25 Backyard Campout Ideas for Charlotte Families: A Night Under the Stars Without Leaving Home

Some of the best camping trips in Charlotte never leave the driveway. No packing the car, no three-hour drive, and if somebody forgets their favorite pillow, it is fifty steps away.

Fall is the perfect time to try it. October and November nights around here are cool enough for a sleeping bag and a cup of cocoa, the bugs have mostly packed up for the year, and the sky gets dark early enough that little ones can see the stars before bedtime.

So here is my list - 25 ways to turn your backyard into a campground for one happy night. Pick a few, grab a flashlight, and let the adventure begin.

Set Up Camp

1. Pitch the tent together. Let the kids hold the poles and hand you the stakes. Even if it ends up a little crooked, it is their tent, and they built it.

2. No tent? Build a blanket fort. A clothesline, two old sheets and a few clothespins make a fine shelter. Pin a third sheet across the top and you have a roof.

3. Make a camp sign. A piece of cardboard and some markers - "Camp Happy Trails, Population 4" - propped by the back door. Kids love naming their own campground.

4. String up the lights. Battery fairy lights, glow sticks and a lantern or two turn an ordinary yard into something magical. Glow sticks double as bedtime nightlights in the tent.

5. Pack a real camp bag. Hand each kid a backpack with a flashlight, pajamas, a stuffed animal and a book. Packing it themselves is half the fun.

6. Let the dog come camping. Most family dogs think a sleepover in the tent is the best idea anyone has ever had. Bring their bed and a water bowl.

Campfire Cooking

7. Make s'mores. If your neighborhood allows a backyard fire pit, roast marshmallows the classic way. If not, a tray of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows under the oven broiler for a minute does the trick - keep an eye on them, they go fast.

8. Cook hot dogs on a stick. Long roasting forks keep little hands well back from the heat. Grownups do the fire, kids do the toppings.

9. Bake banana boats. Slice a banana down the peel, stuff it with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, wrap it in foil and warm it on the grill. Eat it with a spoon right out of the peel.

10. Mix up a trail mix bar. Set out bowls of cereal, pretzels, raisins and a few candies and let everyone build their own bag. It is snack and craft in one.

11. Pass around a thermos of cocoa. Fall nights in Charlotte get crisp after the sun goes down. Mugs of hot chocolate with a marshmallow on top warm everybody up.

Under the Stars

12. Find the Big Dipper. It is one of the easiest star shapes to spot, even with some city glow. Once the kids find it, show them how the two stars at the end of the cup point toward the North Star.

13. Lie on a blanket and watch for shooting stars. The Orionid meteor shower peaks in late October every year. Even if you only see one, it is a wish worth staying up for.

14. Download a free stargazing app. Hold up a phone and it names the stars, planets and constellations right above your yard. Kids become instant astronomers.

15. Make up your own constellations. Who says that cluster is not a giant hot dog? Draw your family's new star map in a notebook.

16. Play flashlight tag. The person who is "it" tags with the flashlight beam instead of a hand. Glow-in-the-dark giggles guaranteed.

17. Listen for the night sounds. Get very quiet and count what you hear. Crickets, a distant dog, and if you are lucky, a barred owl asking "who cooks for you?" from the trees.

Campfire Fun and Games

18. Tell stories around the fire. Keep them silly, not scary. Try a "pass it on" story where each person adds one sentence and nobody knows how it ends.

19. Have a sing-along. "The Ants Go Marching," "Baby Shark," whatever the kids know by heart. If anyone in the family plays guitar or ukulele, tonight is the night.

20. Make shadow puppets. A flashlight and the side of the tent make a perfect stage. Dogs, birds and rabbits are easy - see who can invent a dinosaur.

21. Play a game of "I Spy" in the dark. Only things you can see by flashlight count. It gets harder, and funnier, the darker it gets.

22. Wake up for a campfire breakfast. Pancakes on the griddle, a pot of oatmeal or bacon on the grill. Breakfast tastes better when you eat it in your pajamas outside.

When You Want a Little Help (or the Real Thing)

23. Bring the campout inside with Sweet Dreams Glamping. This Charlotte company sets up handmade teepee tents with mattresses, linens and lanterns right in your living room - perfect for a rainy night or a birthday sleepover with friends. Check availability before you plan.

24. Visit the planetarium at the Schiele Museum. The museum in Gastonia has a planetarium under a big dome, a great way to learn the night sky before your campout. Check the show schedule before you go.

25. Graduate to a real campground. When your crew is ready for the next step, McDowell Nature Preserve in Charlotte has a family campground right on Lake Wylie, and Broad River Campground in Mooresboro, about an hour west, has cabins, domes, a pool and a playground. The Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club also hosts public star parties with their telescopes in the spring and fall - check their calendar for the next one.

More Charlotte family fun

Looking for camps, nature centers, birthday party ideas or weekend outings around Charlotte? I have been gathering the best of them in the Kids' Directory since 2008. Pick up the latest issue around town or browse KidsDirectoryCharlotte.com - The LITTLE book with BIG Resources!