Lessons and Information
This unit was created to make camping a fun, educational, and memorable
family time. It is intended for tent camping but can easily be adapted for
other uses. There are many helpful books on this subject; these are a few I
have found most useful.
Cooking on a Stick: Campfire Recipes for Kids by Linda White & Fran
Lee Cooking in a Can: More Campfire Recipes for Kids by Kate White and
Debra Dixon Sleeping in a Sack: Camping Activities for Kids by Linda White & Fran
Lee Trekking on a Trail by Linda White & Fran Lee Wishing on a Star: Constellation Stories and Stargazing Activities
for Kids by Fran Lee Fishing in a Brook: Angling Activities for Kids by Fran Lee Backyard Birding for Kids by Fran Lee Kids Camp! Activities for the Backyard or Wilderness by Laurie
Carlson
If your child has never been camping you should be able to find some fun
camping stories to read before you go. Some of the information in this unit
study is intended to be done before you leave, some you will do while you
are camping. It may help to have the minit books cut out and put in a zip
lock bag along with the supplies you will need, such as a pencil, crayons or
colored pencils, and some 4x6 cards.
First Aid/Safety
Camping is a wonderful way to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the great
outdoors. It is also a time to learn about safety and being prepared for
scrapes, bruises, bugs and the sun. Before you leave, discuss basic first
aid with your child and put together a kit that you will take with you
camping. Discuss what things you will take and why you might need them. Your
library and the Red Cross have excellent resources for this.
Be sure to include a whistle; it is very important to have in case you
get lost or badly hurt and can not walk back. A whistle is much louder than
your voice and is easier to use. Blow three short bursts then wait a few
minutes before blowing again. This should only be used for emergencies not
as a toy! It is a good idea to have a “traveling” first aid kit also. This
would be smaller than the one you would keep at the campsite and would
include items you may need when you are out on the trail or in the boat etc.
We find it convenient to use a belt pack for our traveling kit. It includes
smaller versions of our larger kit. I have found that film canisters are
great to hold smaller amounts of sunscreen, petroleum jelly, etc. You can
also purchase travel size bug spray to put in your pack. Use the
“first aid” minit book to
have your child cut and paste items that need to go in a first aid kit.
This is not an exhaustive list, you may want to encourage your child to draw
or write in other items that should be included.
Be Prepared
It takes a lot of supplies to go camping; you will be living outdoors and
will not be able to run back to the house to grab something. Once you decide
where you will be camping and for how long you will stay, you will be able
to start making your supply list. This is a great opportunity to teach your
child about list making and responsibility (you don’t want to get to the
campsite to discover the cooler wasn’t put in the car!). Of course you will
need a tent, sleeping bags, changes of clothes (clothes that can be
“layered” work well), first aid kit and medicines, whistle, food and cooking
supplies, towels and toiletries, matches, flashlight and batteries, and
maps. There are many other items you may not readily think of such as a
compass, plastic bags, etc. We find it useful to have a master packing list
(slid into a sheet protector, you can check it off as you pack, then erase
it to use for the next time) that we add to as we begin to pack and we note
things we should have brought that we put on our master list for the next
time (i.e. clothesline and clothespins). There are many great books to help
you pack what you need without over-packing; Sleeping in a Sack has a
through list of needed supplies. Use the
Be Prepared! minit book to cut
and past some of the supplies you will need to bring. Perhaps your child can
circle the supplies he is responsible for and can mark them off when they
are in the vehicle.
Leaves of Three Use
this minit book to teach
your child to identify poisonous plants.
Making Memories:
Use the enclosed “making
memories” minit book to scrapbook some of your favorite memories. If
there is an experience that your weren’t able to get a photo of, encourage
your child to draw and/or write down the memory.
My
Five Senses and Nature
God has given us a beautiful world. Encourage your child to explore it with
all five senses. However, unless you are an expert on what is safe to eat in
the wild, taste should be limited to only the foods you have at the
camp. Be creative! What does the mud feel like squeezing
through your toes? Is moss wet or dry? Can you hear the different
animals; can you identify some of them? The sound of rushing water is very
peaceful. The smell of a crackling of a campfire or the dampness of
the morning air. What do you see? Evidence that an animal has been
near, the bright open night sky, a waterfall, how about little sister trying
to catch a tadpole? Use the
minit book to record what your child discovers.
Recipes
Nothing tastes quite like food cooked over an open campfire. There are many
ways to cook while you camp, popular ones being on a stick, foil wrapped
foods cooked directly on the coals, or using a Dutch oven. Again, there are
many helpful books on this subject; Cooking on a Stick has many kid
friendly recipes. Some of our favorites include: Hobo dinners, kabobs and of
course, roasted marshmallow. For a yummy Hobo dinner take a piece of heavy
duty foil lay a cabbage leaf on it (this adds a great flavor and helps to
keep food from burning if left on the coals for too long) then add meatballs
and your favorite cutup vegetables and some seasonings. Wrap the food
tightly and cook directly on the coals for about 20-25 minutes. Use
long-handled tongs to remove. You can make this recipe with any meat. Kabobs
on a stick (again any meat, vegetable, and pineapple) make for a fun and
yummy dinner. If you happen to be cooking over charcoal as opposed to wood,
your food will cook much faster so be careful! Don’t forget leftovers. If
you have a large pot or Dutch oven and find you have some meat and
vegetables to use up, throw them in the Dutch oven with some water and
seasoning, let it simmer and enjoy a tasty soup. Write your child’s favorite
recipes on 4x6 cards and place them in the
“Camp Style Cooking” pocket.
Building a Campfire
The campfire is like the kitchen, it is where everyone gathers. Take the
time to teach your child both how to build a fire and how to be safe around
one. Your campsite will probable have a fire ring, if not, create one by
clearing an area of ground (about three feet in diameter). Place small
stones in the bottom and make a circle around it with larger stones. You
will need to bring or gather three types of wood. Note: due to insect
infestation some campgrounds require that you purchase special wood or buy
it from them. Also, most parks do not permit you to burn logs found at the
campsite, check first and be prepared. You will need three types of fuel:
tinder, kindling, and larger logs. Tender is used to start the fire and will
give immediate burn; this could be dry leaves or grass, bark, dryer lint,
wood shaving, small twigs etc. Kindling is small sticks usually about one
inch around or so. You will also need logs which are your main source of
fuel once your fire is lit. Once your pit is ready and your supplies are
gathered, be sure to have a bucket of water nearby to put out the fire.
Begin by putting a small mound of tinder in the middle of the pit then
teepee style, place kindling around it being sure to leave “air holes” for
circulation. Then you can build either a teepee style fire with your logs
around the kindling (this is good for a quick hot fire to cook over) or a
cabin fire (good for a longer “night-time” fires) by placing your logs in a
cabin fashion around the kindling. Proceed to light the kindling and enjoy!
Be sure to teach and/or remind your child to stay back from the fire and to
never play near it or run around it for their safety and to always
completely put out the fire before leaving the area even for a short time.
You can use the included minit
book to either teach your child how to build a fire or to reinforce what
they already know. You may want to visit the
Smoky Bear website to
learn more about fires and safety.
Birds I Saw
Use one or both of the bird minit books to record the birds that you spot as
you are camping.
Bird Watching 1
Bird Watching 2
Tent Peek-A-Boo
Use this fun minit book
to put your child’s picture in.
Tree I.D.
Use this minit book to write the
name of trees you have identified and draw a picture of it or make a bark
rubbing. If you keep a nature journal at home, you may want to take a left
to do a rubbing of when you return.
Directions
Camping is a great time to learn about directions and what to do if you
become lost. Knowing how to use a compass, map, and the sun (when really in
a pinch) are great skills to have. When you arrive at your destination, you
will want to orientate your child with where your campsite is in relation to
landmarks, natural or manmade. Each camper should have their own whistle
(see first aid section).
Maps: Most DNRs and other camping areas will have maps of the grounds.
Please ask for one; they can be invaluable. If not, make your own with your
child using signs and symbols your child will recognize. When you are hiking
through unmarked areas you will want to bring pen and paper to create a map,
this is a great lesson to do with your child. Make sure they are able to
orientate the map to figure out the cardinal directions (North, South, East,
and West) and what landmarks to look for when coming from different areas.
*Tip: If you become lost or disoriented climb to a higher area to get a good
look around to help locate familiar landmarks or other people.
Compass: Show your child a compass and spend time practicing how to use it
(again be sure they know the cardinal directions and where the campsite is
in relation). You can practice using the compass as you hike together.
Sun: This is the trickiest way to tell directions but it is a good skill to
acquire.
Day time: find a stick about 3 feet tall and place in a flat open piece of
ground. Mark the end of its shadow with a rock or another smaller stick.
Wait about thirty minutes and mark the tip of the shadow again. Connect the
line and it will run from West to East with the first marking indicating
west.
Evening: The
direction the sun is going down is west. Once you figure out the direction
you need to be traveling walk in a straight line. To help you do this, set
your eye on a landmark and walk toward it. If you need to go around
obstacles alternate going around them once on the left side, the next time
of the right side, this will help you stay in a straight line.
You can use the included minit
book in several ways; your child can dictate the advantages of each
tool, the basic way to use each, etc.
Nature Hunt
Use the minit book to
have a family nature hunt. You can do this together or break into teams for
a fun competitive game.
Trash Hunt
Use the trash hunt minit book
as you would the nature hunt. This is a good time to discuss our role of
taking care of the earth and leaving things better than we found them. You
can use the minit book to have your child pick up either before you set up
camp if you are camping in a much used area or as you are packing to go
home; use it as a check list to ensure that you are leaving the area well
cleaned.
Starry Starry Night
Use the minit book to have
your child dictate, write or draw what constellations you spotted while star
gazing or to record a special story or memory you shared during this time.
Psalm 19:1 “The
heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship”.
As a family, memorize this verse together. Use it for devotional time to
attempt to discern how awesome our God is. He and only He could create the
glory of the skies and of the earth. You may want to use Genesis and
creation as your devotions for this week and focus on how wonderful God is.
Use the minit book to write
in the Bible verse or to describe God and his greatness.
Hiking Supplies
Hiking is a great way to spend the day; there is so much to explore!
Be prepared, before you leave make sure you have: a whistle (see first aid),
if you are not going to be using a marked trail bring, or make as you go, a
map of the area, water bottle, traveling first aid kit, a healthy snack, and
your camera and/or journal to record what you see and experience. Use
the minit book to help
your child discern what they will need.