We all love spending a bit of time outdoors and getting back to nature but some climates aren’t exactly great for long periods outside.
However, the good news is that we can enjoy staying indoors or outside (within the house environments) even when it’s out of season with indoor camping ideas for adults.
We know that being an adult isn’t all fun and games. Some days are harder than others, and sometimes it’s tough to make it through the day let alone actually participate in healthy activities for adults. With indoor camping, even adults can enjoy beautiful summer nights.
One of the most popular activities for families with young children is camping. Now, as adults, we don’t get many opportunities to go backpacking or even car camping for trips longer than a few days.
For adults that don’t have the opportunity to go on long trips, there are plenty of indoor ideas that can use for indoor activities.
Here’s the Answer to Indoor Camping
Camping is a fun activity that even adults like to do. But the fact that they like camping doesn’t mean they like hitting the woods. Sometimes, it’s just too hot. That’s why they do indoor camping. Here are some tips.
1. Building tents indoor.
2. Play camping games indoors (for example, hide-and-seek).
3. Watching movies about camping.
4. If you have room in your house or apartment, hang up some hammocks so people can relax while they’re hanging out with friends or family members (or even just themselves).
Best Indoor Camping Ideas for Adults
If you’re an adult who loves to camp but doesn’t get the chance to do it often enough, these indoor ideas can be a great way to bring that experience into your home.
Indoor camping is all about bringing the outdoors in. You can use real camping gear like tents, sleeping bags, and lanterns to make the experience as authentic as possible.
You can even sleep inside with the window open or build an indoor firepit.
Here are some of our favorite ideas for indoor camping:
1. Make S’mores
If you love making s’mores around a campfire, then why not do it indoors? Start with graham crackers and chocolate bars (or marshmallows if you’re feeling adventurous).
Then wrap them in foil and roast them over your fireplace or stovetop until they’re nice and melty. For extra fun, add some sprinkles before roasting.
2. Play Some Classic Camp Games
There are tons of classic games that we play when camping out in nature, checkers, cards, dominoes, and more. Bring these along for some indoor fun. We recommend setting up an outdoor-inspired tablecloth so you can pretend like you’re outside even though you’re inside.
3. Use a Real Tent
If you have enough space in your backyard or garage, use an actual tent. The kids will love it. If not, then buy one and set it up in your living room or den. This can be a great way to add some outdoor-inspired decor to your home.
Set up an indoor tent in the living room or bedroom using blankets, sheets, pillows, and other soft materials as walls. If you’re feeling adventurous, try setting up this tent on top of furniture (like couches) so that it’s higher off the ground.
Pitching a tent in your living room or den area will allow people to get out of their chairs and move around while still enjoying being indoors instead of going outside where it may be too hot or cold.
You can also decorate your tent with lights and streamers so that it looks festive like you were camping in the woods.
4. Get Some Outdoor-Inspired Decor
With the right furniture and accessories, you can turn any room into a cozy campground. For instance, check out this living room with deer antlers over the fireplace and pinecone decor hanging from the wall above it.
You could also hang some string lights from the ceiling for extra ambiance.
5. Watch a Movie About Camping
One of the best parts of going on vacation is getting to watch movies while relaxing in front of the fire or inside your tent.
Watch any number of movies about camping or outdoorsy activities (like Into The Wild) to get yourself in the spirit.
6. Cook Over Your Fireplace
This one’s pretty easy and doesn’t require much effort at all. Just set up a few chairs around your fireplace and place a table in between them. Fill a pot with water and place it on top of the fire.
Then, add some vegetables (or other food) and let it cook. You can even cook some meat over the fire if you want something more substantial.
Use marshmallows or hot dogs for roasting over an open flame, make s’mores with graham crackers and chocolate bars and sing camp songs around the fire.
7. Sleep with The Window Open
When it gets cold outside, try opening up your windows while you sleep, just make sure they’re not near any trees or anything that might cause problems. It’ll be like being outside in nature without having to worry about bugs or rain ruining your night’s sleep.
8. Make an Indoor Firepit
If you want an outdoor feel but don’t have access to outdoor space (or want something other than just sitting on the floor), try making an indoor firepit. All you need is a bucket or pot filled with sand or rocks, matches/lighter, and kindling (wood chips work great).
Indoor Camping Activities for Adults
Camping is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family. However, if you live in a city or a place where it’s not possible to camp outdoors, then you can still enjoy camping indoors.
You just have to do it right as an adult who wants some fun indoors. Here are some indoor camping activities for adults on how to host an indoor campout for adults:
9. Build a Fort
For this activity, all you need is some blankets and pillows or cushions. You can build a fort around your living room or bedroom. It can even be used as a place to sleep at night time.
10. Hunt for Bugs
It may sound strange but hunting for bugs will make you feel like you’re camping outdoors. Just look around your house and see if any insects are crawling around.
If there are none, then try putting out some food for them. The more insects there are, the more fun it will be when hunting them down.
11. Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt can make any indoor camping experience more interesting. Beforehand, create a list of things that you must find around the house before going into hiding mode inside your living room or bedroom area (whichever you prefer).
Indoor Camping Games for Adults and Kids
To include maximum fun, the whole family should try out some indoor camping games for adults and kids.
12. Campfire Stories
You can make a campfire in your home and sit around it with your family. Tell stories, make up songs, and sing them together. Or cook some marshmallows over the fire and eat them while telling stories or singing songs.
13. Hide-and-Seek
Hide-and-seek is always a fun game for kids to play, but it’s even more fun when it’s played indoors with adults. Hide behind closed doors, closets, and stores or places they can’t suspect in the house. Maybe even go to the basement and some other areas around the house to hide.
While the kids or adults are hiding, one person or a few others can be the seekers and try to find everyone else before a set time runs out.
14. Treasure Hunt
Give each child a paper bag with something inside of it, like a piece of candy or another small item that they don’t know what it is yet (but they’ll find out soon enough).
Then give each child an index card with a different number on it (1 through 12). The number on each index card corresponds with one of the bags that each child has been given.
Fun Indoor Camping Activities
These fun indoor camping activities can be exciting and can help get over boredom.
Camping indoors can be just as fun as camping outdoors. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and exercise, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time.
Here are some more indoor camping ideas that will keep your adults and kids happy and active:
15. Play Games Around the Campfire
One of the most popular indoor camping ideas is to play games around a campfire. People can gather around and play card games like poker or blackjack.
They could also play outdoor games indoor like Frisbee golf or badminton by throwing them into an empty cardboard box instead of trying to hit something outside. You could even play charades if you don’t want to stay indoors all day.
16. Grill Burgers and Hot Dogs
Do this over an indoor grill or stovetop skillet. It’s not the same as cooking over an open fire, but it’ll do the trick.
Eat everything out of a Tin Foil packet. You can make pretty much anything in tin foil and it’ll taste great. Plus, there’s no cleanup involved.
17. Make Trail Mix
Make your trail mix by mixing nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chips before putting them in little baggies for everyone to snack on when they get hungry.
18. Go Fishing
Take a trip down to your local pet store and buy some fake fish that look like real ones, you can even find fish that will swim around inside their bag if you want them to. Use these as bait for your indoor fishing adventure. You can get a not-so-large water-filled basin and try out the fishing tricks.
FAQ
Can camping be done indoors?
Yes. You can go on a “camping trip” even if you aren’t going anywhere. Just set up a tent in your living room and pretend you’re sleeping outside.
Indoor camping is great for people who can’t get out of town because of weather or work, but even if you do have the opportunity to go outdoors, it’s still fun to try an indoor campout once in a while.
How do you make a homemade tent?
First, get an old sheet and tie it to the ceiling with clothespins or safety pins. You can also use pieces of string or yarn as ropes for this purpose.
Make sure the sheet hangs down far enough so that it covers most of your body when you’re lying down inside it.
If necessary, hang more than one sheet so that they overlap each other at the top and form an extra layer of protection from cold air currents (and creepy crawlies).
If there isn’t enough room in your room for two sheets to overlap completely at the top, then move them closer together until they do overlap well enough to create one layer of protection against cold air currents (and creepy crawlies). They also make sure there are no holes.
Is indoor camping a thing?
It’s not. But it can be.
Indoor camping is the best way to get your family to enjoy what could be outside without having to worry about the weather and bugs.
Can you set a tent up inside?
You can set up a tent inside as follow:
1. Set up a fort.
2. Build a pillow wall around your bed or couch for privacy or comfort.
3. Make a tent using sheets and blankets over the bed or couch.
4. Play flashlight tag in the dark with friends (or by yourself).
5. Play games like hide-and-seek indoors with flashlights when the electricity goes out during a storm (or just because).
Can you camp with a blanket?
Yes, but it’s not as fun as it would be with a tent. A blanket is great for an emergency shelter or if you’re going to be indoors anyway (like watching a movie). But if you’re outside and want to feel like you’re camping, then bring along a tent.
How do you keep bugs away from Cowboys camping?
There are several ways to keep the bugs away from your campsite.
First of all, make sure there aren’t any stagnant water areas nearby where
mosquitoes could breed (e.g., drains).
Second, try using bug repellents such as citronella candles or sprays that contain DEET (which can be harmful if used incorrectly).
Thirdly, simply stay inside your tent or camper when you’re sleeping, or better yet; just go inside for the night.
Final Thought
Camping is not just a simple pleasure, it’s a science that anyone who loves sleeping out under the stars can appreciate.
We tend to think of camping as this wild experience where you set up a tent and have marshmallows, but even the more experienced campers may be surprised by some of these ideas to use for fun, so check them out again.
