Do you ever let your kids "camp" in your backyard?

[ruadisneyfan2]

Ds11 wants to do this. We are not into camping but the kids have a little 2 person tent that we got in Target a few years ago. It was a great price and I told him he could do it when he gets older.

I also have a ds14 but he doesn't want to sleep in the tent, loves his bed.

We live in the burbs in a very quiet, low-crime town, and our back yard is fenced in back and side (not our fence but 2 neighbors) and so many trees it's hard to grow grass so I know he wouldn't be exactly out in the open but still I worry.

He could always come in through the garage (PIN code keypad) if he wants to be inside during the night.

Is this crazy?

 

[mom2d&b]

our kids do this a few times every summer. The think it is cool. DS8 and
DD11 usually have a couple of friends stay with them. They bring half tgheir room outside with them. Once in a while I will wake up in the AM to find them all on the floor in the family room.

 

[herdtoDisney]

My kids do this once a year or so. I don't worry about them outside since I can hear everything because we have the windows open.

 

[Eliza32]

We do it in the UK too...had 3 tents and 7 people a few weeks ago..was great fun, we had a BBQ and did s'mores

 

[cntrygal]

LEt him invite a friend over and go for it. Have you thought about signing him up for Boy Scouts....sounds like it would be right up his alley.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks everyone! I mentioned it last year to a dad at karate while chatting about how kids want to camp and adults like a little more plush vacay. I was surprised when he said sure why not?

 

[huffjoann]

DH & DD (then 5) have done it 2x. They pitch the tent right off the patio and I keep the back light on. We aren't fully fenced in our yard but a low crime nice burbs area. I also keep the door unlocked when they do this in case a middle of the night need arises. I would say the biggest prob they might run across was a deer in the back yard, LOL

 

[fireflymedic]

Ds11 wants to do this. We are not into camping but the kids have a little 2 person tent that we got in Target a few years ago. It was a great price and I told him he could do it when he gets older.

I also have a ds14 but he doesn't want to sleep in the tent, loves his bed.

We live in the burbs in a very quiet, low-crime town, and our back yard is fenced in back and side (not our fence but 2 neighbors) and so many trees it's hard to grow grass so I know he wouldn't be exactly out in the open but still I worry.

He could always come in through the garage (PIN code keypad) if he wants to be inside during the night.

Is this crazy?

My kids did this last night, only problim is there 4 and 5 so want me to be with thim. Got up thismorning and needed a nap, man the ground is hard.

If your in a low crime area I would let thim, If you are realy concerned give thim one of those air horns to honk if any thing goes wrong.

 

[tzolkin]

My kids "camp" inside throughout the winter (we set a smaller tent up in the playroom) so they really haven't asked to sleep in the yeard yet. We have a tipi set up in our yard in the summer, so we usually have a fire and hang out there but then go inside to sleep.

My oldest is 12 and honestly if the kids ask to sleep outside in the tent this summer I would let them and not be too worried. Our yard is fenced in, we know our neighbors, and we don't even lock our doors when we leave the house during the day.

 

[rodeo65]

Nope, but we live beside a forest and ravine where there are coyotes. They can "camp" in the basement.

 

[tigger51276]

My DD7 has been camping since she was 8 months old and DD2 has been since she was 10 months old. They love camping. We don't do it in our backyard but that is because we do enough of it all summer long including on trip that is two weeks long. We do not however sleep on the ground...lol. I'm not that hardcore. I have a metal foldable frame that fits a queen sized air matress into it and is quite comfy and my DD's sleep in pack n go's and cots. For the last 2 years my DD7 has even been sleeping in her own tent. It is set up next to mine, but she likes sleeping in it by herself.
If it's your own backyard and it's fenced in they I say let him go for it. Definitely let him invite a friend to share the experience as they will both most likely have a blast!

 

[rubato]

My 11 year old son camped in the backyard this weekend. We live in a kid friendly suburb. He had a friend over and they had a blast. We roasted hot dogs and made smores in our fire pit. I wasn't even remotely worried.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

OP here,
He did it this weekend and liked it but didn't sleep well. He texted me at 11 pm to check out something buzzing loudly near his tent.

All was fine but I don't think he'll be in a rush to do it again soon. We're not good at roughing it. He might even appreciate our next cruise that much more.