Camping In The Family Room

It's inevitable. The early nights, the cold, and the snow tend to make the boys yearn for days of sun and play time at the park. There are a few indoor playgrounds near us, but you have to pay each time you go and they get crowded in the winter. With questionable cleanliness of the equipment (because what grown adult is really crawling through all the tubes and inflatables to clean them daily) and a ton of germs flying around, the indoor play areas are generally reserved for when I reach the point where I going to pull out my hair. Hubby came up with a great idea one night when the kids were wound up. My kids love camping, so one night we camped in the family room!

We moved the furniture so the sleeping bags could lay together in the middle of the room. The boys snuggled in their sleeping bags and watched a show while I popped some popcorn. Hubby found a large candle, placed it on the coffee table and the kids roasted s'mores over the candle.

After the kids finished their snacks, we turned down the lights and had a story telling contest. It was hilarious to hear the boys tell a "scary" story. First we each told a story and then on the next round, one person started the story and the next person continued it. The boys usually added in monsters.

The boys fell asleep and we later moved them to their beds. Everyone had a great time and the boys keep asking to camp inside again.

Camping inside is great if it is cold or hot outside. Plus, if it is in the summer, you will get to avoid all the bugs!