Together Tuesday: Camping Day!

Is summer boredom setting in? Shake things up with an informal camping day!

Day 7 – Camping Day
* We’re Going on a Campout! (spoken, in the tradition of "Going on a Bear Hunt")
We’re going on a campout in the middle of the woods
Hiking high, hiking low, off on our camp out – here we go!

First we pitch our tent.
Put up the stakes, zip the flaps, adjust the rain cover –
Done!

We’re going on a campout in the middle of the woods
Hiking high, hiking low, off on our camp out – here we go!

Next we gather some wood.
Little twigs for tinder,
Big dry logs for the fire.
Carry the heavy load to the fire pit!
Done!

It’s time to light the fire.
Make a frame with the tinder, light the match,
Blow it gently …
Watch the flames go!
Add some logs –
Done!

Supper time!
Wrap some potatoes in foil and put them in the fire.
Make some shish kabobs!
Yummy – let’s eat!
Time for s’mores!
Find some sticks.
Put on your marshmallows and toast them just right!
Make a sandwich with graham crackers and chocolate – yum!

*Yawn* Time for bed now.
Unzip your sleeping bag.
Curl up inside.
Mommy and daddy zip you up tight and warm.
Sweet dreams!

* Pitch a tent! – In your backyard, if the weather is nice, or in your living room, if it not! If you don’t have a camping tent to pitch, use a child’s pop up playhouse as a tent or create your own tent by stringing a piece of rope between two trees or from one wall or piece of furniture to another across the room, draping a sheet over and securing the ends down at an angle with rocks or other heavy objects. Add your sleeping bags or blankets and pillows and you have a great retreat for the day!

* Make a camp fire – If you are pitching your tent outside, collect some large rocks to make a fire ring and add some sticks and logs and light your own personal camp fire. If you are camping indoors, make a faux fire with real sticks and logs from outside, sticking construction paper flames or bunches of wool roving in between to resemble a camp fire.

* Ghost stories – No camp out is complete without telling ghost stories with a flashlight! (If you are indoors, dim the lights and) Take turns passing the flashlight around to family members to create a silly ghost story. Choose one person to begin and hand him/her the flashlight. Only the person with the flashlight may talk. This person will start the ghost story, then pass off the flashlight to someone else at a pivotal moment … continue until everyone has had at least one turn and/or the story comes to a conclusion.

* Camping eats – When we have Camping Day, we spend the entire day outside, eating only foods we have brought out in our cooler/backpacks and that we can prepare on our camp fire. Shish kabobs (hot dogs for those who eat them), turkey burgers, corn on the cob, baked potatoes for dinner; grilled cheese or pb&j for lunch; for breakfast we once toasted organic pop tarts over the fire! And of course, our two favorite camping foods, s’mores and watermelon!

* Sit-upons – Do you remember these from Girl Scouts? I always loved making a sit-upon when we went girl scout camping! Essentially, it is a pillow to sit upon on the ground outside. You can make your own a variety of ways. We use a layer of PUL as the bottom and a soft organic cotton for the top layer, then stuff it with all of my fabric scraps. You can use nylon or fleece for the bottom if you want something water resistant; if being water resistant is not a concern, consider any heavy duty fabric for the bottom … corduroy, denim, etc. A cute print for the top will personalize the sit-upon for your child. Lay the two squares or rectangles (depending on your size/shape preference) of fabric right sides together and pin. Sew three sides and half of the fourth side. Unpin and turn. Stuff, then sew down the opening. This is a great first sewing machine project for children since it only involves straight lines and is easily fixed if there is a boo-boo!

Book List:
* Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems
by Kristine O'Connell
* Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe
by Vera B. Williams
* When We Go Camping
by Margriet Ruurs


(From Earth*School: One Day Fun Days, all rights reserved. Copyright Earth*School/Bonnie Vontz 2004 - 2010)