“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
As summer vacation rapidly approaches, many families make plans for memorable adventures. My fondest and strongest childhood memories were of family camping trips, not the expensive trips to the amusement park. Camping with your family offers a greener option for quality, summer time. It is a great way to teach your children to appreciate our beautiful, natural world, learn about conservation, and combat nature deficit disorder.
Camping with little ones is challenging and can take many forms. Car camping offers convenience to families, as a means of getting to the campground without hauling all your gear in a backpack, a feat that is more challenging with children. Personally, I would rather not sleep next to my automobile, so I prefer to find a spot for family camping that is not quite car camping, but a short walk from the car. Our favorite spot is Bear Harbor on the Mendocino coast in the Sinkyione Wilderness area, as the isolate campsites are only a half-mile from the parking lot. You can even take a jogging stroller on the trail.
Some families do not sacrifice their backpacking desires when their children are young. By using horses or pack mules, families can go far into wilderness areas, such as the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area, with their little ones. Many miles can be covered this way. Still other die-hard backpackers will pack their infants, while friends and other family members carry the gear and food. One friend of mine packed her six-month-old 12 miles into the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area. I was quite impressed, as she hung cloth diapers to dry off of her pack while we hiked along the trail.
If the above options are too rustic for your family, still other alternatives to experience nature exist. Your family can rent a cabin in the woods and experience life as a homesteader. Or, your family can attend a family camp hosted by a children’s camp. The Bar 717 Ranch describes their family camp program as, “Family Camp is an opportunity for families and friends to spend time together in the beautiful Trinity Mountains. We offer many of our regular camp programs, and encourage participants to take advantage of our unique setting to pursue individual interests such as mountain biking.â€
Whatever options you chose for family camping, your family will not be disappointed. Camping offers an affordable, greener option for summer adventures your children will never forget. Remember to be prepared with sunscreen, natural oils to deter bugs, food, water, etc.
REI offers Expert Camping Advice for Camping with Kids. Here are five quick tips from REI:
Practice camping near home before taking a long, faraway outing.
Involve kids in the planning for a camping trip.
Seek out activities unique to the outdoors.
Make sure kids always carry an emergency whistle.
Focus on fun; let kids be kids.
Editor’s Note: Please welcome Jennifer Lance, who is participating in a Green article swap between GNMParents and Green Options. Jennifer is a regular over at Green Options, a great site which succeeds in their efforts to “provide a place where you can sort out the flash from the trash, and make informed decisions that allow you to live a responsible, healthy and abundant life.” GNMParent’ contributor, Barb Lattin’s article can be found at this Green Options link. Thanks for visiting, Jennifer!
[tags]parenting, kids, a little greener, vacation, camping, rustic, trips, outdoors, adventures[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by the author, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
1 response so far ↓
Stu Mark // May 21, 2007 at 10:43 am
My wife and I are currently fond of rock-hunting. A great way to spend some Earth-friendly time.
My daughter is more a five-star hotel kind, which I dig, ’cause I like a nice hotel myself, but my son is into camping. He graduates 8th grade in a few weeks, I think this essay has given me the inspiration to take him camping a lot this summer.
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