Many times on camping trips while the adults are having fun with their hobbies, like fishing or swimming, exploring and just plain relaxing the children get bored. Oh sure, for the first few days it is fun racing around and swimming a time or two, but soon the novelty wears off and they are complaining and making life misery for everyone involved.
So before the whining hits the max button what can you do to keep their brains occupied? The normal things like bring a favorite toy or books to read, only work for a few hours at best, so it is time to think of new entertainment. Have you ever tried:
Exploring Streams- This involves wading in the creek with small cloth fish nets in hand and a kitchen sieve. By dipping the net into the creek it is possible to catch small fish or tadpoles, even the frog eggs can draw interest as a solid mass or a close up of the eggs as the tadpoles are developing. Sometimes pets can be made of a frog or salamander, then let go when camping trip is over.
Catching butterflies- in cloth nets to study them up close carefully, then let them go unharmed.
Catching Fireflies - This was always fun when I was a child, when learning the two mysteries that surround the firefly. One is the true nature of its "cold light" which is fueled by a substance called luciferin, which reacts when it comes into contact with oxygen by the means of another substance called luciferase which is the catalyst or trigger that allows the luciferin to consume oxygen and thus give off light. It seems that the supply of luciferin does not diminish as it is burned. 1st mystery.
The 2nd mystery, is why the light? Is it just to draw males and females together for mating? Is the light a warning of an unpleasent taste to keep other creatures from eating them? Or does it serve as a bait to lure unwary males of one species into the waiting jaws of hungry females of another?
Maybe someone on this site knows the answer, but I know that as a child catching them in a jar was a fun nighttime activity.
Stargazing- This was one of my favorite things to do. Just laying on my back and looking up into the night sky and trying to identify different star patterns like the Pegasus and Orion, Leo and Ursa Major (Big Dipper), Scorpius or Cygnus, kept my brother busy, while I looked for strange flying objects. Now there are tents that allow nighttime viewing through the roof and away from pesty bugs.
If you know of any other extra fun activities for children please share them here.
So before the whining hits the max button what can you do to keep their brains occupied? The normal things like bring a favorite toy or books to read, only work for a few hours at best, so it is time to think of new entertainment. Have you ever tried:
Exploring Streams- This involves wading in the creek with small cloth fish nets in hand and a kitchen sieve. By dipping the net into the creek it is possible to catch small fish or tadpoles, even the frog eggs can draw interest as a solid mass or a close up of the eggs as the tadpoles are developing. Sometimes pets can be made of a frog or salamander, then let go when camping trip is over.
Catching butterflies- in cloth nets to study them up close carefully, then let them go unharmed.
Catching Fireflies - This was always fun when I was a child, when learning the two mysteries that surround the firefly. One is the true nature of its "cold light" which is fueled by a substance called luciferin, which reacts when it comes into contact with oxygen by the means of another substance called luciferase which is the catalyst or trigger that allows the luciferin to consume oxygen and thus give off light. It seems that the supply of luciferin does not diminish as it is burned. 1st mystery.
The 2nd mystery, is why the light? Is it just to draw males and females together for mating? Is the light a warning of an unpleasent taste to keep other creatures from eating them? Or does it serve as a bait to lure unwary males of one species into the waiting jaws of hungry females of another?
Maybe someone on this site knows the answer, but I know that as a child catching them in a jar was a fun nighttime activity.
Stargazing- This was one of my favorite things to do. Just laying on my back and looking up into the night sky and trying to identify different star patterns like the Pegasus and Orion, Leo and Ursa Major (Big Dipper), Scorpius or Cygnus, kept my brother busy, while I looked for strange flying objects. Now there are tents that allow nighttime viewing through the roof and away from pesty bugs.
If you know of any other extra fun activities for children please share them here.