It's
Time to Camp
By Sandy Fleming
It's Time to Camp!
May often marks the beginning
of the camping season in many families. Whether
you are a tent-camping crew, an RV group, or a backyard camp
family,
here are some fun activities and recipes to liven up any camp-out.
First of all, give everyone
a job to help set up, maintain, and tear down
the campsite. Shared responsibilities will help everyone take
more ownership
of the outing and have more fun. Setting up the tent, unpacking
the car,
hanging the clothesline, gathering wood, clearing the site, making
the fire,
setting up sleeping bags, cleaning up trash and dishes, and removing
trash
and rocks are all important jobs that usually need to be done
at some point.
Involving the children from the packing and planning point onward
will help
everyone feel they are contributing to the outing and hopefully
become more
involved.
After camp is set up,
more energetic souls will enjoy a scavenger hunt. Try
making a list of things that might be seen ahead of time. Give
each player a
pencil and have him or her mark off each item as it is spotted.
A variant of
this game is to play Nature Bingo. Just make a Bingo board and
put the name
or picture of a nature item in each space. See who can be first
to get a
BINGO!
Camp treats are loads
of fun. Everyone has made the s'mores, so why not plan
a new treat for this outing? Banana Boats are quick, easy and
gooey treats
that almost everyone loves. Simply slice a banana (in the skin)
along the
inside curve. Put squares of chocolate and mini-marshmallows
in the cut.
Wrap the banana in foil and bake in the coals for about 15 minutes.
Be
careful! This treat is very hot and will need to be eaten carefully
with a
spoon. If you're really feeling adventurous, you can bake a mini-cake
in
your fire! Simply cut the top off of an orange and scoop out
the fruit. Fill
the empty peel with cake batter (chocolate or white cake seem
to work best).
Wrap in foil and bake in the coals. You will end up with a slightly
orange-
flavored cake!
Camping can be a great
family experience and grand fun for all ages. Keep
everyone's developmental needs in mind and plan your outing to
meet them,
and you will be on your way to making some great family memories.
Sandy Fleming
is an educator, author and workshop facilitator. She resides
in southern Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
Sandy leads workshops for daycare providers and parents
in the region, tutors students, volunteers for Girl Scouts
and her church, and teaches online classes for adults and
children. She loves to make new friends, so please drop
her an e-mail at kids@busyparentsonline.com
