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Have you ever dreamed of falling asleep under the stars? You don’t need to trek out to the woods to give camping a try. You can camp right in your own backyard! The best part? You can make it a 24-hour event. Scratch that. The best part is probably the s’

Camp out in your backyard

DURING THE DAY Find the perfect spot for your tent and set up.

You’ll want to make your first backyard camping experience comfortable. That means setting up your tent on flat ground. Make sure you’re not setting up on rocks or sticks because — ouch. You probably won’t have a good night’s sleep if you do that! Once you’ve found the perfect spot, it’s time to set up. Lay a tarp on the ground to keep your tent nice and dry. Ask an adult to help you set up the tent (the adult may need to take over this part if it’s super complicated).

Do a scavenger hunt! Try out the pollinator scavenger hunt from the June/July issue of WILD magazine. You’ll look for pollinators like hummingbirds and Monarch Butterflies, listen for the wind and the buzz of bees, and find Wild Columbine and sunflowers.

Get digging. Now that you’ve explored your backyard a little, it’s time to give back to those pollinators by gardening. Why not create a garden that will attract and help the bees and butterflies in your neighbourhood? Bees love Joe-Pye Weed, Vervain, sunflowers and Nodding Onion.

DURING THE EVENING

Set up lighting. If you’ve got headlamps or flashlights, place them on your pillow so you’ll be able to get to them quickly. That’ll make a trip to the bathroom easier too.

Eat outside. It’s time to ask an adult to start up the barbecue! This is the perfect occasion for hotdogs and hamburgers. If you’ve got an outdoor firepit, ask an adult to help you roast some marshmallows, because nothing says camping like snacking on some delicious s’mores.

Look for nocturnal animals. Did you know that some animals sleep the day away and come out at night? It’s true. Plenty of night-flying moths, bats, fireflies and even toads are active during the evening. Keep your eyes peeled for them so you can admire how amazing they are.

Star gaze. Look up. Way up! If you’re lucky enough to have a clear night, try star gazing. Download an app like Night Sky, Star Walk 2 or Sky View to help you search the dark sky for constellations.a