Here in the south, camping season has just kicked off, as the temperatures have finally begun to drop. A few weeks ago, we headed out to a local state park for a multi-family weekend camping adventure. We had a lot of fun... I thought I'd share the biggest hits!
In terms of gear, our roomy tent did the job - though I'd love to have a pop-up camper like I camped in as a kid, or maybe a vintage trailer like
this one! However, the show stealer of the weekend was a simple hammock strung between two trees. The kids took turns dreaming, reading, and swinging in here nonstop. As for the grown-ups, we were super grateful to our new
stainless steel percolator by GSI Outdoors. Once we got the hang of percolating our morning brew, it was well worth the investment.
We had a hefty wish-list of activities to do, but what everyone really loved most was hiking. It's eagle nesting season here, so we spent some time at a lookout viewing a huge nest (like 5' wide!). The littlest campers enjoyed a
nature scavenger hunt printed out before we left home. And everyone was excited by
geocaching, which turned all our walks into treasure hunts. This is a must do!
Back at the campsite, the kids enjoyed bubbles, card games, and nature activities. My niece made the "decoration" pictured above with her collection, and my youngest enjoyed making leaf rubbings in her nature journal. I also brought along a ball, some books, coloring supplies, and a bucket of small animal & fairy figurines.
All was played with!
Finally... the food. We ate really good, splitting meal responsibilities among three families. But the real kid-pleasers were as follows, in order of enthusiasm: s'mores over the campfire, IBC rootbeer
in the bottle, campfire burritos (a ground turkey variation of
this recipe), and trail mix with yogurt raisins and Trader Joe's
Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops!
What are your "greatest hits" when camping with kids, or multiple families? I'd love to know!
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