't come along on the campout with you.

You can put up a tent or pop up camper in the back yard and it won't cost you anything for an overnight permit. Not only will you have a cheap campsite for the night but you'll have a chance to check out all the camping gear before you head out for a longer camping trip with the family. You can do your cooking on a bar-b-q grill or on the camp stove. To make things easier why not make up a couple of picnic dishes ahead of time and then not have to do as much cooking in the back yard.

If you have younger children they always enjoy getting involved in a treasure hunt. This will keep them occupied for quite a while and if everyone is focused on something similar it will be easier to watch over them. What to look for? Kids always like to look for bugs. Be sure to warn them about any dangerous bugs that might show up in your area. Ask them to hunt for birds or animals in the yard and make a list of what they see.

Do you remember playing hide-and-seek when you were a kid? That was always a lot of fun and took up lots of time. Tag is another simple game that uses up a bunch of energy and has a lot of variations.

If the kids are a little older and there is more than one family involved they might be interested in baseball or soccer. If you have basketball nets then the kids can burn up a lot of energy on the courts. Many families will spend some time around the table with their favorite board games and this will usually help to bring everyone together for a little conversation. How about these games? monopoly, Parcheesi or checkers. Those games will keep them occupied for quite a long time.

You'll have the option of using nice clean bathrooms in your own home and there will be plenty of other resources close at hand if you need them. Later in the evening you could consider taking everybody out to the local ice cream shop with help from all of the money you were able to save by staying closer to home.