We gutted a run down house and are almost done and ready to rent. It’s been a long 2 years. It’s in Brazoria, and it borders a large ranch / wooded area, and the owner is very nice and said he doesn’t mind if the kids play and hunt and build on it. When it finally got the point of having electricity and water turned on to outside faucet, the kids started coming and doing “camping” trips. The first few were semi legit camping with no plumbing, lights only, slept in a tent or mosquito proof hammock. Granted we now have electricity, running water, carpets, refrigerator etc and it isn’t really much camping, but when they go most of the time they are out in the woods and come back covered in mud after building forts or hunting squirrels with their BB guns. We have a campfire all day, and at night we’ll roast marshmallows and tell stories. When we do watch TV, I’ll drag the TV outside and we’ll watch scary (for 8 and 10 yo) movies in the dark by the fire. I think it’s been great for them and is.
Im actually a bit sad that we’re about to be done and find to rent it out. We’ve kind of kicked around moving there, but I’d have to change jobs and the schools system isn’t great from what I’ve seen.