Get Your Children Camping in The Garden

Camping in the Garden: The Perfect Way to Prepare Kids for Family Friendly Camping

If you’re planning your next family friendly camping holiday and wondering how your little ones will cope sleeping under canvas for the first time, there’s an easy and fun way to find out — try camping in the garden first! At Herding Hill Farm, we know that introducing children to the joys of the great outdoors is one of the most rewarding parts of family life. But for some kids, the idea of sleeping in a tent can be a bit daunting. That’s where garden camping comes in — a safe, exciting, and free way to ease them into the adventure before you head to a family campsite.

Introducing your children to family friendly camping doesn’t have to start with a long drive. You can enjoy garden camping near me without leaving your street! 

Why Camping in the Garden is a great idea 

Garden camping offers all the excitement of camping, but with the comfort of knowing you’re only a few steps from home. It’s the ideal low-pressure environment to help children build confidence sleeping outdoors and learn what to expect on a bigger camping trip. Here are just a few reasons why camping in the garden is the perfect warm-up for your next holiday:

• Familiar surroundings: Children feel safe knowing they’re close to home, so they’re more likely to relax and enjoy the experience
• A chance to practise: Pitching the tent, organising sleeping bags, and cooking on a small stove can all be tested out beforehand, you can also work out what you have forgotten
• Low cost: You can use a simple tent, sleeping bags, and things you already own
  
• Test the bedtime routine: If your children have never slept outside before, an overnight stay in the garden helps them get used to new sights, sounds, and temperatures
• Spark excitement: Sleeping outdoors — even if it’s only a few metres from the kitchen — is an adventure! Children will remember their “first campout” for years to come

From Garden Camping to Family Campsite 

Once your children have mastered camping in the garden, they’ll be ready for the real adventure — a stay at a welcoming family campsite like Herding Hill Farm. Our family friendly camping site is the perfect next step, offering spacious pitches, modern facilities, and plenty of activities nearby to keep children entertained. With hot showers, family bathrooms, a children’s play area, and even alpacas to meet, Herding Hill Farm is the ideal place to make camping memories that last a lifetime.

What child-friendly facilities are there at Herding Hill Farm?

• Campsite playground
• Ball field
• Campsite with farm animals
• Fire pits at our Dark Sky campsite
• Camping BBQ hire
• Stargazing kits for hire - teach younger family members about the constellations and famous dark skies of Northumberland. For more ideas check out our Herding Hill Farm is a child-friendly campsite blog article.

Top Tips for a Successful Garden Camping Adventure 

Whether you’re preparing for your first weekend away or simply want to create a fun family memory, here’s how to make camping in the garden a big hit:

1. Make it feel like the real thing 

Treat garden camping as a proper trip. Pack bags, roll out sleeping mats, and even cook dinner outdoors if you can. The more realistic you make it, the easier the transition will be when you visit a family campsite like Herding Hill Farm.  If they are old enough and you are comfortable with it why not let them sleep in their own tent, with adults in another to give them a taste of independence?

2. Involve the kids from the start 

Let your children help pitch the tent, choose where to put their sleeping bags, and plan the evening’s activities. The more involved they are, the more excited they’ll be. Why not pit them against each other in terms of who can assemble the poles quickest or blow up the air bed the fastest? 

3. Add fun activities and outdoor games

From stargazing and telling stories by torchlight to making s’mores and singing songs, these little touches make camping in the garden feel magical. Classic garden games, scavenger hunts, or bug-spotting adventures keep little campers entertained. Or what about some outdoor craft activities or face painting? Put away the electronic devices and bring out the board games – the old family favourites can bring young and old together. Why not teach the young ones some card games? 

4. Prepare for the weather 

Even though you’re close to home, treating garden camping like a real trip — with layers, sleeping bags, and waterproofs — helps children understand what to expect on a family friendly camping break. No sneaking back inside unless it’s really needed! Keeping to the “camping spirit” makes the experience of garden camping exciting.

5. Make your pitch look pretty and welcoming

Layer the beds with plenty of blankets, cushions and throws, get out the picnic rugs and camping chairs and decorate the garden with fairy lights and candles or solar lights. If you want to stargaze whilst camping near me make sure you keep the lighting low. Why not ask the children to make some pretty home-made bunting using colourful spare fabric and string to decorate the tent? Perhaps you could give them a theme to decorate each tent and award a prize for the best one?

6. Storytelling under the stars 

As darkness falls, use torches for shadow puppets, tell campfire stories, or do some stargazing. Encourage the children to use their imagination by making up stories and if you are musical why not bring out the guitar have a camp-fire sing-a-long? Some children might enjoy performing a play or a dance for their parents. Kids love spotting constellations and making up names for them (and Northumberland is a designated Dark Sky Park, so you can try the real thing on your next visit!). Read our blog on Stargazing for Kids in Northumberland for some hints and ideas. Herding Hill Farm is a dark sky campsite.

7. Make cooking an adventure

If you have a firepit or BBQ, why not enjoy burgers or hot dogs when garden camping? Otherwise, a picnic tea or sandwiches eaten in the tent feels special. Involve the children in the meal preparation and make sure you keep the fire or BBQ going long enough afterwards for the youngsters to enjoy marshmallows or s’mores (marshmallow sandwiched between chocolate coated biscuits such as digestives). Get the children to decorate the outdoor table with handmade centrepieces and colourful crockery.

8. Enjoy the outdoors at all times of day

Whether it is stargazing under clear dark skies, waking early to enjoy the sunrise and dawn chorus from the door of your tent or getting the children to serve you drinks and nibble whilst you watch the sunset, ensure that you benefit from the different times of the day whilst being outdoors at your very own family campsite. Get the children to identify the birds from their plumage or their call.

If you are stargazing make sure you allow your eyes the time to adjust to the dark skies and then the stars will appear. Avoid the use of white light from things such as mobile phones. Keep an eye out for the brightest “star” which may in fact be a planet. A mobile app such as Stellarium is a fun way to discover which star constellation or planet is which when camping near me.

Start your family camping journey today