| Camping with your family provides a wide array of | | | | can turn rainy days into many fun activities inside. |
| possibilities for enjoyment. From the basic activities | | | | Don't loose track of how these cubes can also be |
| that include swimming and hiking to more inventive | | | | used outside on the picnic table or choosing who |
| activities such as story telling and cloud watching, | | | | does what to play a game, clean up in the evenings, |
| there are activities for all ages. Since camping is a | | | | or pack up to go home. |
| great way to relax your mind and ease out of the | | | | Fishing - Kids under the age of 12 usually do not need |
| demands of your daily life, activities should be a | | | | a license (ensure you and everyone fishing have the |
| combination of structured and spontaneous, not | | | | correct license for the State you are camping in). |
| another something you need to do. | | | | This is a great activity if you are near a river, lake or |
| Each member of your family should come up with | | | | pond. Bring the poles and teach your children how to |
| some activities they would like to do while camping. | | | | fish. There can be contests with prizes for the first |
| These ideas need to have some preparation when | | | | fish caught, the smallest fish, the most fish caught, |
| you pack so bikes, radios, backpacks, books, games, | | | | and of course, the biggest fish. |
| swimsuits. etc. are included. These structured | | | | Learn a little - Do a little research on the area you will |
| activities should only consume part of your trip. | | | | be camping before you leave. Without it coming off |
| Staying busy does not have to mean filling up every | | | | as a 'lesson' or 'school' find the historical sites or talk |
| hour with structured activities. Camping needs to | | | | about what the Explorers of the past went through |
| include downtime for everyone and that, in and of | | | | as they paved their way across the area. You can |
| itself, creates spontaneity. Have some thought put | | | | also learn about plants, birds, and animals that are |
| into this type of time so when the time is right your | | | | native to the area. |
| family can enjoy activities they have not thought of | | | | Creative Spontaneous Activities |
| or done before. This is what creates memories. | | | | Take a late night walk - The best time of the day is |
| Structured activities may include: | | | | the night. Kids are usually in bed so make a late night |
| Swimming - No matter where you are camping you | | | | walk a special activity for the family. Check out the |
| are bound to have a lake, a brook, or pool close to | | | | stars, listen to the silence, smell the fresh country air. |
| you. Swimming is great exercise and lot of fun for all | | | | It doesn't get any better than this. |
| ages. Send your kids off to swim their lungs out in | | | | Scavenger hunt - Provide a list of items such as |
| these and explore the bounties of nature for | | | | plants, leaves, or animal tracks that you might see to |
| themselves. If you are camping in a commercial | | | | each family member. Go on a nature hike and have |
| campsite you might even be lucky enough to find a | | | | everyone check off everything they see. A planned |
| pool for your kids to go swimming in. But whether it | | | | scavenger can be done, also. Bring items from home |
| is a natural or a man-made lake, as long as it is all | | | | and place them around the campsite. Provide a few |
| right for your children to swim in them you know | | | | riddles and clues and see how many they can find. Be |
| that they'll stay occupied. | | | | cautious of plants such as poison ivy, oak, sumac etc. |
| Biking - Camping is all about discovering nature and | | | | Storytelling - Tell stories about when you were |
| engaging in physical activities, and what better way | | | | growing up. Kids young and old like to hear 'when you |
| of combining both than going out biking? When | | | | were young' stories of your camping or outdoor |
| cycling around with your children make sure you have | | | | adventures. Once the stories start everyone will join |
| a map and a first aid box close at hand, so that you | | | | in to tell about their memories. Another way to tell |
| don't continue to worry about getting lost or ending | | | | stories is to start one and let all members of your |
| up hurt and can instead concentrate fully on the | | | | family add to it and see where the story goes. |
| breathtaking view alone. | | | | Watch clouds - As you are sitting around in your |
| Hiking - You do not need to be a serious hiker to | | | | campsite watch the sky and find the characters in |
| enjoy walking through nature's beautiful display, | | | | the clouds. Better yet put a blanket on the ground |
| wherever you are camping. Bring a map of the area | | | | and lay on your back to find your shapes and see if |
| and take your family on a hiking trip they will | | | | you can see what others in your family see. |
| remember. | | | | Climbing - Kids love to climb. Find a hill or some rocks |
| Build a campfire - Camping is not camping without a | | | | along the shoreline that they can play on. Let their |
| campfire. Although fire can be a danger, with | | | | imaginations take over for hours of fun. |
| attention to the fire and supervision of the kids the | | | | Skip rocks - Scour the shores of the lake to find flat |
| entire family can sit around the campfire and be | | | | rocks and see who can skip their rock the most |
| memorized by the flames. Allow your kids to find | | | | times. This activity will be enjoyed by the entire |
| twigs (on the ground, never cut them off a tree) | | | | family since even the young members can try |
| and throw them into the fire. Once you build the | | | | skipping rocks. |
| campfire enjoy its warmth, roast marshmallows and | | | | Journaling - Pack a blank journal to use when you feel |
| hotdogs, and enjoy how the dancing flames bring | | | | something happened that needs to be documented. |
| your family together. | | | | Provide every family member with paper to do this |
| Crafts - Bring items from home or have the kids find | | | | and have them read their entries over dinner or while |
| what they need to create crafts from nature. Gather | | | | sitting around your campfire. |
| twigs to build a castle or a fort, find rocks to paint to | | | | Sing songs - If your family is so inclined, singing |
| create rock pets, or bring glue and scissors and let | | | | traditional campfire songs can be a lot of fun. You |
| your kids create what they can imagine. | | | | can also photocopy the insides of everyone's |
| Toys and balls - Bring items that will keep the family | | | | favorite CD and sing the lyrics to some of their |
| entertained in case of inclement weather and ones | | | | favorite songs. |
| that will be enjoyed outside. A baseball and gloves, | | | | Camping with family does need to include activities. It |
| football, or frisbie can be tossed for hours between | | | | may sound very relaxing to sit around the campfire |
| members of your family. Bring age appropriate toys | | | | all day, but your kids will need to keep busy. Use |
| that can take on a new dimension at the campsite | | | | these suggestions to help create an enjoyable family |
| such as a small truck. There will be hours of | | | | camping trip that will generate wonderful memories. |
| enjoyment and imagination as your kids (big and | | | | One successful camping trip will lead to man, many |
| small, and Dad) transform dirt into a construction site | | | | others. Camping is a great family experience. Go and |
| or trails. | | | | have fun. |
| Dice - These five small, square, and numbered cubes | | | | |