Make an indoor campsite with a floor-level sleeping area, a paper campfire and stories that leave everyone comfortably close to their own bathroom.
Illustrative artwork from the game, rather than a photograph of a real outing or session.
Camp Carpet offers reliable weather, familiar toilets and an unusually convenient kettle. Spread out bedding, invent a campsite name and let the evening unfold through supper, torchlit stories and a quiet wind-down. A tent is optional. A sleeping bag on the rug is already enough of a change to make an ordinary room feel like somewhere else.
The suggested range is ages 2–11 with adult help. Decide whether this is an evening visit or an actual sleepover; either counts. Younger campers may only want the picnic and one story, while older children can design the site map and take responsibility for the storytelling timetable. Nobody has to stay overnight to receive their imaginary campsite badge.
A little planning before the fun
Time to allow
Allow about 3 hours for setting up, supper, stories and settling down. An overnight stay is optional and extends beyond the activity time.
Budget notes
Use existing bedding, torches and ordinary supper ingredients. There is no need for a tent, camping equipment or special snack shop; the campsite can charge entirely imaginary fees.
These are planning suggestions, not live prices or bookings. The shorter and longer versions give you room to adapt the activity to your day.
Tick off what you have gathered, or print a fresh checklist. Ticks are for this page only.
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Bedding or sleeping bags suitable for the room
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Cushions and a clear floor-level space
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A torch with a safe battery compartment
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Paper and pens for a map and pretend campfire
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Your usual supper and drinking water
Make it happen
1. Choose the pitch together
An adult checks a clear space away from heaters, doors and cables. Lay bedding directly on the floor with a clear walking route. Agree where drinks and shoes belong. If someone wants a den, keep it low and airy with a visible exit; a campsite sign works perfectly well without building a blanket engineering project.
2. Draw Camp Carpet
Map the sleeping area, picnic spot, bathroom route and a quiet corner. Let children name each place and add a silly attraction, such as the Cushion Mountains. Make a pretend campfire from drawn flames, with no heat or candles involved. Older campers can write a programme while younger ones colour a sign or choose the first story.
3. Bring supper to the site
Serve an ordinary meal picnic-style, with everyone sitting comfortably and food handled as you normally would at home. Take turns announcing the weather report and spotting imaginary wildlife. One sock under the sofa can become a very rare creature. Keep the silliness separate from eating so small campers can concentrate on their actual mouths.
4. Tell stories by torchlight
Keep enough room light for safe movement and use the torch to illuminate a book or your paper campfire. Start a story with a lost tent peg, a talking badger or a mysterious rustle. Each person adds one sentence. Agree whether you want funny, adventurous or gentle stories before someone introduces a monster nobody ordered.
5. Close the campsite slowly
Move from a lively story to a quieter one, then ask everyone to name their favourite campsite moment. If this is an evening activity, pack bedding away together. If you are sleeping downstairs, adults keep normal supervision and bedtime arrangements. Make it easy for anyone to return to their own bed without a farewell ceremony.
Make it work for you
A shorter first visit
For younger children, pitch one blanket, eat supper and read a familiar book. An hour can feel like a whole camping expedition. Finish before tiredness turns the Cushion Mountains into an emotional obstacle course.
Older campers need a mission
Invite children to design a campsite newsletter, weather bulletin or five-minute audio nature show. Give them freedom over the story and programme while an adult remains responsible for practical safety and bedtime.
Keep your usual sleeping place
Treat the camp as an evening lounge and return to normal beds afterwards. Anyone who needs a chair, a sofa or more space can use one; getting down onto the floor is optional.
Before you begin
Keep exits, heaters and electrical equipment clear. Use torches rather than flames and keep battery compartments secured. Keep bedding suitable for each child, maintain adult supervision and avoid unstable furniture structures.
Camp Carpet evening programme
Print this programme and fill the blanks together before opening the campsite.
1. Our campsite is called:
2. Our sleeping or sitting pitches are:
3. Supper will be served at:
4. The wildlife we might imagine spotting:
5. Our agreed story mood: funny / gentle / adventurous
6. Quiet time begins at:
7. At closing time, each camper will help put away:
These prompts are included when you print the plan and checklist.
The best expedition can end in your own bed. Your campsite is allowed an excellent cancellation policy.
How did your family get on?
Tell us which step helped, what needed explaining or what you would do differently. A small, specific suggestion is more useful than a gold star—though we do enjoy a gold star.
Your email app opens so you can choose what to send. Please leave out private details, children’s names and photographs of other people.
Let the envelopes choose your next adventure
Choose activities your family would enjoy and let a little mystery settle the final decision. The sample game lets you try it before creating your own board.
Prepared for Deal or Date · Updated 28 October 2026
These plans expand activities from our game catalogue. Text and illustrative artwork were prepared with AI assistance, then checked for catalogue accuracy, clear steps and practical variations before publication. They are suggestions to make your own, rather than accounts of personal trips or product tests.