Noah Pechette was just 5 years old when he first slept beneath the stars.

“He was so excited to be outside,” recalls his mother, Patience, of the family’s initial camping excursion.

“We had a fire pit and made foil dinners where [Noah] got to choose all of his own ingredients. We listened to outside noises. He loved it.”

Best of all, the creature comforts of home were just a few feet away.

That’s because the Pechettes pitched a tent right in their backyard — a fenced-in double lot straddling Colonie and Albany.

“It was great because if [Noah] didn’t like it, he knew his room and his bed were right there. So there wasn’t that feeling of anxiety,” said Pechette.

Parents wishing to introduce their little ones to the experiences that camping has to offer needn’t fret over reserving a site, packing endless supplies or venturing far from home.

Bernadine Wiesen, issue leader for 4-H and family consumer science in Rensselaer County, said one’s home turf is an ideal place to pitch a tent and let the fun begin.

But before planning anything, she noted, parents should take the time to talk with their child about what to expect. Watching a movie or reading a children’s book on the subject is a good idea. So, too, is toting along a comfort item or two.

“Maybe it’s a favorite stuffed animal, a clock, a book, a flashlight or even the family dog,” she said. “Just something from home. It can really ease the transition.”

The basics

Once your little ones are excited and intrigued about the festivities to come, it’s time to get to work.

What would camping be without a tent?

But when it comes to erecting shelter for the evening, one needn’t necessarily go the conventional route, said Lisa Hoyt, the director at Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center in Cropseyville. Hoyt, who lives in Grafton, said she began backyard camping with her children, now teens, when they were still in diapers.

“You could make your own ‘tent’ with outdoor chairs and throw blankets over that, or build a tepee with poles. Tie a rope around the top. Kids can be really creative here. Just put blankets or sleeping bags on the bottom.”

A roaring campfire is also essential.

If local ordinances forbid fires, simply set up a circle of rocks and place two or three flashlights in the middle. Then, after dark, turn them on and enjoy the glow. Just be sure to bring a few extra blankets along, as this type of “fire” won’t be throwing any heat.

If campfires are permitted, have your child help you select a small area in a back corner of your yard but not near a fence or other structure. Together, dig out the grass in a circle with an 8- to 10-inch deep center. Surround the circle with a ring of rocks.

You’ll need three types of firewood: tinder (small twigs, wood shavings, dry leaves or grass, dry needles, bark, or dryer lint), kindling (small sticks 1-inch in diameter or smaller) and fuel (larger wood that keeps the fire going).

Start with a small pile of tinder. Light it with a match and gradually add tinder to keep the fire roaring. Then start to add kindling, increasing the size of the sticks. When you have a good fire blazing, add fuel, one piece at a time.

Always keep a bucket of water, a fire extinguisher and a shovel nearby just in case of a fire that gets a bit unwieldy.

If digging up your lawn doesn’t sound appealing, you could purchase a portable fire pit or chiminea.

For a fun surprise, let the kids make organic fireworks by throwing popcorn kernels into the fire and watching them pop.

Tasty treats

As the fire subsides, you will have a fine hotbed to really get to some serious cooking under way.

Start with campground favorites like hot dogs and baked beans. Heat an open can of beans on the side of your campfire just like you’re roughing it, and use grilling forks or sharpened sticks the kids can use to roast hot dogs over an open flame. Just make sure the forks or sticks are long enough to keep them at a safe distance from the fire, and exercise caution when placing food on pointy objects.

Making S’mores is a must. Simply toast marshmallows over the fire until brown outside and soft and warm inside. Lay a chocolate bar on top of one graham cracker, top with a hot marshmallow and place another graham cracker on top. Squish down slightly. The chocolate will melt a little bit and the whole concoction is a dream.

While we’re talking snacks, don’t forget the gorp — good old raisins and peanuts — also known as trail mix.

Assemble the ingredients and let your children make their own snack pack. Give them a baggy, and have available to them peanuts, chocolate chips, pretzels, M&Ms, as well as chopped, dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, pineapple, apricots, dates, banana chips and whatever else tickles their fancy. This can be as healthful or sinful as desired.

Fun activities

No camping experience is complete without games and good times. Here are some tips for making the evening one to remember.

Flashlight Tag: This is a fun game to play if you live in an area with few street or city lights. Every player gets a flashlight, and each person runs around the yard, hiding from the flashlight beams while trying to spot other players with flashlights.

Of course, don’t forget about how much fun a simple flashlight can be inside a tent. You and your children can create shadow puppets for what will seem like hours.

Not-so-Scary Stories: Kids want to love scary stories, but if you indulge them, you may end up spending the night consoling a frightened child. For your night around the campfire, tell stories that start out scary but which have funny endings. This might take some preparation. You could write your own stories in advance, or take one or two books out of the library.

Around the Camp Fire: Kids will love simply sitting around the campfire, watching the flames and talking. Place pillows in the tent or on a blanket. Pass out song sheets. Join together singing folk songs, cowboy ballads and childhood classics. Make up your own special song.

Astronomy: Extinguish the fire, shut off the flashlights and look for constellations in the night sky. The farther you live from a city, the more you’ll see. Look for the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper or some of the more difficult-to-spot constellations.

You may want to preface the evening by taking your little one to visit the planetarium. There, he can learn about some of the special landmarks he can find in the sky.

Of course, you can also pick up a field guide with maps at the library. Consider investing in some binoculars or a basic telescope.

Night Vision: You may think you can’t see in the dark, but Hoyt said humans have better night vision than they think.

“It takes 45 minutes of being out in the dark for your eyes to fully adjust. Once they do, your pupils get really large and they let more light in — so you will see better. To help develop this vision, Hoyt said, turn off all ambient lights, including porch lights, and if you are using a flashlight, cover the light with a veil of red cellophane.

“This doesn’t interfere with your night vision,” said Hoyt. Another bonus, she said, is that most animals don’t see the color red. So keeping raccoons and other creatures at bay becomes much easier.

A night to remember

Drew Chesney, camp director at Camp Boyhaven in Middle Grove, part of the Twin Rivers Boy Scout Council, said there is something special to be said for “hanging out” in a tent with mom and dad.

“Spending a night outdoors is a real big deal. That’s what every kid remembers. Just the fact that you are getting the kids away from their beds is huge, but at the same time, they know the refrigerator and bathroom are 2 feet away,” he said.

Hoyt added that camping, aside from being a wonderful way to connect with nature, can also serve as an ideal bonding experience.

“If you learn to be comfortable outside at night, it opens up a whole new world for families and kids. For families who choose to do this, it’s a way to unplug the television and computers and spend time together with no interruptions,” she said.