If you are planning a family camping trip this summer, you are probably thinking about how to keep the children entertained. They’ll enjoy themselves especially if camping is an experience they’ve never had before. The kids will have fun helping set up their tents, build firewood, and cook meals. It’s a good idea to plan out some activities and pack some games, for those times when you’re relaxing at the campsite. Here are ten ideas that you could use when planning your family’s camping adventure. Many state and federal parks provide Junior Ranger programs during the summer camping season. The program’s activities vary between parks, but they’re always targeted toward children and always encourage parents to participate. Interspersed amongst the fun The Junior Ranger program teaches about geology, ecology, history and safety, as well as plants and wildlife, among other outdoor subjects. Every day, the lessons are about an hour long and focus on a different subject. Certain parks offer Junior Ranger programs specifically for teens and tweens. They also offer longer hikes that explore some of the interesting natural features or history of the region. The National Park Foundation has more information about the Junior Ranger program. You can also Google(tm) and enter your state name, and also include the term Junior Ranger. One sure-fire way to beat the boredom and stress of camping children and that’s to stay near a lake, river or ocean. Kids love water, and parents are able to have a lot of fun with their kids on hot summer days. While children aren’t likely to be keen on long walks, if there’s a river to play in or they just want to enjoy the scenery, it will keep them entertained for many hours. With rewards at the end, it is easier to keep kids engaged in the outdoors. Another way to make a hike more interesting for kids is to turn it into an exciting scavenger hunt. Start with “A” and progress to the alphabet. Keep looking for items starting with the letter. You don’t have to bring anything back with you to camp. Simply move on to the next letter, and maybe take a few photos. This is not only the best method to keep children interested in their hikes, but it also allows them to take a look and experience more of their surroundings. This is something that I’ve been so used to doing with my kids and I find myself walking through the alphabet on my own walks. Of course, I’m still just a kid but I’m a kid at heart! If your family’s camping experience involves a beach with sand There’s no better alternative than buckets or scoops as well as other plastic tools of sand delight. The buckets can also be used for collecting sea shells as well as rocks, which is another fun beach activity that kids enjoy. Whatever your plans for camping with the family will be, there’s going to be times spent at the campsite , and it is important to plan for some kid-friendly activities that you can do in a tiny space. Bubble blowing is a fantastic game for kids. An ice-cold bottle of bubbles will keep them entertained. Who will blow the largest bubbles? Who has the ability to blow the largest bubbles? It could not require the effort of convincing your older children to join in on the fun. We all know about horseshoes and, in reality certain campgrounds have horseshoe pits. You can also arrange washer toss or ring toss games around your campsite. These games are ideal for kids and much simpler to maintain within the campsite rather than throwing balls. The greatest thing of games like these is that anyone can play and yet they’re simple enough that the kids can play in their own time if they are making meals or packing up items for the night. Memory games, where you mix-up a set of cards or tiles and you turn over two tiles in order to locate a matching tile, are great picnic table activities for both ages alike. There is no requirement for a specific number of players in order to play a memory game. This is a real plus especially if you have kids camping with a buddy, or two. It’s tough to pack an ice cream maker on a family camping trip. However, devices such as the Play and Freeze(tm) Ice cream maker allow you to make your own, right at the campsite. It’s difficult to keep the ice cold however, it’s possible to bring blocks of ice which melts faster, and crush it with an instrument. Review my experience with the Play & Freeze. It is possible to have your own “movie night” at camp, using portable DVD players. This is a great option to make s’mores, if you do not want your kids to be pumped up on sugar before going to bed. Campfire Popcorn has more information on pop corn in the backcountry. The majority of portable DVD players include a 12-Volt charging port that allows them to charge from the car. If your DVD player didn’t include a car charging cable, it is possible to find one at any electronic store. A little ghost story is okay. Let me let you decide whether scaring your kids with ghost stories, before they get into their sleeping bags, would be an ideal idea. With the campfire burning and the sound of the forest and other nighttime sounds, the campsite is the ideal setting. Oh, my!
