Camping with Children

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Comment by Laurene 3 hours ago

I haven't been to Idaho since I was very young, but we're trying to plan a trip through the northwest next year.

Comment by Rosemary Wells 1 day ago

Yosemite...with all of the hiking that I have done, I have not gone to Yosemite. It is a dream of mine :) But I am busy exploring the mountains around the place we just moved to last year. It is in beautiful Southern Idaho and full of places to go...

Comment by Laurene on March 8, 2010 at 12:10pm

We are definitly getting excited! We will be going on our first trip this year to Yosemite in a few weeks.

Comment by Rosemary Wells on March 7, 2010 at 7:22pm

Oh boy, am I getting excited! I have been out twice in the snow, but there is nothing like a walk in the spring. My eight year old granddaughter and I are already planning a trip or two into the mountains...I have a llama now to help out, so we will be staying out there for quite a few days at a time! :)

Comment by Shawn Englund on March 2, 2010 at 1:59pm

Is anyone else getting excited for camping? I live in the great state of Minnesota. Although I love to go winter camping I'm not able to do it much anymore. My family has continued to grow with child #5 arriving last fall. But we do get alot of summer camping in! Can't wait to bring our new little girl with us this year!

Comment by Rosemary Wells on December 3, 2009 at 9:55am

Laurene, back when I started bringing my children out in the backcountry my first husband wasn't supportive, so I did it alone. Then I continued doing it as a single mom because it helped to hold myself and my four little ones together as a family. People thought I was nuts for bringing them into Yellowstone on 30 mile trips and such, but I believe that doing stuff like this is one of the reasons my kids made it through the tough times. We had some incredible experiences together. Yup, even met quite a few critters on the trail. Education and discipline got us through these encounters very safely. I am a real fan of teaching children about this amazing world that we live on with actual experience. I am so glad that other parents are doing the same thing.

When I think about these wilderness programs for youth, I often think it would be a good idea to take out a few parents to go on a course themselves. I know that I learned how to be a better parent out there without ways to ban the kids from TV or any time-out corners to send them to. Out there, you gotta communicate clearly, be aware and caring to get the job done.

Oh dear! I do tend to babble on about this. Can you tell I loved and still love doing it? I will help anyone I can to have their own experiences doing the same thing.

Comment by Laurene on December 2, 2009 at 1:52pm

Rosemary, thank you so much for all that wonderful information and the book title. I always appreciate hearing from those with extensive experience camping with children. I have two small children who love to camp. Making their camping experiences more meaningful is not only rewarding for them, but also for me.

Comment by Rosemary Wells on December 2, 2009 at 10:01am

I have taken my kids camping for over 25 years...I still do it because we still hike together from time to time. I am starting to bring my grandchildren.

I have learned that you can bring your kids anywhere into the backcountry, as long as you have patience, perseverance and prepare. When they were small (as little as 18 months old), I never planned over 3-5 miles a day with them and I take a long lazy day for walking there. I also make sure that I have plenty of good sox, warm clothing and extra trash bags always come in handy. Get your kids (the ones over 3 or 4) to carry small packs with their clothes in them ASAP (start them light...1-2 pounds) and don't give in when they want you to carry it. A bit of discomfort that can be overcome gives the child a sense of accomplishment and strength. Things are not always easy, but they are worth the struggle and even a few tears once in a while.

That being said, I pack very light, using only dehydrated food that takes little or no preparation. No extras (two small children to one sleeping bag can work well). So if I need to have a little one sit on the top of my backpack (which I did with my 18 month old a time or two), I have the strength to pack them a ways.

As for activities, The wilderness has so much to show the kids that I didn't bring anything. I have done a few activities from the book, "Sharing Nature With Children" By Joseph Bharat Cornell and the Outward Bound program (I did these during and before our trips) that got my children curious about everything around them...like take a string and make a circle. Have the children see how many evidences of living things they can find in the circle. It is amazing. They will find tracks, scat, nibblings, webs, insect eggs, etc. I also have read up on the geology, biology or history of some places taught the children about it (kids are curious and love stories). The backcountry is one of the best places for an earth science or astrology lesson (a strong flashlight can point out constellations very well).

Doing this has changed my children's lives. Even the ones who no longer like to hike have a sense of their own strength and are aware of the beautiful world we live in. Others continue to hike with their families. One now works with youth in the backcountry and is out a week or two at a time. The backcountry is a great place to start your children out in life. It is an investment in time and energy that is well worth it.

Comment by kathy faye graham on November 26, 2009 at 11:56pm

My Husband & I have three grown children. Two boy's & one girl. And out of them , we now have we have six grandson's & four grandaughter's that we are very proud of all of them. And they are all our's, no step's. David & I have been married for 42 happy year's. We love being around kid's. We might be bad about spoiling them like they are our's. Ha, Ha, We would love them just like they were our's.

Comment by Sandra Essary on August 5, 2009 at 12:38pm

What an excellent idea! A treasure hunt is something all kids enjoy.

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