Posted by Becca Larsen on Aug.25, 2009

ⓒ iStockPhoto - morgani

Camping with children is plenty of work, but it shouldn’t be all work.  Families need time to play together and camping is the perfect opportunity for that.  Hiking together is great, but sometimes it’s nice to laze around camp and enjoy being out in nature.

Toy box

Use a large water resistant tub, such as a 60 gallon lidded storage container and fill it with toys.  Blocks, small shovels, buckets, balls, toy vehicles and sand strainers are all great for exploring outdoors.  Toys like these can provide hours of entertainment and exploration of Mother Earth.  Set off in a safe place in the campsite this can be a mobile play area for young ones while you read a book, play some cards or just enjoy a cup of tea and the sounds of nature.

Exploration

Nature appreciation doesn’t have to take you down a trail.  Take a magnifying glass along and use it to check out moss, leaves, soil, bark and rocks up close and personal.  Older children can keep a journal of their observations.  Before you leave home for camp, borrow a identification book of your area plants or rocks and minerals and see if you can classify any of your finds.  Bird books are another great resource for learning about the world around us.  Check your local regulations before taking any samples of your finds. Some areas restrict movement of natural resources for preservation of the ecosystem.

Physical Play

A sure fire way to get kids to sleep through the night is wear them out during the day!  Include some frisbees, soccer balls, footballs or playground balls for some spontaneous games.  Some campgrounds have disc golf courses or basketball hoops for guest use.  Keep Away and Dodgeball are old favorites of kids, too.

Campfire Time

Remember all those old camp songs?  Singing can be great, but if you’ve had enough of Kumbaya, try starting a story and the next person adds a bit.  For example, “Johnny was on his way to…”   The next person could pick up and say, “the market to buy a…”  So it would go around the circle, being as creative as you can make it.  Even a toddler can get in on this game and exercise his imagination and story telling skills.

Another good group game is Telephone.  The first person whispers a sentence into the next person’s ear.  The second person whispers the sentence he heard into the third person’s ear.  So it would go until the last person is whispered the sentence.  The last person then announces the sentence to the family and the first person announces his sentence.  Everyone will get a laugh out of how different the versions often are at the end.  It’s even better when they are tongue twisters that are easily contorted or there are little ones in the family still gaining vocabulary.

If you missed the first three installments of this series, check out packing a day pack, basic gear and where to camp, and menu planning.

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Posted under Family, GDM Kids, Tweens, Teens.