Heck, with the record-breaking, summer-like temperatures sweeping the nation, why wait until July to rough it in the great outdoors?
Our neighbor’s kids pitched a tent and slept outside Saturday night when the mercury was still in the 60s well after 10 p.m. Mind you, we live in Wisconsin where it snows in June and we’re lucky to see 70s in July.
Naturally, my daughter wanted to join in on the fun, but I put the kibosh on that getaway. However, I did allow her to roast marshmallows with her pals and partake in some of the activities featured in Lynn Brunelle’s Camp Out! The Ultimate Kids’ Guide. The book features a host of fun-filled projects that encourage pint-sized campers to really appreciate nature.
If you are planning to embark on a camping trip this spring or summer, then consider the following family-friendly activities featured in Camp Out!:
FERN SMASH T-SHIRT
Materials:
Newspaper
White t-shirt
Cardboard to fit inside the t-shirt
Fern leaves (be mindful of the environment while gathering leaves, only gathering a few from different plants)
Paper towels
Hammer
Plastic shopping bag
Directions:
Spread out newspaper on a flat surface and place t-shirt on top.
Slide cardboard inside shirt.
Place fern leaves face down on t-shirt in a pattern of your choice.
Place paper towels over ferns.
Carefully hammer paper towels and ferns, hitting every part of the design.
Remove paper towels slowly, and then gently remove ferns.
Lift newspaper with t-shirt and move to a shady spot to dry, and then wrap loosely in plastic bag.
Once you get home, place the t-shirt in the dryer for 10 minutes to set the fern design.
SPROUT YOUR SOCKS
Materials:
Pair of nubby wool socks
Large Ziploc bag
1/4 cup of water
Directions:
Find an interesting nature area to walk in.
Pull socks over your shoes.
Hike through the natural area, allowing socks to bush against the plant life.
Take socks off and put them in the Ziploc bag. Sprinkle water to dampen socks and seal the bag.
Place the bag in the sun for a few days and see what sprouts.
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