This year, our family started a tradition of doing a family night once a week. It’s a time to unplug, connect with each other and have a little fun. We have enjoyed a multitude of things from special meals to prepare together to trying new board games. It doesn’t always fall on the same night – sometimes it’s Fridays, other times we make a special date for the weekend.
Our winter blues have set in a little. Our RV trailer is sitting parked sadly right across from our kitchen window. Frequently, we have been talking about getting out camping again and when the weather is going to warm up enough. I mentioned to the kids that we could instead camp in the living room, and they were all for this.
Planning our Camp In
To plan our camp in, we made a super scientific chart (thanks Sid the Science Kid). We wrote a row for “things to eat”, “things to wear”, “things to do”, “where to sleep”. Together we decided what to write in each square. For things to eat, we agreed to make tinfoil meals, S’more bars and roast marshmallows. For things to wear, we decided our pajamas would be appropriate attire. For things to do, we wanted to play Guess Who, and Dominos. For where to sleep, we decided we would pull the mattresses from the kid’s rooms into the living room and use the play tents we got for Christmas to camp out in. This involved lots of warm fuzzy blankets and of course, all our stuffed animal friends.
Tin Foil Meals
Tin foil meals are a cinch to prepare in advance then throw on the fire for camping. They work equally as well in the oven or on the BBQ. Provide a few choices of vegetable (asparagus, zucchini, carrots, celery, onion, peppers), add a bit of protein and then a little sauce (teryaki, soy sauce or a little olive oil with a dash of garlic salt). Roast for 10-15 minutes (check them before taking out to ensure everything is cooked).
S’more Bars
When I mentioned our Family Night In to Mel from MommyDo, she said, “You’ve gotta make the Betty Crocker S’more Bars“. She’s not wrong. These are seriously good, addicting, and delicious. The recipe is a cinch and takes about 15-20 minutes.
Roasting Marshmallows
We used the Fireplace for Your Home show on Netflix to “roast” marshmallows from the sofa. We used pretzel sticks and mini marshmallows and pretended to roast them. The kids thought this was a complete hoot – don’t forget to say things like, “Oh no yours is on fire”, “I like my marshmallows a little more golden then that”, “did you just drop your marshmallow?”, “are you sure you’re close enough?”
Tucking Into Bed
We dragged out the single & crib mattresses to the living room for the kids to lie on. They used our play tents we got from Christmas from Grandma. If you have a small dome tent, you could also pitch it inside. Grab a few blankets and friends. Happy trails.
a passionate recreation coordinator by day, crazy farm mama of two by night. i live outdoors: growing my own food, camping and hiking with my border collie with two active kids in tow. when I’m not writing, I’m experimenting with recipes, and crafts – or anything else that might keep the monkeys entertained.
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