Camping with kids – Kids Discover Nature

Backyard Camping with Kids: Easing Fears of Night Noises

by Jodi Valenta

This is the third post in the series Backyard Camping with Children.

It is natural for a child to have questions and misunderstandings about the night. This creates fear that can be overwhelming to a child. But alas, help is here. Night sounds can be especially scary for little ears. My daughter’s first experience hearing an owl while we were camping in the backyard affected her for a long time. I had previously taught her about owls and how they sound. We even read the book Owl Moon. But I never took the time to prepare her for what she would hear while camping in our backyard. When she first heard the “hoot” of a Barred Owl in our woods, she covered her ears, burst into tears, screamed at the top of her lungs, and ran into the house at top speed. Needless to say, our campout came to an abrupt end.

I was totally unprepared for that reaction and for the fallout. It took several months to convince her to try camping again and to come to terms with owls and their “hoots.” To help parents avoid this mishap, I developed the following tips for helping children overcome fears of the night while camping. Following these tips will go a long way in preparing your child for the first “hoot.”

Essential Guide for Easing Childrens’ Fear of the Night While Camping

Discuss what they will hear (crickets, frogs, owls, coyotes, etc.), see (moths, raccoons, skunks, opossums, bats, etc.) or feel at night (insects, spider webs, etc.).
Explain why creatures are out and about at night (nocturnal vs. diurnal, finding food, mating, etc.)
Explain why they make sounds at night (calling to one another, guarding territory, etc.)
Read books about night creatures. Borrow books from the local library about camping in general, nocturnal creatures, or any animal in which they show a special interest.
While camping, focus less on the “dark” and more on how beautiful night time can be. Observe the stars and the moon. Talk about the “music” of the night.
Do not expect children to sleep outside all night. Take small steps by allowing them to sleep inside in their own beds when bedtime arrives. Another option is to allow them to fall asleep in the tent and then transfer them to their beds.
Practice for night time camping outside by camping inside first. Set up tents in the family room complete with sleeping bags, pillows, books, and flashlights and encourage them to sleep there for the night.
Hearing night time sounds can be fun if you make it a game. Ask children to identify what sounds they hear.
Allow children to fall asleep with their flashlights.

Camping with kids

The Essential Backyard Campout Safety Checklist

by Jodi Valenta

This is Part II of my series on camping in your own backyard.

When camping with children in your backyard, it is important to know how to keep everyone safe. Even though you are in familiar territory, it is surprisingly easy to experience mishaps. If you prepare correctly, you can keep these to a minimum. Plus, following safety protocols is the smart things to do. If your kids are old enough, you can review them together and have them help you prepare. It can be a fun learning experience for the entire family. Below are some basic tips to consider. I encourage you to do some research to help you prepare your family for fun in the backyard!

Essential Backyard Camping Safety Checklist

Use common sense while camping, especially if you have a campfire.
Have the proper equipment and tools (see my post Must-Haves for Backyard Camping for details).
Chose a safe campsite (a flat spot free of large obstacles like rocks and tree stumps)
Keep potentially dangerous items out of the reach of children (matches, knives, insect repellent)
Learn about and teach children about campfire safety if you plan to have one (a good resource is SmokeyBear.com)
Teach children to stay within eyesight or earshot.
Respect wildlife. Never approach or touch wild animals, use a camera instead.
Be aware of your surroundings and watch where you step.
Pay attention to weather conditions.
Do not leave children alone at the campsite.
Have first aid essentials available in the house.
If you are sleeping outside for the night, put all food away in the house before going to sleep to avoid attracting animals to the campsite.
Remember to be prepared for the unexpected, do not take unnecessary chances.
Supervise your children at all times!

Many of these are intuitive, especially for moms, but it doesn’t hurt to do a quick review once in a while. My goal in writing this was to provide an exhaustive list, but I am sure I have missed a few important points. If you would like to add your thoughts, please do so in the comments section.

Camping with kids

Must-Haves to Make Overnight Camping in the Backyard Fun

by Jodi Valenta

I Can Feel It in the Air
I don’t know about you, but this time of year gets me thinking about s’mores and cozy sleeping bags. When the end-of-summer evenings begin to turn cool and there is a crisp feeling in the air, your backyard is the perfect place to camp and enjoy the weather. Why go to all the trouble of packing up and leaving home when you can have your own camping fun right in the backyard? No crowds, no park fees to pay, no hours to drive — just grab your stuff and make your backyard campsite your family’s new favorite place to be. To help you prepare for your evenings in the backyard, this is the first of a series of posts to help you get organized and stay safe with a very special post at the end about night critters

Can Camping in the Backyard Really be Fun?

Sure, it can! The nice thing about camping in the backyard is that you only need to worry about the essentials. It will take time to prepare everything, but having these items on-hand at the site will prevent you from having to trek back and forth dozens of times between the campsite and the house. The key to a successful and fun backyard camping with kids is to make sure they are comfortable, safe and have things to do to keep them busy. To be sure everyone has an enjoyable experience I developed the following checklist:

Essential Family Backyard Camping Checklist:

For comfort

Tent (or blanket, tarp, bed sheet or sheet of plastic draped over a clothesline or tree branch, with corners held down by stakes or rocks)
Sleeping bag (or a sheet and blankets or comforter)
Sleeping pad (or air mattress, old comforter or blanket) to keep out the chill from the ground
Pillows
Camp chairs or something to sit upon
Table or blanket for eating and game playing outside
Clothing – several layers, which can be removed or added depending on the weather
Hats – use your judgment on the type based on the weather
Insect repellent
Flashlight (with extra batteries) for trips to the bathroom, easing night time fears and reading – one for each child to prevent arguments.

For meals

Full drinking bottles
Munchies and/or food you can cook if you have a campfire (i.e. marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars for s’mores)
Long, sturdy sticks for cooking over the camp fire (i.e. s’mores, hot dogs)
Cooking and eating utensils
Pocket knife
Napkins and paper or dish towels
Water (in a jug or cooler)
Plates and cups
Matches
Trash bag

For fun

Games, books, playing cards, crayons, paper
Identification guides (field guide to animals, insects, birds, trees, stars, etc.)
Items for nature exploration (magnifying glass, binoculars, journal, etc.)
Camera
Musical instruments and song books

If you know of something your family can’t be without when camping in the yard, please add to my list via the comments below. We would all like to hear your great ideas!

Please check back on Monday for tips on how to stay safe when camping in the backyard.

Camping with kids

Tips to Help You Find Great Summer Outdoor Camps…

by MCC

It’s time to start thinking about where to send the kids to camp this summer. No doubt, your local parenting magazines have ads for various area camps splattered throughout. If you are going to send your kids to summer camp, now is the time to start planning. Not only will you get spots at your top picks when you register early, but you’ll avoid hearing the “I’m bored!” complaint from your kids because they’ll have something better to do than hang around the house all day ALL SUMMER.

Consider this — rather than sign them up for the now typical offering of soccer, computer, basketball, Lego, tumbling camp and the like, why not go the more traditional route and send them to an outdoor camp? They include all the fun stuff like camping, archery, fishing, target shooting, animal tracking, orienteering, hiking, swimming in lakes, cooking by campfire, sleeping in cabins and tents and learning outdoor survival skills. It’s the classic picture we all have in our minds from our camping days.

If you have to specifically look for an outdoor camp for the traditional camp experience. What exactly are outdoor camps? After all, kids are outdoors when they play soccer, tennis, etc. Well, outdoor camps include activities that focus mainly on traditional outdoor activities like boating, hiking and those I mentioned above.

For a multitude of reasons, the popularity of this type of camp has declined. But, given all the news these days about children needing to reconnect with the outdoors and nature, outdoor camps may be enjoying a comeback because they are just what the doctor ordered to help fight childhood depression, obesity and attention deficit disorder. In fact, according to a multitude of research studies, children who are connected to nature are actually better learners. Additionally, a child who is active in nature has reduced stress and increased attention span. Wouldn’t it be great to send your child back to school this fall with an improved ability to learn, increased attention span, less stress and a real connection to nature? Traditional outdoor camps provide an abundance of the outdoors. In fact, their whole purpose is to create that connection and benefit kids in those ways.

If you think you would like to go this route, below is valuable information to get you started. The links will help you find and learn about traditional outdoor camps and what they offer campers.

MySummerCamps.com is an online database that includes outdoor camps as a possible search query and has more than 10,000 camps listed. You can do a specific search for the activity on which you would like your child to focus. Also try the American Camping Association’s site and click on its “Find A Camp” button. It lists all types of camps, but includes many with an outdoorsy focus.

If you have older kids and are looking for adventure or travel camps try: Outward Bound, Moondance Adventures, Adventures Cross Country or Bold Earth.

Lastly, if you want your kids to stay close and would like to go the less expensive route, look for nature specific programs offered by your local park and recreation department or the YMCA. Most offer at least a few day camps that are conducted outside and may include swimming, hiking or even outdoor art lessons.

Good luck and if you find a great camp or have one to recommend, please post it in the comments section.

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Backyard Camping with Kids: Easing Fears of Night Noises

The Essential Backyard Campout Safety Checklist

Must-Haves to Make Overnight Camping in the Backyard Fun

Tips to Help You Find Great Summer Outdoor Camps…

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