Camping With Kids. Goldie Silverman

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Camping With Kids - Goldie Silverman

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that they are expert campers; together, they have years and years of camping experience. So when you read, “My experts say…” you will know that you are getting information not just from the printed page, but from someone who has spent time out there under the sun and in the rain and beneath the stars, camping with their families.

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      Starting Out

       images Why Camp?

       images What’s in this Book?

       images What Kind of Camper Am I?

       images How Can I Prepare My Family?

      Why Camp?

      Camping is so much fun! If you have never tried it, you can probably think of all sorts of reasons not to camp, like never having managed a tent or slept on the ground, or your kids are too young, or it’s too much work. But balance against all that the wonderful feelings your children will develop about themselves and about their families. Consider some of the good things my student essay writers told me about their camping experiences.

      Many of the young people used the word “awesome,” this time close to its original meaning, inspiring awe, the feeling of reverence or admiration for that which is grand or sublime or powerful. They also talked of the pleasure of having their parents’ undivided attention, and of being outdoors all the time.

      Ella, 11, and Stephen, 12, both agreed that when you are camping, you get to spend quality time bonding with your family.

      For Shannon, 12, who recalled her first camping trip when she was 8 years old, exploring her camping area with a friend was “as adventurous as two naturalists braving the African jungles alone.”

      Bridget, 12, wrote that when it was time to leave, “We were all disappointed because camping was so much fun.”

      Emily and Hannah, both 11, waxed poetic. Emily felt that she was in a “wonderland where you are one with nature.” She loved the nights listening to “the chirp of the crickets and grasshoppers and laying down on the ground and looking up at the stars.”

      Hannah, like Emily, remembered seeing “the stars at night in the crystal-clear sky and never wanting to leave.” She also remembered “the smell of everything, the way the air and the pine trees and the way a campfire smelled.” And because her family doesn’t camp anymore, she has to have “the memories of that one camping trip to last me a lifetime.”

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      Camping provides quality time with family.

      Other students whose families had never taken them camping wished that they could go. “My dad used to camp often with his family when he was young, but no one in our family has been really interested… I think camping would be fun,” one young woman wrote, adding that if she could only go camping, she has been thinking about what she would take with her: roller blades or a bike, lots of food, clothes, ingredients for s’mores, and folding chairs, all in an RV.

      A young man wrote: “I do not know if I will ever go camping in my life, but I would sure enjoy it.”

      Contrast those wistful comments with those of Eric, 11: “It was the best time I ever had with my dad.”

      Why do we take our children camping? For the same reasons we do it ourselves. Camping is a wonderful way for a family to vacation, and it’s an opportunity for children and parents to spend time together and get to know each other better. Camping can be luxurious or spare. Camping families may cover many miles or restrict themselves to a single park. The usual rules of hygiene may be followed or relaxed. It can be fun, educational, and economical.

      Camping can be a spiritual experience, as it is for Sara and her family, who often read a prayer service together when they are camped on the Sabbath. Or it can be a challenge, as it is for Diana’s family, who try to live for a few days with a minimum of material goods. Or it can be an exercise in simplicity, as it is for Madelaine, who says year-round living in a house with all its conveniences is artificial compared to basic living outdoors in a tent. Making a little section of the woods into a home, she says, puts her in touch with ancestors who might have been nomads or cavemen.

      Camping is an individual experience. Let’s begin your unique adventure.

      Parents who never camped as children may wish to try it but feel a little reluctant to undertake a new activity that seems so demanding. That’s where Camping with Kids comes in. I reached out to more than 100 individuals, parents and kids of all ages, to learn how they camped and what they thought about it. Based on their responses, this book will take you, step by step, through the decisions you need to make in order to create your own extraordinary camping experience and cherished family memories.

      How this Book is Organized

      images Starting Out

      images Planning Your Trip

      images The Real Thing

      images Staying Safe, Sound, and Happy

      images Beyond Camping: Leaving the Car Behind

      There are five basic sections to Camping with Kids. Each section begins with a short list of topics that section will cover. Think of them as my FAQ, frequently asked questions. The first section, Starting Out, is where we are presently. Now that you have decided to try camping, we’ll go on to help you decide what kind of camping experience you’ll look for and how you will camp, in a tent or a recreation vehicle, also called an RV. Finally, we’ll go on to discuss how to help your kids prepare for their adventures in the outdoors, and what to expect of them.

      Planning your trip is the topic of the second section. First, we’ll find just the right campground for your family’s adventure, and we’ll tell you how to reserve your place there. Next, we’ll go over what you need to take, for your needs in camp and for fun there. This section also covers how to pack for your trip—which can be a challenge when you need to get your entire family and their belongings for the trip into your car. Recognizing that not all of us are the same, a section on special concerns covers topics that range from camping with infants or toddlers to religious observances to camping with a disabled child to taking the dog along.

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