Camp at Home this Holidays! Top Tips for Indoor Camping

The Easter holidays are upon us once again, but there’s no denying this year looks a little different than usual! To help us navigate our unexpected stay-at-home adventure we have a guest post from the team at the ‘Camp at Home Heroes’ initiative to give us some tips.

The initiative, launched by Let’s Go Caravan and Camping, is designed to allow parents and children to engage in fun activities at home and share these experiences via social media to engage with families all over Australia while camping from their homes.

Creating the ultimate at home camping adventure this Easter

While many of us would ordinarily be packing up the kids, the car, and our camping gear, in 2020 we are all following health guidelines and staying home for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staying home doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy an awesome camping trip though – it just means your holiday might look a little different than usual!

Depending on what gear you have on hand, your ‘camp at home’ could mean a tent in the backyard, a caravan in the driveway, or a homemade cubby in your living room!

Not only is this a fun and socially responsible activity, but it can also be beneficial for your whole family.

Did you know caravan and camping offers a whole host of benefits for both our physical and mental health? In these challenging times, we think these benefits are even more important than usual!

For example, Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s Real Richness Report examined the benefits of the caravan and camping lifestyle, and found that 95% of campers believe that camping reduces stress,
93% of campers believe it brings families closer together 
and 96% of campers believe camping can make you happier!

To get involved, visit the Let’s Go Caravan and Camping Facebook page for competitions and tips to camp at home and to share videos / images with the tag #holidayathome #homecamphero

And remember – the initiative is to be enjoyed with the people you live with, so make sure you don’t invite your friends or neighbours over to visit. Instead, send them your pictures or give them a virtual tour on FaceTime!

How to take your camp at home to the next level

So you’ve got your ‘campsite’ assembled, got your sleeping bags out and dusted off the camping chairs… now what?

If you’re new to camping at home and want to take things up a notch, we’ve got a few sneaky suggestions to make your at-home adventure better than ever and to really add the atmosphere of an escape in the great outdoors.

• Add some atmosphere with plants and sound effects. Ok, we know this sounds a little odd, but hear us out. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of the great outdoors, but if you add some background noise in the form of nature sound effects (you can find playlists online!) and a bit of greenery, it can transform even an indoor setup to feel like the great outdoors.
• Put the screens away. One of our favourite things about camping is escaping modern technology. Camping, even from your own home, is a great opportunity to put down your devices and get back to basics – think reading books, colouring in, puzzles, board games… the options are endless! You could even use some of ideas from our screen-free travel post if you get stuck.

• Reinvent your favourite camping activity. Have a think about which camping activities your family enjoys the most: is it card games? Ghost stories? See if you can recreate it at home. Some will be easier than others, but that’s where the fun comes in – you’ll be surprised at how creative you can be!
• Indulge in some campfire- style cooking. So you probably don’t have a campfire at home (and we definitely don’t recommend that you light one up in your house!), but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favourite camping meals on while you’re camping at home. Classic camping food like damper, toasted marshmallows, s’mores and jaffles are easy to recreate from your kitchen, and they’re a great activity for the whole family to do together.

So there you have it: everything you need to create the ultimate at-home camping trip! Don’t forget to send us your pictures of your set-up or upload on social media and tag @letsgocaravancamping and #campathomeheroes

Happy camping!