Family Friday: The Fun of Family Campouts!

For June, Lucas Miller draws our attention to the fun of a family campout, whether it is in your own backyard or farther out in nature. The Great American Backyard Campout is quickly approaching so start talking with your family about how you want to participate!

On our last campout, we did not take Lucas’ advice about avoiding marshmallows, as you can see from this photo of the girls. He is right about getting them off your shoes! But the s’mores were such a hit that next time we’ll just step more carefully.

Do you have an old tent lounging on the top shelf of your garage? Some sleeping bags up there, too? Well, air ‘em out! And pull that dusty six-string out from under the bed, too, because the National Wildlife Federation is declaring June 27 the Great American Backyard Campout! Oh, yeah, and grab a couple of different kinds of kid-friendly bug repellent.

I know a lot of parents worry that camping is going to be too scary or too uncomfortable for the wee ones (or perhaps the spouse). It could be a big problem if the kiddos decide they don’t wanna sleep in some silly tent if you’re out in the middle of Yosemite. Not so when you’re camping in the backyard. You can just scrap it all and go back to your cozy beds if it all falls apart.

The important thing here is to start small and make sure it’s a positive experience. It may not seem like much of an adventure to us adults but it will be a complete break from the routine and an unforgettable experience for the kids. That’s time well spent in my book.

So what do you need? NWF’s Great American Backyard Campout features some great resources to plan it all out.Here are some questions you could ask your family unit:

1) Do you want to stick to the backyard or, perhaps, be more adventurous and try camping in a park somewhere?

2) If you choose the high-adventure option, do you want to invite friends or just do this with the family. One of the highlights of our kids’ social lives was a school trip over spring break to a state park lodge. It’s fun for the adults, too!

3) Do you want to do the tent thing or perhaps stay in a camper or some kind of lodge? It’s really about spending some time in the outdoors with your family, not proving your mettle in the wilderness. Don’t be ashamed to take the posh route.

4) What do you want to have for dinner, snacks, and breakfast and how are you going to make it? I generally break my “keep it simple” rule and make sure my family eats well. It’s usually possible to marinate something and grill it in these situations and a good meal will do wonders for everyone’s spirits if they start to flag. S’mores are an obvious treat but, I must say, melted marshmallow is really hard to get off your shoes (especially in the dark). You might just want to make some cookies or brownies ahead of time.

What are you going to do when you’re out there? Here are some thoughts:

• If you love campfire a sing-along like I do, the songbook Rise Up Singing is an indispensible resource. You can find it on Amazon and I just saw it in my local sheet music store, too. It’s a classic with songs ranging from silly to spiritual and from traditional to ecological. You definitely don’t need to play an instrument; just sing what you love with abandon!

• Do you have a telescope tucked away somewhere, too? Or maybe just some binoculars. Gaze up at the celestial bodies and contemplate your tininess. It might be fun to get a simple star chart (Klutz press makes a family friendly one called Backyard Stars: A Guide for Home and the Road) and a book of legends that were inspired by constellations. (Note from Greening Families: We have found that A Walk through the Heavens: A Guide to Stars and Constellations and their Legends is particularly user friendly.)

• See what sounds you can identify. Can you hear an owl? They don’t all go “who-who,” you know. Check out owl calls at Owling. What kinds of insect sounds do you hear? How do you think they make those sounds?

• Make sure everyone has a flashlight. They’re fun, of course, and they make everyone feel safer. They’re also essential for a good game of flashlight tag

• If you’re crafty, try some projects. Kids don’t go to camp like they used to and they often miss out on friendship bracelets, dream catchers and the like. That should be enough to get you started. I hope you make some great memories. It’s all part of getting everyone comfortable in the outdoors and fostering your family’s love of nature.

Lucas is a professional children’s author and songwriter from Austin, Texas. Check him out at www.lucasmiller.net.

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