If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, glamping at home is the perfect way to make the home into a staycation or a great first time camping experience for children.
Glamping at home can be just as exciting as any glamping experience! All you need is a bit of prior planning and lots of imagination. Glamping at home can transform a date night, be a fun way to celebrate with friends or even a testing first time camping experience for children. It’s an easier way to camp but you’ll still be sleeping under the stars. You can set up the campsite of your dreams without having to pack everything up and transport it. Plus you have everything you need to hand in the home!
Before you start setting up your home glamping retreat you’ll probably need to do a little planning. Start by thinking about where you want to sleep. With glamping obviously comfort and luxury are key. You could…
Use a standard tent
Maybe you’re testing the tent for the first time with children or if you want to keep things simple and easy on the purse strings a standard tent is great.
If you want more space depending on the size of your garden maybe add a gazebo too? You can position it half over the tent so that you have a covered area similar to a porch. This is a top tip especially living in the UK as if the weather turns (which it often does!) you’re not confined to the tent or forced to go inside!
Tents we recommend for glamping at home in your garden
Hire a tipi or a bell tent for an authentic home glamping experience
As they have become increasingly popular you can now either buy or hire a tipi or bell tent. We would definitely go with hiring if you want to use it for a one-off glamping staycation or a party. This is a great idea so you don’t have to worry about storing them as they can be a bit heavy and bulky. Setting them up in the garden is perfect because you’re not having to transport them and you can give yourself plenty of time to transform your garden.
Tipi’s and bell tents scream glamping, not only can you dress them up and make them look pretty they are spacious, warm, cosy and sturdy in all weather conditions.
Tipis and bell tents we recommend
Be brave and make your own glamping shelter at home
You can build your own wooden structure, we’ve seen a lot of people doing this online and they look fantastic! This way you’re completely free to go wild with your design and create a luxury glamping abode. However this way will take a lot of planning and time to set up, and you’ll have to think about what to do with it afterwards. But it a great option to consider if you have the resources, what a way to make some truly amazing memories!
Time to decorate!
It’s time to make it your own! The great thing about glamping at home is you can get really creative and make it as over the top or as subtle as you like. Patterned sheets, blankets, duvets and tonnes of pillows are all simple and effective. Or pick a theme and dress your tent to match.
Accessories that are low cost but effective include:
- Fairy lights
- Bunting
- Garlands
- LED lamps
- Bluetooth speaker
- Firepit
Recommended accessories for glamping at home
Make it cosy
Now it’s time to get a good nights sleep. If you have an air mattress then you can simply make it even comfier by adding a mattress topper or duvet on top of it. For extra insulation use groundsheets or blankets underneath. The great thing about glamping is you can just grab your duvets from inside.
Recommended products
Now you’re all set up and ready to enjoy your glamping experience. Here are some fun activities you can do.
Face painting and dress up
This can be lots of fun for children and can really emphasise your chosen theme. This works really well if you go with a party or festival theme.
Take indoor games outside
Get active with some games like twister and frisbee. Or grab a deck of cards and some of your favourite board games. (We love Uno!)
Make your own outdoor cinema
This activity is so easy to set up all you need is a projector and a big white sheet or screen. Throw in blankets and popcorn and you’re ready for a film night under the stars!
Wine tasting
Wine tasting is great if it’s an adult-only garden glamping session/ get a few bottles of wine, notepaper and pens, water and tasty snacks. Don’t like wine? whiskey or gin work just as well!
What to cook when glamping at home
These two desserts are fun to do outside, give them a try.
Chocolate Bananas – Serves 6
A grilled banana stuffed with melted chocolate chips, so simple yet so delicious this recipe is bound to be a hit with the whole family.
Equipment:
Just tin foil.
Ingredients:
• 6 Bananas
• 335g Milk chocolate chips
Recipe:
- Peel the banana and slice it lengthwise, creating an opening in the middle.
- Place the banana on a square of tin foil. Cram as many chocolate chips into the sliced banana and loosely wrap the foil around it.
- Cook on the barbecue or grill until the chocolate has melted.
- Enjoy!
S’mores – Serves 4
No evening beside a campfire is complete without at least toasting some marshmallows, take it to a new level and make delicious s’mores.
Ingredients:
• 400g Any biscuit or cookie
• 400g Milk chocolate
• 300g Marshmallows
Recipe:
- Wedge pieces of milk chocolate between two biscuits.
- Toast a couple of marshmallows over the barbecue or griddle and sandwich the gooey marshmallows between the biscuits.
- Enjoy!
Benefits of back garden glamping for children
For us, the biggest benefit of back garden glamping for children is the memories you will make together. Sitting around a campfire telling stories, sleeping in a tent and spending quality time with family, what could be better?
Glamping in the garden removes everyday distractions meaning you will have to get creative on how you will entertain each other. The outdoors is a fantastic classroom for children as there are so many opportunities to learn and discover. One of the biggest benefits of trying glamping in the garden is that it will instil a love for nature in children from an early age. It will teach them to be responsible, be independent, develop social skills, develop problem-solving skills, develop resilience, learn life skills and help them to work as part of a team.
Glamping, even if it’s just for one night is fun because it’s a new environment with unfamiliar sights and sounds. A sense of adventure is one of the qualities that ensure life remains open and brimming with possibilities.
Have you ever been camping in your back garden? Let us know in the comments!
