If you’re looking for something fun to do with your family one weekend—especially if you have little kids—planning a special night where you sleep away from your beds can bring out lots of excitement.
And we’re not talking about packing up belongings and heading to the nearest campsite or hotel. You can use your home to make things special.
For instance, head to your linen closet and pull out sheets and blankets to create a make-shift tent in your family room where the entire family can sleep under. Throw in lots of blankets and pillows to make it cozy. Even have the kids decorate the tent by putting up photos of their favorite performers or sports stars. Bring the laptop and play a movie and enjoy the feeling of being away from it all, even though it’s right in your house. And last but not least, don’t forget the snacks!
You can also bring all the mattresses in the house into the basement, lay them side by side, and create the ultimate sleep over. Break out the board games, order in pizza or a favorite food and enjoy some family time away from the electronics.. If you have a projector, project some images of stars on the ceiling and even play sounds of the outdoors while you sleep.
If you want more of a real camping feel, set up a tent in the backyard and pretend that you are outside in the wilderness. Toast marshmallows over the fire, throw some burgers on the BBQ and sing songs the way you would at a real campout. Air mattresses or pool rafts can help with the comfort level, but if you want to be tough, just go with the old-fashioned sleeping bag. The good news is, when you wake up, the coffee maker won’t be too far away.
Something new that a lot of kids are doing today is sleeping on a trampoline. They decorate the sides with blankets, play music on their phones, and enjoy a night looking up at the stars. For those that try this, just be sure to use bug spray and make sure there’s no bad weather in the forecast.
Of course, you could always go to a real camp site, but a lot of people don’t have the time to do that, and those living in the city have less opportunity to get to places like this. So, finding fun ways to utilize your home for sleep overs can be a great way to get the family smiling.
