CAMPING FOR KIDS

The basics of camping for young people.

by Angela RowellELED 3333

Table of Contents

Author’s Note…………………………………..………………3 Peace and Quiet……………………………..……………….4 Choosing a Campsite……………………….……………….5 Setting Up Camp………………….…………………………..6 Activities……………………………………………………….10 Campfire Meals and Treats..………………………………17 Safety while Camping………………………………………22 Are you Ready?................................................................26 Glossary………………………………………………………..27 To Learn More………………………………………………..28

Author’s Note

My family never took family vacations to faraway places when I was a young girl because we could not afford them. One spring, however, my dad bought a tent, and that summer we went on our first camping trip about two hours from home. That first summer camping trip started a tradition that continued for many years. This past summer we had the chance to go again, and I was reminded of how much I enjoy this activity. I hope this book gives you a glimpse of my enjoyment and might just cause you to purchase a tent when you are older.

Angela Rowell

Peace and Quiet

Stop for a minute and listen. What do you hear? Our society is full of noise. Radios, televisions, cars, trucks, telephones, and even people fill our lives with noise.

Camping in the woods is a way to escape all that noise for a few days and enjoy nature. You will hear birds singing, chipmunks chirping and the leaves of the trees moving. Yes, you can even hear the leaves move!

Choosing a Campsite

You might like to camp in the woods surrounded by trees or maybe you would like to camp closer to other people. Both forms of camping are a lot of fun.

Setting Up Camp

Now that you have found a campsite, it is time to set up camp. First, the tent needs to be put up so that you have somewhere to sleep tonight. It is best to erect the tent on flat ground away from the campfire.

Once your tent is erected, unroll your sleeping bag. There are two main types of sleeping bags: mummy, which fits tight around the body and keeps you warmer than rectangular bags and rectangular bags, which are roomier than mummy bags. Some campers sleep on top of an air mattress, so they are not sleeping directly on the hard ground.

Building a campfire is another important step of setting up camp. Some people, like my family, cook all their meals over this fire. They like the smoky, charred, or slightly burned flavor, campfire cooking creates. Newspaper, leaves, twigs, branches and logs must be gathered to start the fire.

A propane camping stove can also be used to cook your food. This little stove requires propane fuel to work. Propane is a colorless, flammable gas that is used for fuel. Food cooked over this type of stove will not have a smoky, grilled taste, but this stove is easier to start than a campfire and your food will cook faster.

Camping Activities

Now that your campsite is set up, let’s go have some fun! Hiking is an activity that will allow you to see a wide variety of nature, like wildlife, rocks and plants. You can also get some great exercise. Most campgrounds have marked trails to follow.

Fishing is another fun activity to try while camping. Worms are excellent bait for catching fish. Worms can be bought at a bait shop or many gas stations. Otherwise, they can usually be found under rocks and decaying logs near your campsite. Will you put your own wriggly worm on the hook?

Canoeing and kayaking are both water activities that require oars or paddles. A canoe sits higher in the water than a kayak does. Remember to always wear a lifejacket when you are near water.

Swimming is a favorite camping activity of many people. It is a fun way to cool off on a hot day.

If you live in a city, the stars that twinkle in the night sky are often difficult or impossible to see, but a wooded campsite often makes star-gazing a delightful evening activity. Can you find the constellation, group of stars, called the Big Dipper?

An evening of sitting around the campfire laughing, singing and telling stories is also an exciting camping activity.

Campfire Meals and Treats

Cooking over an open fire is a fun activity while you are camping. Remember to be careful though when going near the fire. Hot dogs and hamburgers cooked over the fire are popular, tasty choices.

A pudgie pie maker is another tool to use to make campfire cooking fun. This tool is like two mini cast iron skillets, or pans, that hook together and lock. Campers can make many different foods with this one utensil.

Here is a recipe to try using your pudgie pie maker. You can use this one recipe to make many different , delicious foods.

Grilled Cheese

1. Butter the outsides of two slices of bread. Place the buttered side of one slice into the pudgie pie maker.

2. Put a slice of cheese on the bread.

3. Add meat, pizza sauce or anything else you would like.4. Put the other slice of bread on top with the buttered side up.5. Close the pudgie pie maker and cook it in the fire until the bread is browned.

The pudgie pie maker can also be used to make a sweet treat. Be careful when eating this dessert because the fruit inside gets very hot.

Individual Fruit Pie1. Place the buttered side of

one slice of bread into the pudgie pie maker.

2. Spoon 3-4 Tablespoons of your favorite pie filling in the middle of the bread.

3. Put the other slice of bread on top with the buttered side up.

4. Close the pudgie pie maker and roast it in the fire until the bread is browned.

5. Remove the pie and sprinkle with powered sugar.

Marshmallows roasted over the campfire taste delicious. Roasting a perfectly golden brown marshmallow takes practice. These gooey, sweet morsels can be eaten right off the stick or used to make a s’more. A s’more is made using graham crackers, chocolate and a roasted marshmallow. The recipe is given on the next page.

S’mores are perhaps the most popular campfire treat. The basic recipe is given, but creativity can flow as you create your own version of a s’more.

S’mores1. Roast a marshmallow.2. Break a full graham

cracker in half.3. Put a piece of

chocolate on top of one graham cracker.

4. Put the marshmallow on the chocolate

5. Cover the chocolate with the other half of graham cracker.

Safety while Camping

Camping in a wooded area means a camper could encounter wild animals. You should find out what animals live in the area. One precaution to take against attracting wildlife to your campsite is to store food and trash away from your campsite. Hanging your trash in a tree, and keeping your food in the car will make wild animals less interested in your campsite.

A basic first-aid kit is necessary when you are out in the wilderness. You can purchase an already made kit or put together a simple one of your own. Find a small box and put your first-aid items inside.

Here are a few ideas to get your kit started: Band-aids Antibiotic cream Antiseptic wipes Hydrocortisone cream Burn gel Tweezers Vinyl gloves Pain reliever Gauze pads Adhesive tape Instant cold icepack

Campfires are beautiful and necessary when camping, but they also pose the danger of wildfires and burns. Always keep the fire small enough to control and make sure it is completely put out when you leave the campsite.

A lantern and flashlight are important to have on hand once the sun goes down. Away from the campfire, the night is very dark. There are wild animals that become active at night, and these lights will help keep creatures away on a trip to the bathroom. A flashlight is also nice to have when climbing into your dark tent for the night.

Are you Ready?

Camping is a fun activity that allows you to appreciate and interact with nature. If you are interested in camping, taking your first camping trip in your own backyard would give you an idea of what to expect.

Glossary

constellation (kon-stuh-ley-shuhn)—a group of stars that create a picture to which a name has been given

erect (ih-rekt)—to put up propane (proh-peyn)—a colorless,

flammable gas that is used for fuel society (suh-sahy-i-tee)—a group of

people in a community or neighborhood

To Learn More

At the Library

Carlson, L., & Dammel, J. (1995). Kids Camp! Activities for the Backyard or Wilderness. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, Inc.

Ching, J. (2000). Camping Have Fun, Be Smart. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Drake, J., Love, A., & Collins, H. (Illustrator). (1996). The Kids Campfire Book. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press Ltd.

Green, S. (2013). Outdoor Adventures: Camping. North Mankato, MN: Bellwether Media.

Howard, M. A. (2013). Camping for Kids. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Lundgren, J. K. (2010). Outdoor Adventures: Camping. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Publishing.

Slade, S. (2007). Let’s Go Camping. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Snyder, A. (2013). The Great Outdoors: Camping. New York, NY: Gareth Stevens Publishing.

White, L., & Lee, F. (Illustrator). (1998). Sleeping in a Sack: Camping activities for kids. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs-Smith Publisher.

On the Web

http://www.gocampingamerica.com/ This website helps you find your ideal campsite. It also offers some great ideas to try on your next camping trip.

http://www.go-camping.org/ This website will take you through each step of the camping experience from initial preparations to activities while camping.

http://www.smokeybear.com/kids/ A fun, interactive site for students about wildfire prevention.