The Provisions
Everything you need to set up camp.
Decorations: Assemble a tent (shown); Black Diamond, $160, www.backcountry.com) and create a hideaway for the kids with sleeping bags and pillows. Add festive touches, like mini garden stakes (shown opposite; $38 for six, www.wavehill.org) and functional upturned buckets.Fire pit: It’s not camping without a crackling fire. Splurge on a fire pit (Smith & Hawken, $199, www.smithandhawken.com) that can be placed on grass or a stone patio. The pit may scorch the ground underneath, so follow the instructions carefully and keep a fire
extinguisher or a hose nearby.Food: Prepare Sausage Heros and Parmesan Pasta Salad indoors. Later, make popcorn and s’mores over the campfire. (See recipes.)Lighting: For a woodsy setting at night, hang candlelit lanterns, like the perforated metal ones shown opposite (NotNeutral lanterns, $50 each, www.notneutral.com), and set out citronella candles to repel bugs. Keep flashlights handy to illuminate the way — and to make shadow puppets.Stories and songs: Provide musical instruments, if you like. For other suggestions, see Story Time.
