camping with the family - what to do ?

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stompk

Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
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Hi guys,

I searched. . . sorry if it's a dupe.

I'm taking the wife and pre-teen girl out camping.
I planned to go over spark fire starting, making shelters. . . what else? what are cool or fun projects or skills to do with them ?
 
Water purification (either tablets, filter, boiling or other primative methods)

Signalling and what to do when lost

Improvised shelters (you can use an inexpensive garbage bag and/or cheap space blanket)

Basic land navigation using a compass and terrain features (if you don't have a topo-map)

Simple first aid and "field" sanitation

Maybe not so much trapping, but pointing out tracks, game trails or dens for possible locations to trap for game

ROCK6
 
I gotta go with knife use. Safe handling, whittlin', carvin', making stuff is fun for me and my girls. Make sure the pre teen has a knife of her "own", it'll make her feel more apart of the experience. Moose
 
I second all that stuff. But I agree with Rock6 ... I'd set-up a little basic land navigation. Maybe get-up early one morning and stash 5-6 fun items in the woods that she has to navigate towards - like orienteering.
 
wildlife identification
(show them stuff you can identify,animals,tracks,plants etc)

basic navigation,
go out from camp,then let them find their way back
using a compass.

fun times
pics are required.
 
If you're camping near a lake, the obvious thing to do....fishing! Then prepare and cook your catch over the campfire, mmmm!
 
Mom and a preteen girl? Well, besides the basic campcraft show, I suggest a stream walk. Turn over rocks, chase minnows, look at salamanders, crawdads (crayfish) and snails, chase darters and water dwelling bugs. Carry a minnow net and a small styrofoam minnow bucket for your/their treasures. And then the streamside flower and rock collection. IMHO, this is where you will snag a kid's heart and mind on the great outdoors. And wading a shallow stream is fun and refreshing too. Don't forget to let them help you turn all their critters loose in the stream at the end of the hike. An excellent chance to teach an ecosystem and how to conserve it, no preaching required.
 
redpoint - I like the "geocache" idea. i've taken them geocaching, but it's more often a bust. not sure why i didn't think about hiding my own stuff! (duh!)
 
Depends on how durable your companions are.... If its their first time camping id just make sure they are the right temperature (not too cold or to hot) stay fed (keep them happy) and have a really fun time (even if it involves less bushcrafty tasks)

The more fun they have out there, the better chance they will go with you again and again... then you can slowly bring them into the skillset. One fun one could invole relaxing in a hammock... those are the kind of things that keep first timers coming back for more.
 
stompk said:
Hi guys,

I searched. . . sorry if it's a dupe.

I'm taking the wife and pre-teen girl out camping.
I planned to go over spark fire starting, making shelters. . . what else? what are cool or fun projects or skills to do with them ?
Click to expand...

Not knowing your family at all, I suggest ear plugs. :thumbup:

If just looking for general "fun" stuff to do, cooking is always great. Find interesting ways to cook and prepare food, find edible plants. If you're lucky you can make some sassafras tea.
 
Might want to hop over to the local library and see if you can find a copy of a girl scout handbook (or a boy scout handbook) to brainstorm activities.

Activities that girls might like more than firestarting, fishing or skipping stones on a campout:

-Cooking (stereotypical, but hey, what can you do)
-Anything involving braiding your wifes hair or gimp/lanyard
-Art projects
-Singing songs, playing instruments, telling campfire stories
-Gathering and observation activities (bird and animal watching, leaf collecting, berry picking, cataloging plants or insects if your daughter doesn't have an ick factor at work, treasure hunt)
-Performing basic science / engineering experiments like measuring rainfall, categorizing clouds, collecting rocks, doing lashings, making a raft.
-Almost any game requiring cooperation and communication
-Make up a family camping ritual or ceremonies
-star-gazing with a star chart
 
Thanks guys for some great sounding ideas that I may have to try with my 13 year old, I really like the ecocaching, since I am not very experiendced outdoors person myself....Although staying away from poison ivy has gotten itchier, I mean, easer after catching it by getting too close. pun intended!
 
Teach them how to make smores! Forget all the survival lessons and make your first camping trip fun!

I would also second Codger. Take them fishing or for a little hike along the lake or stream. Amazing what you'll find if you take your time. Bring some cards or a game to play. Encourage them to bring a book, and just let them enjoy being outside.

Be careful not to burn them out on survival stuff. You don't want them to feel like they are in a classroom, you want them to feel like they are on vacation.

If they enjoy it now, they will want to do it again. Then you can start slowly teaching them, maybe one skill each time you go camping.

I would suggest you restrain from trying to teach them everything you know in one trip. In fact I would say, don't teach them anything on this trip, wait until they want to go again. Then, instead of trying to teach how to make a bowdrill fire, teach them how to get a fire going with newspaper and a lighter, then move on to no newspaper, then no lighter, then on to the bowdrill.

It might sound like it will take forever that way, but if you get them to enjoy camping in general, then you will have plenty of opportunities to go again throughout the year. Otherwise if you bore them, or make them feel like camping is too much work, then they won't learn anything and you won't get another chance to teach them anything else, because they won't want to camp with you anymore...

Just my 2cents.
 
Tell your daughter, because of these hard economic times, you and your wife are re-considering the whole children experience. That you are not sure you are getting true value out of this transaction and that this camping trip to teach her (your daughter) survival skills in the even that you and your wife decide to liquidate your current investment.

Things like good grades, chores, and never having to hear justin bieber in your house would increase the value of the child experience.

See how that goes with the mrs. When she gets mad, tell her you are re-evaluating the wife experience.

Just my marital/family advice.
 
Second Stingray. I began the experience with my 14 year old (a very smart young lady) and tried to reach her everything I knew first thing out. Se said to me,"Dad, why don't you slow down a little. I'm not having fun."

Enough said.
 
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