Published: July 20, 2008 12:14 am         

Adventures in your own backyard

I was recently helping my daughter put away some of her new books and magazines when I came across a Ranger Rick magazine.

I remembered having read those when I was her age, and I glanced inside and found an article about backyard campouts. These types of campouts sounded like a good idea for kids or just about anyone who loves being outdoors.

I remember being about 6 when we started camping out in our yard for birthday parties. We would leave the TV and Atari video games behind and get back to basics.

We could stay up late and catch fireflies, tell stories and see all the stars in the sky. Our yard was big enough for us, at our age, to explore for hours. We would find all kinds and bugs and try to figure out what they were, or just make up crazy names for them.

We could pretend to be in a wild jungle or that we were back in the age of dinosaurs. Nighttime would bring the adventures of guessing what the names of stars were or telling each other about the shape of constellations we could see in the night sky. You could almost see the man in the moon some nights, or at least that is what we thought. We would try to figure out if the moon was made of cheese.

Flashlights were a must and they made excellent light sabers to battle with our Star Wars adventures. It was always fun to turn the lights on in the driveway and play basketball at night too. Backyard camping was more to us than just sleeping in our tent in the backyard, it was a new adventure each time we did it.

I think a backyard campout is a good idea, especially if you have young kids. You can buy a small tent and sleeping bags that are relatively inexpensive. All you need to get is a small economical flashlight for each kid and you’re set for a little outdoor adventure. Just turn off your cell phone, TV and computer and enjoy some time with each other.

Remember to get the little hand held games away from your kids too. It’s not about staying connected to the world, it’s about staying connected to your family and friends. You can watch the birds and check out the rest of the wildlife in your yard. If you are in town and can’t build a campfire, you can simply use a few candles to roast marshmallows and make smores outside your tent. Let your kid’s imagination loose and explore your yard.

The convenience of having your home just a few steps away is great for drinks, snacks or those late night bathroom breaks. Your kitchen sink or outside water faucet comes in handy for filling up squirt guns to beat the heat with a water battle. You might be surprised how much fun it can be for all.

There are all kinds of nature books you can borrow from the library or purchase at the local bookstore to help figure out what some of the things in your backyard are. The National Wildlife Federation website (www.nwf.org) has tips about games, songs and other stuff, too. Backyard campouts are an affordable family get away we can all use. Give it a try — it might just be the little vacation your family needs for a wonderful summer adventure.

John Newcom is a Logansport resident and an outdoor enthusiast. He can be reached through the sports department at (574) 732-5113.