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Family Life: Great Activities for the Family Camping Trip
by Stuart Yalethorpe
http://www.faircamping.com
Camping is a great way for families to spend time together,
and is often the backdrop for cherished childhood
memories. For those who have decided to take camping down
to its most basic level and go tenting, there are no
electronic conveniences that will keep the kids occupied
during those times when there's a lull in the day or
evening. As a result, you're going to have to get creative
and provide their source of entertainment. That being the
case, here are some great camping activities that your
whole family will love.
Making Nature Bracelets is one way to both entertain and
educate your children. You use natural materials you find
in the area around your camp grounds. All you have to do
is wind some masking tape around the wrists (adhesive side
facing out), so this is easy even for the youngest child.
Now all you do is attach interesting items you find as you
all take part in a nature walk. As your children try to
identify various leaves, wildflowers, seeds and bits of
shell from a hatched birds egg, you can are making an
interesting game for your budding naturalists. Be sure to
inspect everything before allowing your youngsters to
touch or attach anything. Don't take a chance on a
bracelet made of poison oak or ivy!
Many camp grounds provide entertainment for the campers,
and hayrides are one of the more popular diversions. They
are a lot of fun, and many groups incorporate them into an
autumn or Halloween theme. But even just a ride in a hay
wagon on a summer day can be memorable. The country smell
of fresh mown hay will stay with you forever. As with most
activities, just follow some commen sense rules of safety:
don't let young children go on their own, and be careful
of allergies. Many people are allergic to hay, so make sure
you or your children take your allergy medication.
When you are sitting around singing around the campfire,
why not shake up tradition a bit, by making up you own
songs instead of singing the old traditional songs? Pick a
song everyone knows, and then have everyone take turns
making up a new, original verses.This is a fun way to liven
up an old tradition. If you encourage everyone to be as
silly as possible, you'll come up with some interesting
versions, as well as lots of laughs. However, don't sing
too late into the evening, or you'll have angry neighbors.
For families who have younger children, turning common
camping utensils into the makings of a puppet show will
delight the little ones. Using a campfire or flashlight as
the illuminator, animate everyday objects, such as a
spatula, ladle or other camping gear, and give them fun
personalities that will entertain the kids. This is sure
to bring a lot of fun to the camping experience, and the
tykes won't soon forget the fun that they had during that
year's vacation.
Teach your children to use a compass so they will be safe
while camping. Be sure they will understand the lesson by
making it into a game. First, do a serious review of the
compass directions and how to read them. Then, hide
some items close by and give them compass coordinates to
find them. Watch how quickly they will learn if the items
they have to find are prizes. Make sure the prizes are
within close range of the campground for safety's sake. You
should discourage your children from wandering off by
themselves. You don't want your children to go into the
woods away from your supervision at any time.
Camping has been shown to be a fun, healthy way to share
quality family time. It is in inexpensive way to vacation,
if you couldn't afford one otherwise. You and your family
will be relaxed, learn a lot, and have fun!
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