Skip the mosquito swatting and scarey sounds – try indoor camping with the Camp Olson Loft Bed.

Spread out  your sleeping bags under the loft. Play some of the usual campfire games.

Storytelling is a fun “do-anywhere” activity, notes Cindy Ross, co-author of Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation (Mountaineer Books). “Start with one line that sets a scene, and then take turns adding to the story,” she says. “The more tangents you go off on, the more fun it is!” For example, try “I think I saw a mermaid when I was swimming this morning. I opened my eyes underwater and….” And, of course, set some ground rules about not scaring your siblings. Oh, sure.

Turn off the lights, tell ghost stories, then point a flashlight towards the ceiling and slowly make a hand shadow that looks like a giant’s hand about to grab the little people that are indoor camping.

Sing some camp songs like:

  • She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain
  • Down By the Bay
  • An Austrian Went Yodeling
  • The Other Day I saw a Bear
  • Rounds-such as Row Your Boat, Sarrasponda and Kookaburra
  • Kum Ba Yah
  • Michael Row the Boat Ashore

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Kick it up a notch in the fun department with a Marshmallow Shooter that uses the small size marshmallow.

Did someone say marshmallows? Gotta make S’mores!

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Indoor S’mores

Don’t reserve these for campfires–they’re easy to do in the oven.

Ingredients:

16- graham cracker squares

4- milk chocolate bars

1- cup mini marshmallows (un-used, not from marshmallow shooter misses)

Preparation:

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Arrange half of graham crackers on baking sheet. Top each cracker with 1 piece of the chocolate bars. Broil until chocolate is softened but not melted.
  3. Arrange 2 tablespoons marshmallows on each cracker. Broil until lightly toasted.
  4. Top with remaining crackers and serve.