It is a sad comment on our times that we have to think of ways to entertain our children in the great outdoors as children are so conditioned by their TVs, video games and computers that they are unable to entertain themselves. [kids camping]
Here are some tips to keep kids entertained while at camp:
Walks: Some sturdy shoes and some curiosity are all that you need for a walk in the wild. Getting to see local flora and fauna close at hand may be a novel experience that kids may truly enjoy and find educative as well.
Explain what you see. Animal habitat, feeding habits, unique plants may all make for a very unique experience while tramping through nature.
Also organize a sort of Scavenger hunt: make a list of things one is likely to spot on the trail, and then have the kids collect and bring them back. Rocks, bugs, pine cones, feathers, leaves will all do!
Bird Watching: Do a bit of preplanning for this: find out on the internet what species of birds you are likely to find so you know what to look for. It can be very rewarding for a child to spot a rare bird or even one he or she is familiar with based on what was read before.
Storytelling: The time honored tradition of story telling around a camp fire may be a bit of a cliché but really a good story is something that everyone enjoys not just kids. And once the storytelling starts, who knows what interesting stories one may get to hear!
Games: Catch, dodge ball, badminton are all easily portable and light to carry. Even tossing around a Frisbee is great fun for kids. Carry along a few board games for some quite time as well. Introduce the kids to Scrabble if they haven’t been so far.
Photography: Explain the basic principles of photography such as lighting and its nuances, framing and composition of the picture and colors to your children and then allow them to handle the camera and do some photographic experimentation themselves.
With today’s digital cameras yielding results immediately, children could be fascinated at the sort of images they are able to capture.
Star Gazing: In the wilderness, far from the city lights that obscure a lot of the stars, the heavens can be seen really bright and well lit. Let the children understand constellations and if possible point out some.
Let camping be quality family time; don’t carry along a bunch of video games and the like; rather let your kids explore and delight in the nature around!
