Camping – Family Friendly Ideas

It's time to pack those bags and
get ready for another great family vacation! Camping is a great way to
enjoy the beauties of nature and spend some quality time playing and working
together as a family. Families with children can make camping out a fun
experience for everyone. A little preparation goes a long way. The authors
of a new book Rain or
Shine share some of the sunny ideas from their book.

1. Packing your
bags: Keep in mind your children's ages when you pack supplies.
Rain or Shine offers suggestions for each age group.

Involve your children in planning
and packing for your camping trip. This keeps them busy and excited and
alleviates some

of your work.

2. Snacks:
One sure fire way to keep the children happy is having some appealing snacks
on hand. Before you leave you could throw together a fun trail mix.

P.30

MORNING SUNSHINE

1 cup Dried Apples

1 cup Dried Pineapple

1 Cup Dried Cranberried

1 Cup Dried Cherries

1 Cup Banana Chips

1 Cup Raisins

Mix and enjoy. (Eating 1 cup of
this mix will fulfill 2 of the 5 daily minimum requirements of fruits and
vegetables.)

or plan for a fun treat around
the campfire.

P.29

MOONLIGHT BANANA WRAPS

Dried Banana Chips

Chocolate Chips

Miniature Marshmallows

Combine, wrap in tinfoil then
place on a grill, in oven, or fire for 5 minutes. Once cooled, eat with
a spoon.

Children like to prepare these
snacks but they especially love to eat them.

3. Songs:
Songs around the campfire can add a lot of fun to a family outing. Make
a list of some family favorites before you go. Rain or Shine has 22 songs
with the words that children love to sing.

4. Games
and Activities: Sometimes there are rainy days during our camping
adventure or you may need to do something to help pass the time or entertain
the family. You should have some games or activities on hand that would
be enjoyed by all. There are fun and simple games that you can keep in
mind so that you always have some boredom busters ready when you need them.

Here are a couple of ideas from
the book:

P. 35

HUNT FOR ABC's

With the objects around you, pick
a letter and shout it out. The first person to find an object that starts
with that letter or the object that starts with that letter and shout it
out. The first person to find an object that sharts with that letter or
the object that you have spotted gets to pick the next letter.

WORD CHAIN:

Name a catagory (animals, fruits,
or states, for example) and then give another word that fits the same category
and begins with the last letter of the previous word. The game continues
in this fashion with each player aadding another word without repeating
a previous word. For example, if the catagory were animals and the first
word was 'elephant', the next word would be tiger-rabbit-tadpole-eel-lion-narwhal,
etc. A player who cannot think of a different, new word is out of the game
unless no one can give a new word. If this happens, the person who gave
the last word must give another word in the category. Use a time limit
to stop players from taking too long to choose a word. The last person
in the game is the winner.

5. Children's
Fun Pack: Rain or Shine also offers a Children's Fun Pack full
of 15 items to help alleviate stress, add comfort and fun to your camping
experience. This can be used as you travel and after you arrive. Put together
your own with snacks, activities, emergency supplies and necessitates or
see our store for more details on their ready made bags and supplies.

For other great ideas for travel,
camping, family reunions, parties and more see

Rain or Shine: A Parent's Guide
to Help Children Through Emergency Situations.

Written by Becki
Pond and Staci Jackman.

There are sections
on Children's Basic Needs, Stress Relief,

Emergency Supply
Lists, First Aid Kit List, Children's Fun Pack List,

Snacks, Games and
Songs.

Toll Free: 1-800-330-4508

Email:
rainshin@cut.net

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