Why is backyard camping so much harder than I thought?

Dec 161 min read

I set up a tent in our backyard last Saturday thinking it'd be an easy intro to camping for my 6yo before we attempt the real deal. Kid lasted maybe 45 minutes before complaining about the ground being hard, getting scared of shadows, asking why we weren't inside watching TV. My wife was laughing at me the whole time. We ended up going inside at 10pm. Should I just skip the backyard test run and go straight to a family campground where there's bathrooms and stuff? Or do I need to make this happen?

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Comments(10)

RRob K.RegularDec 16

45 minutes is actually normal for that age lol. The ground is lumpy, there's bugs, it's dark, the tent fabric is weird - backyard camping is weirdly harder than real camping because there's no novelty to make up for the discomfort. Try a sleeping bag on the grass in the house first?

NNate C.New DadDec 16

The real lesson here is that 45 mins in a tent is still a win. He tried, he communicated that he was uncomfortable, you listened. Next time he'll last longer just from knowing what to expect. Build on it gradually.

DDex J.New DadDec 17

Pro tip: do backyard camping on a night when they're already tired from something. Not fresh energy tired. We do ours after a full day at the pool and the kids actually stay in the tent.

PPaul M.RegularDec 17

Backyard camping is harder because there's no payoff. Real camping you're away from home and screens, the scenery is different, there's hiking or fishing or whatever. Backyard is just... uncomfortable. Skip to actual camping trips, honestly.

BBob G.RegularDec 17

Your 6yo was probably also overstimulated honestly. New environment, dark-ish, weird noises. The backyard thing can backfire. The actual trip might go better with a real campsite vibe and other campers around.

OOmar S.RegularDec 18

45 minutes lmaooo. Yeah the ground thing is real - even adults can't sleep on bare ground for long. Get a foam pad or air mattress for the actual camping trip, will save you so much grief

DDan W.RegularDec 17

Wait so is he not interested in the real camping trip now or is he still pumped?

GGreg W.RegularDec 18

Get him to help set up next time and let him pick out his own stuff - special pillow, whatever. Makes it his adventure instead of something being done to him. Also a headlamp makes it feel way more exciting.

RRussell D.RegularDec 19

This is why I moved straight to camping trips instead of doing the backyard thing first. For a 6yo the whole point is being OUT somewhere different, not just sleeping uncomfortably 50 feet from their bedroom.

DDante J.New DadDec 18

Honestly some kids just aren't camping kids yet and that's fine. Have a backup plan that doesn't involve forcing it. We waited til 8 with our daughter and it went way better than early attempts