Summer is on the way, but we need to make it through Spring first. That means wind and rain can put a literal and metaphoric damper on plans. No need to fret, we have the perfect remedy for those stormy days and windy nights. Indoor camping is a fun (and weather free) alternative when plans change. Also, with the easy to use, colorful, soft, and fun ZippySack, making a bed wherever the kids decide to lay their head leaves the indoor camping option wide open. Here are 5 tips for the perfect indoor camping experience.
- Snacks
Every camping trip needs to have plenty of food to grub on. When you camp indoors and there is no fire to roast on, it is time to get creative with our snacks. Of course, there are always the easy snacks to choose, like popcorn, trail mix, and potato chips. Well, mix it up and make popchipmix balls. Just like popcorn balls, but add some crumbled kettle cooked potato chips and some trail mix and use some deliciously sweet honey to glue it all together. It’s a sweet and salty snack everyone will love!
Also, S’mores are a staple of any camping adventure, but with no campfire for roasting, it makes things difficult. But, you can easily make S’mores in the microwave. Stack the ingredients on a microwave safe plate and nuke it for 10-second intervals until they reach the preferred gooeyness. Or try Oven Baked S’Mores that are super easy and crazy yummy. Experiment and see what else you can come up with!
- Faux Fort
Indoor camping, just like outdoor camping, calls for appropriate shelter. You could easily pop a small tent in the living room and you have your sleeping quarters. But where is the fun in that? Make it into a fun building project. Gather some sheets, blankets, curtains, and anything else to put over your fort as a roof.
Also, with my nieces Pink Kitty ZippySack, we can have some color and cuteness added to our fort. Then round up some chairs, cushions, pillows and end tables for the support. Next, collect some shoes and other objects that can be used to weigh down the blankets and such. Now, supervising the kids, start building the fort big enough and cool enough for everyone camping in it. Teamwork is a beautiful thing!
- No TV, Gadgets, or Cells
When you go camping outdoors there isn’t usually any cell service or WiFi. Therefore, no need for gadgets on our indoor trip either. When you decide to camp indoors, it’s a great idea to ban any phones, tablets, TVs, gaming consoles, etc. It is time to get those imaginations working and be creative. Gather everyone up and tell some funny jokes. Make up a story about the Kitty ZippySack; what is her name, where did she come from, what adventures has she seen?
(A neat fact: The ZippySack does have a cool pocket for your remotes or phone; AFTER the camping trip is over though!) Learn some new, interactive songs and teach everyone their part and let those lungs rip. Find some fun card or board games or come up with your own. Duck, Duck, Goose is a personal favorite of mine! When nighttime creeps in, it is time to turn off the lights and tell those scary stories we all heard growing up. My siblings and I heard stories of La Lorona, so check her out. It is always a great story to leave the kids with at the end of the night!
- Faux Campfire
An outdoor camping trip calls for a campfire, well since that is out of the question for our indoor escapade, we have to be creative once again. We can make a faux campfire for our indoor campsite as well. Use some solar lights or LED lamps for the base. Cover the lights with sheer red, yellow, or orange (or all three) scarves to create a warm ambient glow. We can even cut out flames from construction paper to put around the base of our faux campfire.
Making fake rocks for the border is as easy as crumpled balls of newspaper or brown construction paper. The options are endless really. If you have some pine-scented candles or room spray hanging around the house, why not give a faux forest scent in the room? It is all coming together nicely, don’t you think?
- Bedtime
Once the fort is built, snacks devoured, games played, songs sung, stories told, and fire has burned down (turned off) it is time for bed. Of course, sleeping on the hard ground when camping outdoors is the usual, but we are INDOORS now. Use small air mattresses or body pillows for beds.
My niece uses her pink Kitty Zippy Sack as a snuggly blanket/sleeping bag to sleep in. It fits around the air mattress with fitted pockets perfectly. It stays in place and there is no kicking or rolling around trying to get the blanket straight. It also zips on one side to keep it snug like a roomy sleeping bag. And, Oh My Goodness, it is so incredibly soft! Made with super soft washable fleece, even I fall asleep when I lay in it. It’s so easy to make up the bed too, just flip the cover back up and zip it, you are all done! I recommend it for any indoor camping trip and every nap or siesta in between.
Well, there you have it. These are some awesome tips for a perfect indoor camping experience. It is a perfect chance to make memories, be creative, and enjoy the simple things in life. With the softness of the Zippy Sack to comfort you to sleep, the busyness of the day will be appreciated. So, as much fun as outdoor camping is, we can just as easily make an indoor camping trip memorable and completely a one of a kind experience for the whole family. So, load up, head to the living room, and get to camping!!!
With camping on the mind and summer in full swing, a lot of kids are heading to summer camp. So, planning for indoor camping is a lot like planning for summer camp too. If you want some tips on packing for summer camp, read my article “5 Summer Camp Packing Tips for Kids.” It is a great go-to list for what you need to be sure the kids are ready for anything!
This post was made possible by ZippySack and written by me. All opinions and statements are 100% my own.
