Eileen Ogintz is a nationally syndicated family travel columnist and creator of www.takingthekids.com.
Here’s a vacation idea that is guaranteed to be an adventure, won’t bust the budget and will provide plenty of family time away from computers, cell phones and TVs. You don’t have to go far from home either and you can bring your dog.
Go camping – even for a few days or one night. Just being in a tent is an adventure for young kids. Parents and kids love looking at the stars and making s’mores. You’ll feel proud to be an American when you visit our country’s national parks, and you might learn some history along the way like my family did touring ancient cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. At every campground, kids will make instant friends and so will you with families from around the country and beyond. I’ve camped in state and national parks and as far away as Tanzania – when we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro – and those trips are some of the most memorable we’ve had, whether we’ve been in a tent or an RV, like the one we drove around Colorado last summer.
If sleeping on the ground isn’t your thing or you are worried about rain (yes, that’s happened to us), consider a pop-up camper – rentals start at well under $100 a day – or a small RV, and you still will be able to enjoy all the fun of being in a campground with other families.
These days, you can leave all the work to others and sign on for organized family camping trips from companies including the Sierra Club, REI, Backroads, the Appalachian Mountain Club and Austin-Lehman Adventures.
The good news is – if you are going on your own – you don’t have to make a big investment to get started. Borrow from friends or rent what you need from a company like REI or Eastern Mountain Sports. At some campgrounds like Curry Village at Yosemite National Park, you can rent a platform tent or a rustic cabin.
Look for campgrounds that offer organized family and children’s activities, a playground, pool or evening campfires. You can find Wi-Fi too. Check KOA Campgrounds, for example, as well as state parks near your home.
Invite another family whose kids are similar ages. If the kids are teens or tweens, encourage them to bring a friend. Kids will make up their own games with rocks and sticks, compose songs on the hiking trail and entertain each other with skits around the campfire at night. Remember board games and decks of cards!
Get the kids involved in the planning. Let them plan some of the meals (ever had a tin foil dinner?), help cook, and choose the hikes and other activities like fishing and tubing.
Wherever you are, be mindful of safety. Make sure one adult always has their eyes on young children. Give each child a whistle and explain that, when you hike, everyone needs to stay with a buddy, stay on the trail and, if separated from the group, stay put and “hug a tree,” until they are found. Be prepared if you don’t have cell service.
Also be prepared with plenty of matches, extra flashlights and camera batteries, rain gear, quick-dry clothes, moisture-wicking socks, extra layers in case the weather changes, and a well-stocked first-aid kit.
The best part: without all the electronics (leave them in the tent or the car) you’ll be amazed at the conversations you will have!
Just don’t forget the bug repellent.
Written by Eileen Ogintz
(Image: Vicki Watkins/Flickr)
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