When you have kids, life gets busy ... sometimes so busy that you don't do the things you enjoy doing together. If you and your family love to camp ... or if you've never tried camping because you're too intimidated, then this weekend's backyard campout may be right up your alley. This Saturday (June 27), marks the Great American Backyard Campout, a day to get your family out camping, right in your own backyard.

 

The Great American Backyard Campout is a yearly event put together by the National Wildlife Federation in an effort to "provide an opportunity for everyone to relive -- or to experience for the first time -- how much fun it is to spend a night sleeping under the stars and enjoying the sounds of nature."

 

It's a brilliant idea, because it takes away everything scary or intimidating about camping. (What if I forget something? How can I possibly pack everything I need? Where do I pee?) and just boils camping down to its funest elements ... sleeping outside under the stars.

 

So even if your family is too busy or inexperienced for a weekend at a campground, you can get together for this weekend's backyard campout. Just grab a few sleeping bags (or borrow them from a friend) and throw up a tent. And definitely don't forget the marshmallows!