What do you do while camping?

[saraha]

We took our first family camping trip this summer for dh's 40th birthday with mixed results.  The first afternoon/night was spent getting there, putting up tent, and checking out campgrounds and building a fire/roasting marshmallows, so there was plenty to do.  The next morning there was a lot of dead time while I tried to get the fire built up to have breakfast and everyone got dressed etc.  Then we had a few hours to spend before we had an appt at the lake to rent a boat, here is where the boredom started to kick in. Then we ran into town and got dinner because we were having an awful time getting a good enough fire going with the wood we were able to buy. (we weren't supposed to carry in any wood because of emerald borer, and this was another struggle that I am not sure what to do about)  There was a lot of down time which my dh was looking forward to having to read etc, but after the 5 game of uno, the kids were getting bored.

 

 So what do you all do while you are at the campgrounds?  I really want to figure this out now that my kids are old enough to be fun to take on vacations (no diapers etc). We want to travel more around the country but having to rent two hotel rooms each night would make that impossible,

 

Thanks!

[Jennifer132]

My kids just run around and explore nature, climb trees, play sports, visit the nature center. Eat. ;) fish or swim, depending on the rules. Skip rocks. Hide and seek.

[Wheres Toto]

We usually go places with a pool or lake to swim in, nature trails to hike and/or playgrounds.  We also bring sidewalk chalk to decorate rocks and trees, small plastic animals, bubbles, shovels and pails (a lot of sites are sandy).   Sometimes we'll do nature scavenger hunts or similar activities - lots of ideas on Pinterest.

 

We often camp in South Jersey so will take one day to go to the ocean, and a lot of campgrounds have activities on the weekends.

[regentrude]

We hike during the day, so are pretty tired.

When the kids were younger, they'd play, climb rocks, collect stuff, mess with sticks. Or we'd go on another short hike, or explore a lake shore, creek, etc.

When they were older, they'd read or listen to audio books because, did I mention, we hiked all day?

 

Fire is for entertainment only, or warmth when it is cold. For regular cooking, we use a gas stove (one of the foldable tiny ones that can be carried in a pocket) with cartridges.

[momacacia]

I hear 'ya! It really spends on where we camp. If there are nice trails we hike a lot. We camped with inlaws last fall in the middle of an indiana cornfield. Nothing to do there. Completely boring. By the time it was time to go I was about to lose my mind and started packing up myself.

[AndyJoy]

We were a big camping family. Some family favorites were:

 

Toss frisbee, football, horseshoes

 

Set up & use a swing or hammock

 

Make creations of sticks, rocks, rope/twine

 

Capture the flag in the woods

 

Photograph plants, insects, interesting rock formations

 

Play tag or hide and seek with boundaries

 

Find walking sticks and hike around

 

Pretend to be spies and spy on parents

 

Pretend to be pioneers on the Oregon Trail

[Lady Florida.]

It depends on where we're camping, but our activities usually include any combination of the following:

 

-hiking

-bicycling, if there are bike trails

-birdwatching

-swimming, if there's a lake or we go to the springs

-hang around the camp site and talk to each other

-cook camp food together - a bonding activity if there ever was one.  Most campers have at least one failed camp food story.  :lol:

-play games, board games or card games - at the picnic or camping table

-read

-listen to music or audio books

 

 

Nature scavenger hunts can be fun for the young ones (and often even for the big kids and adults). You don't have to actually bring stuff back. In fact it's usually better to leave nature where you find it. Just try to spot everything on your lists.

 

 

For us camping is less about doing and more about being. Being outdoors. Being with each other. Being away from the everyday stuff.

 

 

 

 

[redsquirrel]

We always camp by the ocean so we go to the beach. When that isn't as exciting we go for hikes or we explore a nearby town, maybe check out the library or a coffee shop. We always pack a couple board games or D&D. We all have a book or two to read.

 

We only ever camp near where there is stuff we want to see or do. We only camp because it is so much cheaper than a hotel or a cabin, lol. But, really, we are there for the beach.

[saraha]

Great ideas. Now to narrow it down a bit.  I have a 13 and 15 year old who would like hiking (if there is a neat destination at the end) but would not really do playground, hide and seek, or pretend games well.  I am hoping with more experience they will learn to occupy themselves some.  What do your teens do?

[SparklyUnicorn]

apply copious amounts of bug spray, eat, worry about Lyme's disease, eat some more, wish they allowed booze at the campground, scratch from the bug bites, eat some more, sit in front of the fire, wait impatiently for it all to be over

 

 

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

All our places have a swimming area in the lake, hiking trails, playgrounds, canoes, lots of space to bike or scooter, and we also almost always go with friends. Frisbee, football, baseball, badminton, fishing etc, etc.

 

We only fuss with fires for the nighttime campfire/smores aspect. For breakfast I bring an electric skillet and do pancakes/scrambled eggs/chorizo/french toast/bacon, etc. We bring our small propane grill for lunches and dinners. It would be a nightmare if we had to build a fire two or three times a day!

[Sk8ermaiden]

The key to making teens happy is friends. At least from my experience as one. If each kid gets to bring a friend, or a family goes with y'all, it is SOOOO much better. 

[creekland]

We hike during the day, so are pretty tired.

When the kids were younger, they'd play, climb rocks, collect stuff, mess with sticks. Or we'd go on another short hike, or explore a lake shore, creek, etc.

When they were older, they'd read or listen to audio books because, did I mention, we hiked all day?

 

Fire is for entertainment only, or warmth when it is cold. For regular cooking, we use a gas stove (one of the foldable tiny ones that can be carried in a pocket) with cartridges.

 

I could have written this almost exactly.

 

We hike and see what is around us.  We explore.  We almost always cook with a gas stove we bring along.  The kids play and explore more.  When they were older they tended to read.

 

For family games we loved Rook or Quiddler (that one is more recent).  When we'd build fires we would have evening fireside chats - going into great depth about many different topics both real and not.  

 

This worked for our teens too.

[Tess in the Burbs]

My kids are older and they still like to explore.  We try to plan 1 thing a day...a hike or swimming...and the rest of the day is free to do what we want.  If they start to get bored we walk around the campground.  We usually meet people and kids go off to play.  You could take some yard games to play(ladder ball, corn hole, etc).  As for cooking I use a camp stove when car camping.  Then I can do meals quickly.  I have a dutch oven for one meal or dessert.  I agree about the wood they sell in some places...so my meals are usually planned to be done on the stove, but some could shift to the fire if we have good wood.  One thing my kids enjoy is learning new skills.  So we usually bring rope and try to learn a few new knots.  DS will always have paracord to make more bracelets.  DD is content picking up rocks/leaves.  Hope you have more fun on your next trip

[datgh]

We always bring the kids bikes along.  As they got older, they would go off exploring together with a two way radio so we could keep in touch with them.  We always do a lot of hiking then if the kids are bored they take a nap.

 

As far as the fire thing goes, invest in a table top gas grill.  It will make your life so much easier and predictable when it comes to meals.  For the fire bring along kindling and lots of newspaper.  If you are not cooking over the fire, you can use those fire starter bricks to get it going.  Check firewood before you buy it.  If it weighs a ton, it is probably water logged.  We have learned our lesson on this.

 

We love camping in the national parks or national forest campgrounds because they often have ranger led programs going on.

[myfunnybunch]

We take...

 

games

books

pencil puzzle books

pocket knives

bug jars and nets

pond dipping supplies

guitars

 

When I was a teen, we tried to catch chipmunks, swam, hiked, built things with sticks, poked anthills, did pencil puzzles, watched birds, played card and board games, cooked, hunted for wood for the fire, caught frogs, cleaned camp, ate snacks, sat in the sun, chatted, fished, read books, carved sticks, told stories, played music, skipped rocks, and sat around and complained about being bored.

 

I remember complaining about being bored. Usually right before we went and found something to do. I don't remember actually *being* bored. I think it takes a while to slow down and relax into the slower pace of camping life.

 

A couple years ago, dh and the boys and I rented a cabin, but other than having a roof and electricity, it was camping. My son said, "I'm bored," so I put a piece of paper on the counter that said things to do at _____ Lake. Every time we found something fun to do, we'd write it on the list. (In his defense, he wasn't quite old enough to head to the lake without a second person present, and "I'm bored" really meant "I'm not fishing." :P ) We had a pretty impressive list. We left it in the guest book, and the next year, folks had added to the list, lots of winter activities too.

 

Cat

[Chris in VA]

Photography

Fishing

Hiking to waterfalls (favorite)

Telescope/star gazing

Stories around the campfire

[saraha]

Oh, you guys are fantastic, I wish I would have asked these questions before we went!

[creekland]

FWIW, Fritos make a terrific firestarter.   When fresh some of the bag can double as a snack.  When stale they still make great firestarters - totally safe to use when cooking with the fire too.

[Jennifer132]

For teens, I would think they would enjoy hiking, building a fire and hanging out by it, sports, swimming, fishing, laying out if you are by the beach, walking into "town" or to the camp store if there is one, taking photos, eating, snacking, cooking.

[creekland]

Oh, you guys are fantastic, I wish I would have asked these questions before we went!

 

Camping has saved us a ton of money on our extensive travels.  It's also provided us with far better memories than (most) hotel rooms.  We love awesome vistas, etc.

[regentrude]

  I have a 13 and 15 year old who would like hiking (if there is a neat destination at the end) but would not really do playground, hide and seek, or pretend games well. 

 What do your teens do?

 

Go and explore on their own

lie on a  sleeping mat and read

listen to their music on their mp3player

write stories

[HS Mom in NC]

1. Hike to a very interesting place.  One of our favorites is a cave with a spring running through it. Another is a meadow beside a creek that meanders for miles into the woods past the dam of the lake.  It's a short hike down the side of the dam and flat the rest of the way.  We've seen lots of wildlife, including elk, nearby. Another, more challenging hike in our usual area goes to an unfinished train tunnel. Just after they started blasting the tunnel the railroad failed financially. It's like a huge, giant cave.  The kids think it's cool.

 

2. Practice starting a fire in the fire ring with different tools and materials: different tinder and kindling they chopped up themselves with their hatchets and small branch saws, (we let them use hatchets and small saws starting at age 4.  No fussy camp parenting for us.) and working on fire skills like are recommended in the boyscout field manual, starting the fire with flint and steel, starting it with a magnesium block and a knife, starting it with a battery and steel wool, etc. Watch some Bear Grylls in Man vs. Wild or Mike and Ruth Hawk in Man, Woman Wild on netflix for a while before you go.  Survivorman is a good option too.  I forget his name.

 

3. Field guides and collection containers.  We invested in photo field guides of local birds, plants, wildflowers, insects,  scat and tracks, etc. We have collection jars so we can catch a bug and look at it from all angles to identify it and read up on it, then let it go.  We have a small flower press for collecting plants. Don't just look at what's in your campsite, so out into the woods and look for things.

4. Watercolor pencils, small paintbrushes, small watercolor notebooks and a pencil sharpener. We put them in plastic ziploc bags and take them on our hikes or for use in the camp ground.  We use a watersource nearby-I'm from freakin AZ, if there isn't a watersource nearby, there's no point in hiking to it.   Each kid sits down and does their best to draw something they see with the watercolor pencils.  Then, they use the small paintbrushes to dip in the creek or lake and go over the drawings. They instantly turn to watercolor paint. We eat snacks or check our field  guides and look for wildlife while our paintings dry.

5. Read fantastic literature around the campfire at night.  Lord of the Rings and the Little Britches series are particularly good choices.  They can also help on the drive to break up the monotony.  We've always got a read aloud going a couple of times a day, so our kids are used to listening for up to an hour at a stretch by school age.

 

6. Whittling knives. Like I said, we're not fussy people about this kind of thing.  A small pocket knife, a pile of sticks, some sort of sharpener and a first aid kit will keep a lot of kids busy for hours.  Yes.  They will cut themselves at least once.  No big deal.  They don't usually do it again but if they do, it's not serious enough to worry about.  They can learn first aid skills and learn not to be fussy, fearful people.

 

7. Games and a table.  3 of my family members like to play board games and card games.  I'm not one of them.  We take a card table with us for that purpose.  Bring games you already know how to play and like. 

 

8.  A personal read.  Everyone brings a book they haven't read before or one that they LOVE and want to reread on their own. This is a go to option during rain, (although we bring a 2 canopies so we can an option other than the tent for shelter from rain and sun)  when people need mental space, or when someone isn't interested in doing what others are doing.  (Like me and the board games.)

9. Tools. Shovel, hatchet/ax, small branch saw, rake.   Let them dig. Kids love to dig. Let them cut the branches off of trees that have already fallen and died for whittling or for the fire.  Let them rake the campsite clear before you set up tents.  Let them rake up fallen pine needles for fire practice.  Teach them to rake around the fire ring and a little farther out to avoid sparks catching fire to tinder out of the fire ring.

10. Physical games.  We camp with my brother and his family.  He made a bunch of blow darts out of PVC pipe that shoot mini marshmallows for all of us.  Bring a soccer ball.  Some people take badminton and horseshoes.  Whatever your family likes. How about archery?  Prop a target away from people up against a hillside. Make sure your arrows have something bright on the them so you can find them easily.

 

11. Nearby scenic drives.  Find out which are nearby and worth the time. If road conditions allow for it, take the scenic drive while it lightly rains.

 

12. Practice survivalist skills.  Get the army field manual.  The boyscouts put out several publications on the topic.  Get one and have the kids study it for a while before you go.  Get the tools you need.  Let the kids practice things. Get a knot tying book/kit and practice as many different ones as you can while camping and hiking. Get a compass and learn to use it.

 

13.  A special treat. To get to the cave that has the spring running through it, we have to dive about 30-40 minutes. Between the campground and the cave is a very small gas station along the highway.  We always stop there after the cave expedition and buy a glass bottle of coke and a treat and eat it on my brother's tail gate.  It's a favorite tradition of all 3 of my kids.  It's really special to them.

 

14. Backroads in the truck bed.  When we take the dirt roads to the campgound and to other favorite places, the kids pile into my brother's truck bed.  Kids love to have dusty and dirt blowing around them and their cousins.  No, there are no seatbelts in the truckbed. They get tossed around a bit, but they're not babies and toddlers and preschoolers have to sit on an older kid's lap.  I follow behind watching for trouble. No one's ever been hurt.  A kid or two has had the end of a branch smack them as they hung their heads over the side now and then. Like I said, not fussy.

 

15.  Let the kids cook hot dogs on sticks over the campfire.  Let them cook everything they can over the campfire.  It doubles as entertainment. Kids love fire. Let them pick out a stick, stick it into the flame to catch on fire and them blow it out and repeat-even if that kid is 3 or 4. If they can stay in one place while they do it, they're no threat to anyone else. Don't fuss and fret over them around the fire.  Saying, "Be careful!" Over and over again is fussy and annoying.  They'll be fine.  Humanity has  lived around fires all over the world for a looooooong time and most kids managed to survive it unscathed.  If they're doing something outrageously risky, by all means, stop them.  But don't be my in-laws.  They're hysterical and repeat, "Be careful" at nauseum anytime a kid moves near a fire.

NOTE: Always have a propane stove back up.  If you're not skilled enough to start a fire after a rain, or you just need to get it cooked now, you can set up your stove and be done quickly.  We have fire bans sometimes, so a gas stove is the only option.  A stand for it is a very good idea.

 

16. Set up multiple tents.  There is no reason every single person has to share the same tent. We have 3.  My middle daughter likes to have her own small tent.  My husband and I share one (on the rare occasions he joins us) and the older two like to share a tent. Sometimes the older two share and the youngest and I share.  Have several options.

[hornblower]

I goof around with my dogs pretty much endlessly.  Walk, train, swim, groom, cuddle, train, bike ride, swim, walk + the variations of taking all 3 at a time or splitting the pack & taking one out at a time....

My kids grew up camping. There's not been a single year in the whole time dh & I have been together that we haven't gone at least once/year.

 

They read, explore, swim, play on the beach, ride their bikes, hike, play with the dogs, set things on fire in the fire pit, chop wood, carve things. We talk, play cards, stare at the lake, cook, burn things, play with the compass, paddle out in a boat/canoe or on an inflatable, have water fights, have swimming races, bathe in the lake, go to the nature trail, bird watch, collect rocks, build fairy houses.

At night, stargazing is big. We usually have a sky chart & we sit and watch out for the space station & check out the constellations & argue about what we're seeing....

When it rains, there's the whole trying to keep things dry and the "perfect placement of the tarps" - a process which involves endless rope trimming, knot tying, acrobatic climbing on people's shoulders, trying to throw ropes over branches, knocking oneself on the head with whatever object the rope was tied to + spirited discussions involving the superiority of tarp A in this configuration v. tarp B in that configuration.

We're all pretty happy doing nothing actually.

“What I like doing best is Nothing."

"How do you do Nothing," asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time.

"Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, 'What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?' and you say, 'Oh, Nothing,' and then you go and do it.

It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."

"Oh!" said Pooh.â€

You know you're getting close to "peak nothing" when riding a bike out to the 'bigger' bathroom is an exciting excursion :D

[MomsintheGarden]

We camp in a travel trailer, so your mmv.  Cooking is done on a stove or gas grill - I'd go nuts if we did it over a fire.  I would have run to the store for one after the first meal if I were cooking over a campfire!  If you're asking what I do, it seems I spend a lot of time cooking and doing dishes.  I try to bring pre-prepared foods, but chores simply take more when you're camping.

 

We've always camped either to access a lake, river, or beach; or for an event, such as college kids' move in, parent's weekend, or graduation or family reunion.  Many of our favorite campgrounds are state parks. The children read, play games, get on the internet (which is usually better than ours at home  :)), ride their bikes, play on the playground or in the woods; and hang out with the other campground kids who are usually looking to make friends.

 

If we don't have another event, as a family we hike, tube, swim, and canoe; visit nature centers, battlefields, museums, or gardens; and attend ranger talks at night (campfires, storytelling, bat watch rides).

 

I hope your next trip is more fun.

[Meadowlark]

My first thought was...make sure the kids don't stumble into the fire, touch the grill, or fall into the river. Holy stressful!

[SeaConquest]

apply copious amounts of bug spray, eat, worry about Lyme's disease, eat some more, wish they allowed booze at the campground, scratch from the bug bites, eat some more, sit in front of the fire, wait impatiently for it all to be over

 

Complain was my first reaction, but yeah, pretty much this. 

[redsquirrel]

Great ideas. Now to narrow it down a bit.  I have a 13 and 15 year old who would like hiking (if there is a neat destination at the end) but would not really do playground, hide and seek, or pretend games well.  I am hoping with more experience they will learn to occupy themselves some.  What do your teens do?

 

my kids love board games, so we bring those. They could happily spend an entire vacation at home if they could just play games with my husband. They also like D&D and that only requires dice and maybe a book? I don't play, so I don't know.  We just always seem to have enough room to bring games.  I was told to stop bringing so many books because they took up too much room...so I got a kindle :thumbup1:

 

 

At night DH and I drink wine and play Uno. It makes the time pass.

[KrissiK]

I'm sorry, but we get bored camping, too. You know, when dh and I were dating and first married we hiked a lot. And we camped. And enjoyed ourselves. We loved it. I love camping (for short periods of time). But once when we were hiking, just the two of us, we came across a family with three kids, school age and they were on a reasonably easy hike. And the kids were whining, and tripping over sticks and "getting hurt", and the kids were all slightly over weight, and I remember telling dh, "our kids at not going to be like that!" Then the kids came. Camping or hiking with babies and/ or littles, esp. kids in diapers.... Ugh. So, we didn't do it much. And then we got out of the habit. You know, life just gets in the way. And now, when the kids are a good age to take camping... while none are over weight, they still strongly resemble that family we met, so many years ago. They whine and they don't know what to do with themselves, and they "get hurt", and they "get tired" on hikes. It is so irritating. We have camped in safe camp grounds. I have no problem with them exploring, picking up big sticks, throwing rocks (in a safe direction), chasing squirrels, walking on huge fallen logs. You know, fun kid stuff! But they don't. They just whine. And are bored.

[hornblower]

You know, this might just be an adjustment thing for the 13 & 15  yo to figure out how to fill their time, kwim?

I did remember a couple more things:

Games of balance & strength - ie forest and lake agility. Throwing rocks at a tree branch, skipping stones. Impromptu scavenger hunts - trying to find rocks that look like a heart, trying to find a cool looking tree, trying to see a face in the bark of a tree... Are they interested in photography? Drawing?

Next year I'm bringing a slack line. We now have to travel in two cars (because I can't fit all of us + my dogs in one) & I want to rig up a slack line between the cars - I figure I can attach it to the hooks on the frame under the bumpers....

Ds brought our old hammock out of storage & took it camping last year. He & dh spent a fair bit of time getting it hung up & then there was endless amusement watching someone trying to get in it and stay in it & get out without falling down.

The hammock, as with most of our inflatable floaties provides, once again, endless Winnie the Pooh moments.

“Now then, Pooh,†said Christopher Robin, “where’s your boat?â€
“I ought to say,†explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, “that it isn’t just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it’s a Boat, and sometimes it’s more of an Accident. It all depends.â€
“Depends on what?â€
“On whether I’m on the top of it or underneath it.â€

LOL. Camping is just acting out Winnie the Pooh for us apparently. We also play poohsticks if there's a bridge over water....

[Acadie]

We meet cousins at the campground!  There's real novelty in spending the day with the cuzzies--I have 3 sisters, so it's 4 households coming together.  Each family brings something fun to do, and their own style of doing things...we rotate meals, so there's fun in eating different foods too.

 

Probably your olders would love either bringing/meeting friends or cousins, or finding some peers wherever you are...

 

Amy

 

 

[DawnM]

Well, we always go with other families for scout family camp.  So, we do campfires with cook offs, hiking, swimming, card playing, etc...

[SparklyUnicorn]

Complain was my first reaction, but yeah, pretty much this. 

 

Yeah that's me trying really really really hard to be a good sport about it.  I only do it for the kids.  Otherwise I don't see myself ever going camping voluntarily for my own amusement. 

[SeaConquest]

Yeah that's me trying really really really hard to be a good sport about it.  I only do it for the kids.  Otherwise I don't see myself ever going camping voluntarily for my own amusement. 

 

The Army had to pay me to go camping. I won't do it for free. :)

[SparklyUnicorn]

The Army had to pay me to go camping. I won't do it for free. :)

 

There was a time I enjoyed camping.  That was prior to being afraid of Lyme's disease.  I've known so many people who got it that I just can't enjoy myself being worried about it. And many of them were miserable for a very long time. 

[KungFuPanda]

Fire for fun. Camp stove for food. It takes the pressure off.

[Vida Winter]

We usually hike and when back in camp there are many housekeeping tasks to keep us busy. After dinner and toasted marshmallows I like to play Yahtzee. If the kids know any funny camp songs they are a hoot!

[blondeviolin]

We camp to save on hotels too. This summer we camped as we drove up to Alaska. It was awesome. The kids played and ran, we used on grills rather than fires.

 

I think KOA's are a good intro-to-camping spots. Most have a pool, they often have playgrounds, mini golf, maybe a bouncing pillow thing, etc. There's also lots of people and plenty of friends to be made.

[creekland]

You know, this might just be an adjustment thing for the 13 & 15  yo to figure out how to fill their time, kwim?

 

I did remember a couple more things:

 

Games of balance & strength - ie forest and lake agility. Throwing rocks at a tree branch, skipping stones. Impromptu scavenger hunts - trying to find rocks that look like a heart, trying to find a cool looking tree, trying to see a face in the bark of a tree... Are they interested in photography? Drawing?

 

Next year I'm bringing a slack line. We now have to travel in two cars (because I can't fit all of us + my dogs in one) & I want to rig up a slack line between the cars - I figure I can attach it to the hooks on the frame under the bumpers....

 

Ds brought our old hammock out of storage & took it camping last year. He & dh spent a fair bit of time getting it hung up & then there was endless amusement watching someone trying to get in it and stay in it & get out without falling down.

 

The hammock, as with most of our inflatable floaties provides, once again, endless Winnie the Pooh moments.

 

“Now then, Pooh,†said Christopher Robin, “where’s your boat?â€

“I ought to say,†explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, “that it isn’t just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it’s a Boat, and sometimes it’s more of an Accident. It all depends.â€

“Depends on what?â€

“On whether I’m on the top of it or underneath it.â€

 

LOL. Camping is just acting out Winnie the Pooh for us apparently. We also play poohsticks if there's a bridge over water....

 

Your family and mine would have a blast camping together.

 

I don't recall ever having boredom be an issue.  Having to leave before we wanted to was common, but not boredom.

 

My kids could outhike me and never complained.  Twelve miles?  No problem - oh - and can we see where this side trail goes too? (We didn't start camping with them until youngest was past the toddler stage.)

 

We STILL love poohsticks - even now that they are college boys or older.

 

I forgot to mention, we also spent a good bit of time geocaching.  

 

http://www.geocaching.com/

 

All three of mine were excellent cachehounds!  The harder the cache, the more fun we had.

 

Wow, I'm really missing those days now (sigh).

 

I hope they have as much fun with their kids when they have them.  The memories we have are priceless.

 

 

 

 

[Joyofsixreboot]

Hike trails, swim,visit nature center, hit every playground in the place, find other kids there to scream with, haul wood, haul water, read,cards,frisbee, soccer.

[alisoncooks]

We have epic swing ball tournaments!
http://www.amazon.com/All-Surface-Swingball-with-Tether/dp/B000MDT7KO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421499887&sr=8-1&keywords=Swing+ball

We also play corn hole & ladder golf.
Read lots of trashy magazines and fluff novels.
Eat too much junk food.
ETA: we also bring the kids' bikes or scooters.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Read, play scrabble, play tons of card games, practice knife throwing, go for walks, swim, all kinds of low key wonderful stuff.

We camp on an island so the beach always lends itself to things to do for the kids.

I hate the beach, I hate sand, so I am rarely down the hill from the tent and my super comfy camp chair.

We camp with a group of friends so my kids are never bored.  Lots of games of Manhunt, Ninja and Mafia.

Did I say read?  We all do, for hours, by the fire, on the beach, in pretty spots all around.

I even love when it rains and I can read in my tent, so peaceful.

The dog is always with us, but I always miss the cat when we go.

It takes a few days for the correct patina of sun screen and bug spray to become part of our skin, there is no running water there, only what we bring with us.  It also takes a few showers to get it off by the time we get home.

It is never all sunshine and roses, when you camp with a group, but in general, the benefits outweigh the mental stress.

My very favorite thing though?  Being able to go to bed as soon as it gets dark, read in my tent and fall asleep to wave sounds.  The kids and dh stay up and sing around the fire, play, whatever, but I love to go to my tent, alone and relax.

 

[Susan in TN]

We do hiking, boating, swimming, etc. In the down times, my kids will make fairy villages with sticks, leaves, and rocks they find, play in a nearby playground (the campgrounds we go to generally have at least a swing and slide and other kids nearby), play card games or chess/checkers, help mom or dad cook/haul wood/tidy tents, look for perfect walking sticks, try to build a fire...

 

That's what I remember from last spring. It seems that hiking/walking around was our main time filler, though that was also the main feature of that campground.

 

For the fire issue, there's really not much you can do about the wood available except bring tons and tons of non-wood firestarter (paper towel rolls, cardboard, dryer lint, etc). For cooking, buy or borrow a Coleman propane stove. Your meals will not have to depend on a good fire; good cooking fires are sometimes hard to come by, even when camping with an Eagle Scout.

[Lizzie in Ma]

apply copious amounts of bug spray, eat, worry about Lyme's disease, eat some more, wish they allowed booze at the campground, scratch from the bug bites, eat some more, sit in front of the fire, wait impatiently for it all to be over

lol, that should have been my response!

[City Mouse]

Bring charcoal if you want to cook out.

Bring wheeled toys for the kids- bikes and scooters, trikes and push toys for the younger ones.

We try to get a site as close to the playground as possible.

Digital cameras for the kids can be fun. You can always delete all the out of focus pictures later.

 

Dare I even say it- let the kids bring hand held video games. There is no quicker way for kids that don't know each other to connect than talking about video games.

[umsami]

This has been a great thread. :)  

 

Do any of you have any experience with cabin camping? DH is not a fan of tent camping, and we have a few local parks that offer cabins. I figure that might be a good middle ground.  I know it's more expensive, but it's still cheaper (for us) then having to rent two hotel rooms.  

[heartosunshine]

apply copious amounts of bug spray, eat, worry about Lyme's disease, eat some more, wish they allowed booze at the campground, scratch from the bug bites, eat some more, sit in front of the fire, wait impatiently for it all to be over

You need "Mommy's Special Coffee"! (Adult beverage in an opaque reusable coffee cup.)

 

OP, teach olders how to build a campfire. My kids love this task. We also hike, sightsee, fish, and explore the area so there's not too much time at the campsite. Someone else mentioned charcoal and I second that if you must cook without a propane stove.

[J-rap]

Well, given that we just went camping this past summer and thought it really fun, I'll go over what we did...

 

Spent the first afternoon setting up camp, exploring the campgrounds, and making dinner.  (We only do campfire dinners when we camp, unless it's winter and we're sleeping in a camp cabin... then we do slow-cooker meals if there is an electric outlet.)  Making the fire and preparing dinner always takes awhile, and we then we relax and eat and take our time with that.  Then s'mores and a game of cards before bed.

 

Then the next day, when we've already settled in and are looking for more to do...  Build the fire, make camp coffee and our campfire breakfast, clean up, and around 11:00 or so we're ready to go on a hike.  Some will go on a more rigorous hike, others a more gentle hike.  If it's a long hike, we'll bring a picnic lunch for the trail.  Otherwise, we come back to our campsite and have a late-ish picnic lunch.  Afternoons are spent maybe reading in the hammock, sketching, experimenting with photography, maybe taking a nap.  (If a lake nearby, then definitely a swim!)  Then, getting the fire ready again for a repeat of the first night.

 

If winter camping (kind of, we're in a camper cabin), we bring our cross country skiis and board games in addition to books, sketch pads, and cameras.  :)

 

When the kids were young, we'd sometimes do an art project in the afternoon on the picnic table, using things we collected on our hike.  And of course, the kids would always build some kind of a fort in the woods.

[KungFuPanda]

This has been a great thread. :)

 

Do any of you have any experience with cabin camping? DH is not a fan of tent camping, and we have a few local parks that offer cabins. I figure that might be a good middle ground. I know it's more expensive, but it's still cheaper (for us) then having to rent two hotel rooms.

Cabin campng is the best of both worlds. You pack a lot less stuff, sleep off the ground, and eliminate the bulk of the grunt work. There is no worry about getting wet if it rains at night. Clothes, food supplies, sleeping bags, and camp chairs are really all you have to pack beyond personal entertainment and grooming needs.

[mommymonster]

A few thoughts: 

1. Get a camp stove. It will change. your. life. Seriously. Let the hubby and kids screw around with the fire for s'mores. You can deal with making dinner in quiet. Also, do all the prep work possible before leaving home. 

 

2. Plan for down time. When packing for a camping trip, have the kids pack stuff to do. Books, card games, bin of Legos, especially if there is any chance of rain. 

 

3. Find things to do before you go. Have a plan. Make it fun -- grab trail guides and have the kids identify trees, plants, animal tracks. Look for area history information. Give the younger ones the trail map and watch them glow (have a back-up in your pocket, though. Really.).  At night, have constellation maps.