Taking the Kids
Families are discovering the joys of camping
Inever figured on the rain. The idea was to introduce the kids to the backcountry without all the work that backpacking entails. We planned to hike to a backcountry New Hampshire hut operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club ( www.outdoors.org ) where, rather than lug our tents and food, we’d each get a cot and a meal. It poured the entire way, of course. We slipped and slid over the rocks on the muddy trail and arrived soaked, but laughing. Years later, my kids still talk about that trip. Two of the three have grown into accomplished backpackers. My older daughter, Reggie, has spent several summers leading teens on wilderness trips.
Just being in a tent is an adventure for young kids, says Nancy Ritger, an Appalachian Mountain Club naturalist who has camped with her three teens since they were babies. “Definitely get the kids involved in the planning,” she suggests. And it always helps to bring along food they don’t get at home –beef jerky, sugared cereals, Pop-Tarts, or in our family, plenty of Tootsie Roll pops and M&Ms.
Without the iPods and text messages, kids will make up their own games with rocks and sticks, compose songs on the hiking trail and entertain everyone with a skit around the campfire after dinner.
All that creativity is certainly a good thing. So is having a vacation that isn’t going to break the budget. That may be why this year more families are thinking about heading to the campgrounds. (Probably because you can score a campsite for under $20 a night.) “Camping has become cool,” says Christine Fanning, executive director of the Outdoor Foundation, a not-for-profit organization charged with encouraging young people to get outdoors. She notes that reservations for campsites and sales for camping gear are up. In just one month, REI ( www.rei.com ) reported family tent sales were up almost 30 percent from 2008. It doesn’t require a big effort either to get started. Borrow or rent what you need from a company like REI or Eastern Mountain Sports ( www.ems.com ). If sleeping on the ground isn’t your thing, try a popup camper. According to Kevin Broom of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, rentals start at just $35 a day. (Visit Go RVing ( www.gorving.com ) to find a dealer near you.) Another plus: It’s easy to bring along your dog or cat. There are plenty of options for those who want to experience the outdoors without all the work. Everyone from the Sierra Club ( www.sierraclub.org/outings ) to REI to Backroads to the Appalachian Mountain Club offer a variety of well-priced organized camping trips and activities designed for families (even with young children) led by those experienced in introducing kids to the outdoors. There are a growing number of efforts designed to encourage families to get outdoors. Stop by an REI store and pick up a free adventure journal packed with activities, games, stickers and more. After participating in at least one activity, visit www.rei.com/passport and receive special prizes for the kids. The Web site www.grandparents.com is asking grandparents to collectively spend 1 million hours outside with their grandkids this summer ( www.grandparents.com/play ). They’ll make a donation for each hour logged to KaBOOM, a nonprofit organization trying to put a playground within walking distance of every child in America.
However you decide to go and wherever you are –a national or state park, or private campground –rest assured there should be plenty to entertain the kids. Jim Rogers, CEO of KAO Campground ( www.kao.com ) notes that many campgrounds these days are more like resorts with activities (ready to tie dye some T-shirts?), swimming pools, staff ready to help novice campers and friendly neighbors all too happy to share a cup of coffee or beer. “This is where people go and feel good,” he says, adding that campgrounds are so safe that parents feel comfortable allowing (older) kids to tool around on their own. Still, it’s important to be mindful of safety, especially when camping with young children, says Kari Cobb, a ranger at Yosemite National Park in California, who has reunited many kids with “lost” parents. Tag team to make sure one adult always has their eyes peeled on young children. Give each one a whistle and explain when you hike, you need to stay with a buddy, stay on the trail, and if you get lost, stay put and “hug a tree,” until you are found.
Visit www.takingthekids.com
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