Backyard Camping in Winter with Kids

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Every once in a while, I would see friends posting photos on social media of them and their kids camping in the backyard. However, most of them did that during the summer. I wonder what would be needed if we bring the camping experience to the winter season.

Afterall, a child needs to be physically active not just in the summer, but all year round. There are major benefits to a child in playing outdoors during the winter such as strengthening their immune system, promote physical development and reduce the chance in having a seasonal affective disorder or what some people called a “winter depression.”

When planning for backyard camping in winter, we need to figure out how to appropriately dress our kids, how to keep the tents warm, the proper kind of sleeping mat and bags, the types of fun activities that could be done outdoors, and many more.

Just to be clear upfront, I’m not an expert in this topic. So you should use your judgment accordingly when reading this post. Having said that, I’ll do my best to share my findings with you. Hope this would be helpful.

Benefits of Backyard Camping in Winter

Good Test Drive

Many parents have many concerns about bringing their kids to an actual campsite. They worry that:

• their kids would not get used to sleeping outside
• the public toilet is too dirty
• it’s difficult for a child to shower
• everyone would be exhausted from all the walks to the site. Remember there could be times you’ll have to carry your child if they are tired.
• forget to pack adequately (i.e., clothing, foods, medicine), and many more.

When camping in a backyard, you don’t have to worry about any of it since everything you’ll need is in your house. You pretty much would have access to all the backup plans you’ll need.

If you haven’t brought your kids to an actual campsite before, camping in a backyard could be an excellent place to try. Besides, it would be a lot cheaper than staying at a campground.

A Whole Different Experience

The things you could do when backyard camping in winter is unique than any other seasons, especially if there is snow. You and your child could build a snowman together, blow freezing bubbles, construct an igloo, and feed the birds.

A mini snowman my daughter and I built together

Many countries have shorter daytime during the summer. Therefore, you need to prepare fun activities for the kids to do during the nighttime.

My favorite one is to set up a bonfire. My daughters, wife and I could stay warm and cozy surrounding it while enjoying cups of hot chocolate and toasted marshmallow. Here are 10 of our favorite winter backyard activities.

Fewer Bugs

Summer is no doubt a lot warmer, but it is certainly no fun of having lots of mosquito bites. Although you could spray yourself with insect repellent, not everyone thrives about its smell and sticky feeling.

During the summer, there could be lots of different bugs in a backyard such as ants, crickets, worms, spiders or even earwigs. All these would not be a problem during the winter.

Delicious Hot Meals in the Snow

Besides making hot dogs and marshmallow with a bonfire, one thing I really want to try is to have hot pot in the snow.

You simply bring out a stove burner and a pot. Pour in water or soup of your choice, then boil it. Once it is boiling, you could use it to cook all your favorite dishes.

There is a vast variety of delicious foods you could include. (i.e., Beef, chicken, fish balls, fish, shrimps, carrots, mushrooms, eggs, lettuce, watercress and many other vegetables). You should be able to get most of them in a local supermarket.

To make it easier to find the foods in the hotpot, you could get a few Shabu Shabu strainer scoops. It has a small notch on the handle which prevents the scoop from sliding into your pot.

This would be a fun and unique experience. Not only everyone could stay warm from gathering around the hot pot, but they could also enjoy cooking their own foods. After the meal, make a couple of hot tea. I like the caramel tea, as it could improve the digestive system and helps with sleep.

Hotpot in the snow indeed is fun, but there are also some safety precautions you should not miss. Below are some ground rules I would impose when doing backyard hot pot during the winter.

• Do not cook in a camping tent. Hotpot needs proper ventilation and is for outdoor.
• You must supervise a child at all time. If you find a child is not ready to cook on their own, then an adult should do the cooking instead.
• No running around the dining area. A spilling pot of hot water could cause serious injury.
• Set up the hot pot at a level surface to avoid sliding around while cooking. I would set up a dining table and bring out a few comfy chairs to the backyard.
• If the dining area has too much snow, you might need to do some shoveling beforehand. There are times when the snow is too solid and are mixed with ice, where it is way too difficult to clear the area. This might create a severe slipping hazard. Therefore I would just postpone the hot pot date until the ground gets better.
• Pick a stove burner that can resist the cold temperature. Here’s a stove burner that I like. (affiliate link) When I was reading the comment, an actual user expressed it functioned really well despite the freezing temperature.
• The delicious and strong smell from the hot pot could attract animals to your yard. Before you sleep, you must thoroughly clean up the dining area, so that there will not be any food scraps in the backyard.
• If the pot is too hot to be moved, wait for it to cool off first. Under a freezing temperature, this should take less than 15 minutes.
• If your stove uses gas, then make sure to shut it off completely. Remember to check that there will not be any leakage of gas. Store the gas container that at a place that is not too cold or hot, and never put it in a room where someone will be sleeping.

How Old Should a Child Be in Going to Backyard Camping in Winter?

I read through numerous resources. Although I cannot locate a definite answer to this question, there is some interesting discussion about this in a camping forum. ^[1]https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/62681/

Some parents already took their infant at a few months old to winter camping. They believe as long as you dress them appropriately, and with adequate preparation than it should be fine.

They bundled up the child and shared the sleeping bag so that more body heat can be captured.

However, my biggest concern for this method is suffocation. Afterall, there is too many news where a baby went suffocated from sleeping together with parents.

A father defended that Inuit people have a long history of doing winter camping. So he is completely fine with it. On the con side, another parent argued that just because they have been doing this for thousands of years, it doesn’t mean it was fun doing so. People are trying to have a good time, and not just looking for survival. Besides, only in recent human history, the infant mortality rates become low.

Having considered the above discussion, I would only take my daughters to a backyard camping in winter only if they are able to speak clearly whether they are cold or not.

My first daughter is already four, so she could express clearly of her level of comfort. As for my little one who is two years old and still in the mumbling stage, I would wait longer until she is ready. In the meantime, they could still enjoy playing in a backyard, but just not sleeping outdoor overnight in a tent.

So when is it too cold for backyard camping?

An outdoor enthusiast, who is also a mother to a six years old daughter, shared that nighttime temperature in low 40s Fahrenheit (approximately 4 degree Celsius) could be too cold, while in the range of 50°F to 75°F (approximately 10°C to 24° ) is the most comfortable. ^[2]http://momgoescamping.com/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-tent-camping/

But of course, it also depends on what kind of clothing and gears you will prepare for the child in staying warm inside the tent. Besides, every child’s health condition is different. So make sure to check with their family doctor before the backyard camping.

How to Dress a Child Warm at Night While Camping?

I want to emphasize this is about dressing a kid appropriately for sleeping in a tent, and not for playing outside. (If you are looking for ideas in dressing a child for outdoor play in winter, here’s a post I wrote for your reference)

During the daytime, a child could get sweaty from all the physical play. The moisture built up could make them feel extremely cold if they were wearing the same clothing to sleep in. Therefore, it is essential to provide them with dry clothing.

The layering of clothing is one of the keys to keeping your child warm. The spaces in between fibers can trap the body heat. Below are some of the tips my wife would use to dress our daughters:

• Wear long underwear
• Wear long sleeves and long pants
• Long socks
• Wear a knit cap. This is crucial as a significant amount of body heat is lost through the head.

We prefer synthetic materials such as fleece because it could wick moisture away from the skin, which keep a child dry and warm. Also, a good fleece material is highly breathable. On the other hand, we would avoid cotton as it would absorb and hold the moisture ^[3]http://www.diaperpincorner.com/2002/05/what-is-so-great-about-fleece/

Since the key is to keep a child warm and dry, if you were going to bring your little one to backyard camping, you should change their diapers regularly, especially before going to sleep.

The good news is you are camping in your back garden, so you could actually give your child a nice and warm shower in the house, then change them accordingly before going to sleep in the tent.

How to Choose your Winter Camping Mat?

To have a good night sleep, you will need to find a camping mat that has a good cushion while insulation to keep you warm.

To find a camping mattress that could keep you warm, you will need to find one where its R-value is great enough. The R-Value measures how well the sleeping pad can resist heat flow. Generally speaking, the higher the value, the warmer it is.

To give you a better idea, below is a chart I found in a forum. It shows the R-value needed to stay comfortably warm under different temperature.

There are mainly three types of sleeping pads in the market. They are the air pads, the closed-cell foam pads, and self-inflated pads.

Air Sleeping Pads

They are mostly for summer usage. Many users also expressed it is unsuitable for low temperature, as the extra pockets of air will make it very cold to sleep on. Therefore, I will not go into details in here.

Closed-cell Foam Sleeping Pads

They are dense foam which is filled with small closed air cells. They are lightweight, durable and can be rolled up or folded for easy storage.

Depending on their R-values, you could also find some with sound insulation. If the one you have does not have sufficient R-value, you could stack up with another one while sleeping to get the combine increased insulation.

Unlike a blowup mattress, you do not have to worry about punctures or air leakage. Also, they are very affordable.

However, some users stated that they are quite stiff and firm. They do not feel comfortable sleeping on it.

Self-Inflated Sleeping Pads

It is my favorite type of camping mattress. They are super comfy, and there are selections with excellent insulation. I have seen one with R-value as high as 11.4!

You simply open the valve, then it would get inflated without the hassle of pumping or blowing. They could be heavier than and less portable than a closed-cell foam mattress. So I would only use them for car or backyard camping.

As for the price range, a self-inflated sleeping pad could be more expensive than the other options. However, a good night sleep could make a key difference to everyone’s mood in the next day. Therefore, I’m willing to pay a margin for it.

Here’s a self-inflating foam camping mattress that I really like. (Affiliate link) Many users also stated they are excellent for winter usage and they never experienced such a relaxing night of sleep with other products. Be sure to check it out!

How to Choose a Sleeping Bags for Winter Camping?

Choose the Sleeping Bag with the Right Temperature Rating

This is actually very straightforward to do. When you review the different sleeping bags, most of them would have a specific temperature rating. This number is the lowest temperature where an average sleeper would find it comfortable sleeping within.

For example, I was just reading about a “20-degree sleeping bag”. It suggests that most people would find it comfortable if the temperature is not lower than 20 °F.

Some bags would provide a temperature range instead. (i.e., 15 °F to 50 °F)

However, some would provide with two temperature ratings. This is called the “European Norm (EN) 13537 protocol”. The reason is everyone’s level of comfort could be different even at the same temperature.

The two temperature ratings are:

• Comfort rating: The lowest temperature at which the sleeping bag will keep an average “cold sleeper” comfortable.
• Lower-limit rating: The lowest temperature at which the sleeping bag will keep a “warm sleeper” comfortable.

All the above ratings are based on a sleeper wearing one long underwear layer and a hat, and sleeping with an insulating pad underneath. So make sure you understand which temperature rating system they are using when you’re choosing a sleeping bag.

Since the priority is to keep a child warm while sleeping, I would choose one where the temperature rating would be lower than the coldest weather I would expect.

Afterall, if it turns out to be too warm, you could always vent the bag to release some of the extra heat.

Select a Suitable Style of Sleeping Bag

The underlying logic in keeping a sleeping bag warm is that it traps the body heat. The less space within the camping bag, the quicker a child could warm up, and stay cozy.

Rectangular Sleeping Bag
Most of them are roomy design, which makes it very comfortable to sleep in.

If you have two camping bags with compatible zippers, you can even combine the two. Of course, the zippers would have to be the same size, length, and style.

In fact, there are already some bags designed for two people. These model could also be zipped apart for individual usage.

These rectangular bags are more spacious for greater comfort, but with the tradeoff that it could be less efficient in trapping the heat.

However, for a restless sleeper like myself, these could be an excellent option.

Mummy Style Sleeping Bag

There were times when I went camping with friends. Their sleeping movement was so limited, where I didn’t even realize whether they were inside or out of the tent.

If you are one of them and are seriously concern about the cold weather, then a mummy style bag (affiliate link) could be a good consideration.

Their space tends to be narrow and is usually just hip width. As the area is more restrictive, these bags are excellent at keeping a child warm.

Sleeping Bag Material Types

Most camping bags I have seen are made with synthetic insulation such as polyester. Many families prefer them because they are quick to dry and insulate well even when it’s wet.

The only problem is they could be heavier than the one with Goose-Down insulation, even when they have the same temperature rating.

A camping bag with Goose-Down insulation is more durable and compressible. But it is more expensive than the synthetic ones.

Also, it would lose the insulating ability when it gets wet. Therefore, if you seriously decided on buying a goose-down sleeping bag, be sure to get one that is water-resistant.

How to Pick an Appropriate Winter Camping Tent?

There are 3-season and 4-season tents. The 4-season one offers much better insulation, and great for keeping you and your child warm during a harsh winter night.

When selecting a 4-season tent, I would make sure it is:

• Waterproof and windproof.
• Can limit the condensation. Remember the first rule of staying warm is to remain nice and dry.

They are also heavier and sturdier than a summer tent. Although it is an excellent option to keep warm during the winter, some campers expressed it was like sleeping in a sauna when used during the summer.

Pick the Right Size of Camping Tent

It could vary from individual family. You need to consider how many people will be sleeping in it, the height of each person, the size of the camping mattress.

Some families prefer a higher tent, so they do not need to bend over too much while standing. The tradeoff is a spacious tent could be more difficult to heat up.

Sleeping Tent Materials

Most camping tents I have seen are made of nylon or polyester. There are pros and cons to each material. Polyester resists better to water and UV rays, while Nylon has a higher endurance to wear and tear.

As for the poles, they are mostly made with aluminum which can withstand freezing and temperature change. Some manufacturers would use metal alloy instead. It is lighter than aluminum, so it would be easier to put up the tent.

Typically speaking, the greater the number of poles intersections, the better the stability of the tent. But it would involve more work in putting up the poles.

Design of the Winter Tent

Some campers find it uncomfortable when going outside of the tent. It is due to the drastic temperature difference between the inside and outside.

I prefer a tent that has a vestibule. This is like a storm door in front of a house, which could reduce the shock of sudden temperature change.

As for the roof, it is essential to find one where the snow would not accumulate. A round dome design would be a good consideration.

Here’s a 4-season camping tent that might worth considering. A number of actual users stated that they can sleep comfortably warm in it despite the low temperature in the outdoors. Check it out!

22 Essential Tips for Backyard Camping in Winter

This is a gorgeous view from our backyard

Tips1: Don’t bother with the cheap cartoon character sleeping bags or tents. They aren’t worth the money. They rip easily and won’t keep your kid warm.

Tips2: If a sleeping bag is too big, then strap the extra legroom to stay warm.

Tips3: Even if it’s cold, do not cover a child’s face with the sleeping bag. Condensation could build up which would make the child even colder. If the child’s face is cold, wear a face mask instead. Of course, choose one that is size appropriate, so that they won’t have trouble breathing through it.

Tip4: If the weather is severely harsh, do not afraid to bail out. You and your child are looking for a fun and memorable experience, not conquering the next Mission Impossible.

Tip5: To keep a child warm, place a plastic bottle with warm water within a sleeping bag. However, make sure do not drink the water afterward.

Tip6: Try out camping on your own before your child does so that you could get a sense of what is like first.

Tip7: Tidy up the garden, and make sure there are no foods before you sleep.

Tip8: Before you set up the camping tent, shovel off all the loose snow. Else, your body heat could melt them which makes the tent cold.

Tip9: Pile snow banks surrounding your camping tent. This could help in resisting the winds. Just make sure to leave a spot to enter the tent.

Tip10: Place a “welcome mat” at the entrance of the tent, where you could leave your shoes and other wet items.

Tip11: The purpose of backyard camping is to speed quality time with your child and nature. Therefore, do not use any electronic devices (i.e., smartphone, tablets), unless it is really for an emergency.

Tip12: Tell your neighbors that you and your family are camping in the backyard. They could check on you the next morning in making sure everything is still okay.

Tip13: Always change into dry clothes before sleeping. If needed, take a warm shower since your campsite is just right next to your house.

Tip14: Install some solar lights in your backyard and bring a couple of flashlights.

Tip15: If anyone in the family is already sick, then postpone until he/she is recovered. Breathing the same air with a patient, that is trapped inside the tent could easily get others ill.

Tip16: Even during a cold weather, try to leave some of the vent open. Not only this will provide some fresh air, but it will also reduce the amount of condensation.

Tip17: Set up the tent at a level surface. Certainly not at the bottom of a slope. Make sure there are no shape items such as rocks or branches on the ground.

Tip18: Check the weather forecast beforehand. If there will be a snowstorm, just pick another date. You don’t want a shovel your way out of the tent.

Tip20: Beware of symptoms of frostbite and Hypothermia. Take procedure and get help should that occur. Here are some details for your reference.

Tip21: Do some light exercise before going to bed. You would feel a lot warmer when getting into a sleeping bed.

Tip22: By empty the bladder before sleep. Every time you leave the sleeping bag and the tent in going to the bathroom, it would lose heat. This would not be fun for anyone in the middle of the night.

My Final Thought about Backyard Camping in Winter

The purpose I’m writing this post is to encourage parents to speed more quality time with their kids outdoors. Just because the weather is cold, it doesn’t mean a child need to stay indoors for the entire winter. It is important for them to get some fresh air, and maintain physically active throughout different seasons.

When going for backyard camping in winter, the key is to keep a child warm with appropriate layers of clothing, a suitable camping tent, sleeping mat and bag. With careful planning, I’m sure this could be fun and memorable for you and your family.

Disclaimer: This content of this website is for general information, and do not intend to provide any specific advice. Although I’m trying my best in providing accurate information, I cannot guarantee they are error-free. Information displayed on this website could be subjected to change. For any medical-related question, you should always consult with your family doctor. For product related question, you should consult with the actual manufacturer.

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please understand that I include them based on my experience or the research on these companies or products, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

Jacob Coleman

Jacob is a father of two daughters. He loves spending quality time with them in the backyard. Playing sports, blowing bubbles, and planting are some the favorite activities Jacob and his daughters like to do together. He believes it is essential to spend quality time with them while they are still young.

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