Mom & Dad: Make Memories at Home! You Don't Have to Travel Far for Family Fun! by Katie Fulton

Our family decided for the holiday weekend we would travel about three hours away to go camping and hiking overnight. However, life happened (as it often does) and our plans were thwarted. Their dreams of roasting hot dogs, s'mores and "ghost" stories quickly faded. My husband and I quickly decided to make some memories here at home. We set up our fire pit in the front yard with our camping chairs around it. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows as the kids rode their bikes in our cul-de-sac into the twilight. 

As the sun descended behind the horizon we told "scary" stories that included princesses, knights and the Power Rangers. And as dusk gave way to dark and the fired faded we curled up in our sleeping bags in our tent in the backyard. We went around talking about best part of evening campout, and what to add next time. We didn't have to drive a hundred miles to make memories. We just had to take the time to invest in them! Here are some ideas for your own backyard adventures: 

• backyard campout
• fireside charades by the "campfire" or fire pit
• flashlight hide-n-seek 
• use flashlights as spotlights for karaoke

Your imagination is your guide as you make memories with your family!