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Posts Tagged ‘camping’

by Rachel Paxton

It never fails, when you go camping your kids are probably going to complain about being bored. With a little preparation ahead of time, you can make the most of your camping trip and spend some great quality time with your children.

Nature Hikes

Some of the best memories I have camping as a child are of going on nature hikes. Some of the state campgrounds have beautifully maintained trails that are great for taking your children on nature hikes. Give your children a list of things to look for on their hike. If they are young you can use pictures instead of words for the items they are to find. You can also bring along guidebooks that show birds that are native to the area you are visiting. Children love to identify different types of wildlife. You can also get guidebooks for identifying local trees and wildflowers. There are even books and charts for identifying animal tracks.

Lawn Games

Camping trips are a great time to dust off those lawn games you never get around to playing at home. A current favorite is Ladder Ball. You can pick this game up for about $20 at Walmart. You take turns throwing balls attached to ropes at small ladders. You keep score according to which rung of the ladder the balls and rope wrap around. Kids love this game and will play it over and over again (teens and adults love playing it too!). Horsehoes are also an old family favorite and are easy to take along with you.

Board Games

Kids loving playing board games. We parents don’t always take the time to play board games with our kids, but camping is a great time to spend playing games with your children. Most preschool-aged children love Hi Ho Cherry-O. My boys will play it over and over again. Grandma bought our boys a new Toy Story version of Yahtzee Jr. That game is really fun too and easy to play for kids that aren’t quite yet ready for Yahtzee. My boys also love to play Sorry. I can’t wait until they’re old enough to play Scrabble.

In case it rains, you might also want to bring some new coloring books and crayons. Kids always love new coloring books. Word finds and word scrambles are also fun for older kids.

Remember that the main purpose of spending time camping with your family is to spend quality time together. Go hiking with your kids, ride bicycles with them, roast marshmallows over the campfire. Your children will treasure these family memories.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of five. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit http://www.christian-parent.com

by Ben Anton

A staycation is a vacation that you take without really going anywhere. You can stay close to home, like your neighborhood park, the campsite on the outskirts of your hometown, or even your backyard. A staycation emphasizes what is most important about vacations – time with your family and friends. You don’t need to go anywhere special to enjoy each other’s company.

Why Now?

For the most part, staycations are growing because of the ever-rising fuel prices and the general economic downturn. A bigger percentage of a household’s income is going toward paying for the higher priced gas people need to get back and forth to work and school. Additionally, increasing food prices mean more income is needed to buy food every month. Planning a vacation is hard work already, but trying to figure out where the money will come from to pay the gas (in addition to the regular travel expenses) to get there can be even harder. This is why staycations are becoming even more popular.

A staycation is a vacation spent either at home or very near to home as a means to take a holiday without spending a large amount on travel. By eliminating the need to travel a great distance, most vacation costs can be cut dramatically. Without the stress of trying to figure out how to pay for the staycation, families will find that they enjoy a much needed respite that much more.

Below are some great ideas for easy staycations you and your family can take this summer to cut down on fuel, food, and equipment costs.

• Camp in Your Own Backyard. Plan a weekend camping trip with your kids in your backyard. Set-up your tents, pack up some coolers, throw together your camping gear, and maybe even set-up a simple fire pit or purchase a small enclosure for a fire pit and enjoy the outdoors at home. By turning off your phones and saying no to the TV and internet, you and your kids can experience the outdoors and the great weather this summer with very little cost.

• Find a Local Campsite. Ask your chamber of commerce about camping areas in your city or just outside your city limits. This is a great way to experience how tourists to your town may see your city while traveling through. This is also a great way to get outdoors and meet other people who may be sharing your camping area.

• Take in Your Local Attractions. While you are talking with the chamber of commerce, ask them about fun things to do on the weekend in your area. So many of us know very little about the interesting and exciting things available to us in our own city.

It might be a few more years before you can afford to take that road trip across the country. But, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to spend some great quality time with your family and even with your friends. Go on an adventure, even if it is one in your own backyard, and see what there is to see. No matter what else happens this summer, you will be able to head into the fall months knowing that you had a great staycation, where your family was able to just be together and to enjoy themselves. There can be nothing greater in the world.

Ben Anton lives in Portland, OR and writes for DLK. We invite you to find out more about discount camping equipment like durable LED lanterns and flashlights available through DiscountLightsAndKnives.com.

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