Have you ever thought of camping out with your friends? Even if you do not actually go camping to the woods like in the movies, you can still have a campout slumber party with your friends.
A sleepover needs to have a few things: some friends, cold drinks, chips, and some great laughs to share. The ironic part is that people almost never actually sleep at a sleepover – since it totally defeats the purpose of having all your friends around for an entire night.
If you love camping, we suggest that you have a campout sleepover party with your friends. Since organizing an entire camping trip can be a hassle for most people, we suggest that you take all of our tips to arrange a campout themed slumber party instead.
What If I Don’t Have a Backyard?
When we think of camping, we immediately think of the outdoors. While organizing a camping sleepover party would be much easier if you have a backyard, there is no reason to put your dreams on hold just for that reason.
If you don’t have a backyard for camping out during the night, just set up some canopies in your room and you are ready to go. We suggest pinning the corners of some large bedsheets on opposite walls in a room – this will give you the effect of actually camping outside.
If you can find some large pillows around the house, your campout sleepover can be done with some pillow forts. Remember how much fun they used to be back in childhood? Well, now is the perfect time to recreate that.
Planning a Campout Sleepover Party
Not all campouts are actually about camping in the woods. Instead, we recommend that you focus on all the different camping activities that you would actually do. Here is a list of a few essentials:
- S’mores for snacking
- A fireplace, or an imitation fire
- A canopy or tent effect in the room or the backyard
- Lanterns and flashlights
Before you start planning a whole campout sleepover with your friends, you need to focus on getting the invitations out. The best part about having this sleepover is that you already have a theme to focus on – camping. This means that your party invites can be in the shape of a tent or even a tree. We recommend being as creative as possible with the invites.
Campout Sleepover in the Backyard
If you actually have access to a backyard, we suggest that you turn it into a campfire for the night. You can set up a fire in the middle using some long pieces of wood and get the fire started that will keep them warm. There would need to be adult supervision when undergoing this.
You can also set up actual tents in the backyard for your campout sleepover. Remember to choose big tents that can fit a few people at once – since sleeping out alone can be a little terrifying.
If you wish to be a little more aesthetic with your camping sleepover, we suggest that you hang some fairy lights on the trees. You can even arrange for a wooden setup with fresh flowers or plants with fairy lights hung across the ceiling. This will give you all the camping ambience that you need for your sleepover.
Campout Sleepover: Party Decorations
When planning a sleepover, decorations are important. You can decorate your room or backyard with some camp themed party signs including an entrance sign or a sign towards the tents.
You can DIY these party decorations with some wood pattern paper and oak tags that you can purchase from the local stationary shop. Remember to add some classic chalkboard stands and write fun things on them for your friends to read during the night.
If you are having a campout sleepover indoors, you can give the illusion of a starry night with some glow in the dark stickers. We suggest sticking some moon and star stickers on your ceiling to act as the bright sky for your camping sleepover.
For both indoor and outdoor camping sleepovers, you can add different lanterns and flashlights to add to the ambience. These can be purchased from a local hardware shop, or you can even ask your friends to bring flashlights from their home. Sky lanterns are also a fun and decorative activity for the party.
Camping Party Activities
Once you have all your friends gathered for the sleepover, it is time to start having fun. A camping themed birthday party should always have some crafts and activities that you friends can participate in. We recommend arranging the following:
1. S’mores Station
S’mores are the most exciting part about camping. If you have an actual fire in the backyard, you can easily start making your s’mores by having a small tray filled with marshmallows, biscuits, and chocolates for the guests. Even if you are indoors, you can use a small burner to make smores. There would need to be adult supervision when undergoing this.
2. Dream Catchers
Another fun thing to do with your friends at a campout party is to make dreamcatchers. Simply buy some decorative feathers at your local store, and have each friend design a dreamcatcher of your own. These can be kept as memories from the party.
3. Nature Treasure Hunt
The best way to have fun in the outdoors is to go exploring. Design a treasure hunt list including leaves, twigs, acorns, flowers etc. and have each guest look for them during the sleepover. This can be a fun way to explore nature and even scare some of your friends whilst they complete the treasure hunt.
4. Storytelling
Campout sleepovers often have many ghost stories involved. Instead of choosing to tell your actual stories, just make one up with your friends. Let one person begin the story with a sentence and each person in the group has to keep adding to it. This type of storytelling can bring inspiration from your own paranormal experiences, or even just get the creative juice flowing for everybody at the party.
5. Board Games
Once you are almost tired of all the activities planned during the night, you can gather around for some classic board games. You can choose your favourite one to play with your friends, but some typical choices include UNO, Scrabble, or Cards Against Humanity. Other games like Life and Monopoly can also be a great choice for the party.