Backyard camping

What it is

Sleeping a few metres from your own back door sounds too tame to matter, and then a child wakes to birdsong in a tent and carries that morning as a framework for every camping trip afterwards. Backyard camping is disproportionate to its simplicity, which is exactly why it's the most accessible introduction to camping there is.

It's the activity of setting up a tent, sleeping bag, and basic camp kit in your own garden and spending a night, or part of one, outdoors. You get the genuine sensory experience of outdoor sleeping, the night sounds, the darkness, the open air, with the safety and proximity of home right there.

The magic is in the ritual: sleeping under different conditions, seeing the sky from horizontal, waking to morning light, and cooking a simple outdoor breakfast. For adults it's also practical, a chance to test new equipment, practise pitching a tent without urgency, and discover what the camping kit is missing before committing to a remote multi-day trip.

The biggest comfort variable is insulation underneath, not the tent itself. A good sleeping mat that stops cold ground pulling warmth out of you is worth more than any tent upgrade, a fact most first-timers learn the cold way.

How it works

Set up in the late afternoon, while there's still light to see what you're doing. Pitch the tent on the flattest, driest patch of grass, and insulate the floor with foam sleeping mats under the bags, because cold ground pulls warmth out of a sleeper faster than cold air does. If you're using airbeds, inflate them and test the pump before dark rather than discovering a fault at bedtime.

Prepare an outdoor cooking station, a small camping stove or a portable BBQ, for the food that makes the experience. Hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner, eggs and hot chocolate in the morning. Even boiling water for porridge feels different outdoors.

For children, build the excitement in stages. Set up the camp together, plan the menu, take a torch walk around the garden, then move into the tent after dark with torches for word games and stories before sleep. The proximity of the house removes all the risk while keeping the adventure intact.

If it rains, a good double-wall tent handles it, provided the inner and outer layers aren't touching, because contact channels water through to the inside. Move the sleeping bags away from the walls if they're touching.

Benefits

Outdoor Sleeping Experience Night Sky Connection Camping Skills Practice Nature Sounds and Air Children's First Outdoor Night Memorable Family Adventure

What you need

Here's what to gather before you start. The essentials are marked.

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Tent

Sleeping bags and mats

Torches

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Torch

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Camping stove or portable BBQ

Warm outdoor clothing

Backyard garden

FAQs

Is backyard camping actually worth doing versus just going inside?

Genuinely worth it, and it is the perfect low-stakes introduction to camping. You get the tent, the sleeping bags, the novelty of sleeping outside and the night sounds, but a warm bed and a real toilet are steps away if it all goes wrong at 2am. For nervous first-time campers, especially children, it is the ideal trial run that builds confidence for a real campsite later, with none of the risk of being stuck far from home.

What do I need to set it up?

A tent, sleeping bags, and ground mats, plus a torch and snacks. That is the essential kit. A groundsheet or the tent's built-in floor keeps damp out, and a sleeping mat or airbed makes the difference between a fun night and an aching back, because the ground is harder and colder than people expect. String up some lights, bring a few games or a deck of cards, and you have everything for the full experience.

Won't we freeze, or get eaten alive by insects?

Both are manageable with a little planning. The ground draws heat away faster than the air, so the cold usually comes from underneath, which is why a sleeping mat matters as much as a warm sleeping bag and an extra layer to sleep in. For insects, a tent with a zipped mesh door keeps most out, and citronella or a repellent helps in the evening. Avoid pitching right next to standing water, which is where the worst of the biting insects gather.

Can we cook outside, or keep it simple?

Either works, and simple is fine. Part of the fun is cooking outdoors (a barbecue, a camp stove, toasting marshmallows) but a backyard means you can also just bring food out from the kitchen. ⚠️ Never use a barbecue, disposable grill, or fuel-burning stove inside a tent or to heat it, even a cooling one, because they release carbon monoxide that is odourless and can be fatal in an enclosed space. Cook in the open air, well away from the tent, every time.

How do I keep kids settled overnight rather than running back inside immediately?

Build it up as an adventure and make the tent the cosy destination, not a punishment. Let them help pitch it, decorate it with lights, and choose the snacks and games, so it feels like their den. A few planned activities (stargazing, torch-lit stories, a night-time bug hunt) fill the exciting hours after dark. Expect some to bail inside, and that is fine; treat it as a relaxed experiment rather than a test everyone has to pass.