Summer is in the air and the novelty of the break has worn off for your kids. They’ve been begging you to take them camping in the great outdoors. A great way to give them what they want, while keeping them safe and watched over, is to have a campout on your home basketball court. Here are a few ideas for the big night.

Get Active

Gather your children and take them on a walk around your town. You could go down a road you’ve never been down before, or even attempt a local hike. Your kids get a chance to experience a bit more of their local community and it helps tire them out for when bedtime comes around.

On the other hand, you can make use of your backyard basketball court by dividing into teams and starting a game of basketball or soccer. When it comes time to lay down to sleep on your backyard basketball court, your kids will drift off to sleep quickly.

Prepare and Eat Dinner Together

Another fun activity to do on your night on the home basketball court is to prepare dinner together. You could do the traditional hot dogs over a fire if you have a fire pit, or go with a themed dinner. A fun idea for a campout themed meal is to make grilled-cheese sandwiches, cut them in half and then lean them against each other to make a tent.

Complete your artistic dinner with dessert. Smash up some Oreos, make up some chocolate pudding, layer them in alternating fashion in a clear plastic cup and stick a few gummy worms in to finish your masterpiece. You’ve just created worms in dirt. This is a fun meal to make and an even better meal to eat together.

Tell Bedtime Stories to Each Other

Children love stories and benefit from hearing them. You could read a story out of a book or, even better, you could tell them stories about your childhood as you lounge around on your home basketball court. Families who discuss the events of the day to day with each other, have higher self-esteem and better self-concept. These “campfire stories” can open channels of communication that will keep you close for years.

These are a few fun things you can do during your night on your home basketball court. Don’t pack up the car. Instead haul the family tent to the backyard and prepare for a night of fun on your backyard basketball court.