Depending on your family's preferences, you can plan a weekend packed full of
activities, or a more relaxing time of rest and solitude. With kids, it's a good
idea to have at least one physical activity planned per day, so that they will
be ready to hit the sack when the sun goes down.
Park Events
National and state campgrounds often host activities for campers. From guided
nature walks to demonstrations and stargazing, there are a number of activities
you can enjoy as a guest of a campground. The ranger station or park store will
have a schedule of activities and a campground map.
Nature Study
Kids and adults enjoy studying nature. If someone in your family enjoys
photography, take a camera or video recorder on your nature hike. Drawing
animals and plants on a sketchpad is another way of capturing nature to enjoy
later.
For hands-on adventurers, pack tongs, tweezers, Baggies, and rinsed spice
jars to store specimens for later inspection.
Rocks make a nice collection, sticks are good for whittling into figures, and
leaves and flowers can be pressed between book pages for scrapbooks.
Binoculars are essential if you have a bird-watching enthusiast, and birds
are beautiful subjects to sketch.
For kids interested in aquatic life, an underwater viewer can be a useful
tool. Make an underwater viewer by cutting both ends from a strong, light
colored, waterproof container, like a butter tub. Attach plastic wrap with a
tight rubber band to one end of the container. Place the window side of your
viewer just beneath the surface of a pond, stream, or lake, and you can
investigate underwater life with the fish.
Nature guides cover subjects such as birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, flowers,
insects, rocks, and trees. Some feature full color photographs for easy
identification of specimens. They are also available for specific regions, so
check your local library or bookstore for guides on subjects that interest your
family.