When looking at the big picture, families want their children to become happy, balanced, successful, contributing adults. How can families provide the lessons needed for future success? By providing children with the opportunity to learn these life skills now — in an environment created just for them. That's where camp comes in.

Beyond the campfire and tents, a positive camp experience teaches a child critical life skills — important building blocks for the future. Through camp, children learn how to be independent, self-sufficient, and self-assured. They learn a sense of community – learning how to live with others, overcome adversity, and how to respect and appreciate those that are different from themselves.

Camp provides children an opportunity to learn in an experiential classroom — a powerful learning environment that is a critical part of educating the whole child. In fact, camp is comprised almost entirely of "teachable moments" — moments when children are actively engaged and using creativity and cognitive skills. Because of the "hands on" nature of camp, often those children who may struggle in traditional educational settings excel.

At camp, children gain an appreciation of the environment and a better understanding of the world around them. They grow by learning to take healthy risks, developing authentic relationships with peers and mentors, and learning that "I can" is much more powerful than "I can't."

The American Camp Association® (ACA) family resource site, www.CampParents.org, offers families information and guidance as they search for the perfect camp experience. ACA's Find a Camp search allows families to look for a camp based on region, activity, cultural focus, budget, session length, and much more! In addition, families can follow ACA on Facebook and Twitter for helpful hints and camp information.

This is a solar powered headlamp, no need for batteries.

Pros:  Very light, no need for batteries.  Easy to turn on and off even for little fingers, good strong beam, enough power for an evening around camp,

Con: need to wear a baseball cap to wear it, cannot adjust brightness or angle

This headlamp is so light it is a great addition for backpacking light.  You could rig a string to it if you don’t wear a baseball cap, but I found this option kind of annoying.   I thought it was a good product for a child since you don’t have to worry about them using up the battery and they can turn it on and off easily, the drawback is that you don’t usually put a baseball cap on a little kid.

To read my other head lamp product review click the link   Head lamp gear review 

I need to say this:  I was not paid to write this review.  The Jet Boil Flash Cooking System is absolutely essential for your family outdoor adventures!  We were all blown away by its efficiency, lightness, ease of use, and the small space that is needed to store it in your pack.  Think about these scenarios:

You are canoeing, it is late, your kid insists on swimming and now they are cold.

You are out on a day-long Nordic ski tour, you stop for lunch, your child is cranky, cold and hungry.

Your teenage daughter is cranky before dinner, you are in the desert.

You want to eat a hot drink, but you want a light pack.

Do you choose to bring along a stove, a pot, a lighter, a fuel bottle, and a yummy quick food or drink, that requires you to find all the parts, assemble, pump, light, and then wait for the water to boil?

Or

Do you choose to bring a Jet Boil Flash cooking system and a yummy quick food or drink that you pop out of your bag and wait two minutes to get ready?

The JetBoil Flash cooking system is a fuel can, pot, lighter and speed demon all rolled into one.  Be careful; it cooks so fast that you may burn something in the pot and then you need to wash it using specific instructions.

The downfall of the Jetboil is that it only can warm up enough drink for a few people or food for one person.  That is why I would love to try out their larger capacity system, Helios, and tell you all about it.

So, why do I think it is absolutely essential for your family outdoor adventures?  It is the perfect stove to bring to make quick drinks for cold children in case of an emergency, on long winter activities (I am dreaming of taking mine sledding) or on any expedition where someone would appreciate a quick, warm pick me up at any time.

If you are looking to save space in your pack and shed unnecessary weight when traveling outdoors you should think of looking into some Fozzils products.  We tested out their solo pack, marketed as an all in one set for hiking, picnicking or travel.  For almost all of my outdoor travel I carry only an insulated mug or Tupperware and a spoon and use it for all meals, drinks, etc, to try and minimize gear and weight.  If you go with only the spoon and the bowl that is included in the solo pack, then you would be good to go, since they can be used for a variety of meals.  We found the inclusion of the cup and dish to be overkill, but we were able to use all those parts for other members of the family.  In essence a solo pack could be used for three people.  If you are not familiar with Fozzils, they are foldable, plastic dishes that take little space and snap into three D containers when you need them.  We found the dish to be useful for pancakes in the field or sandwiches when traveling.  The ‘Dish’ is an added extra bonus for people who are backpacking.  The downfall to these containers is that we found them a little hard to keep clean because they have folds.  If you open them up flat they wash very easily at a base camp or just bring them back home dirty, but if you are in the backcountry and you don’t want to leave a trace it is a bit more challenging.  All in all, I really wished I knew about these Fozzils products before, they really are a wonderful addition to your outdoor arsenal.

While my husband has been out of town I've been responsible for two boys, two dogs, two jobs, one house and an inordinate amount of laundry.

Walking two dogs with a stroller is too much for me. We hardly fit on the sidewalk. Hiking on a trail doesn't really work because I never know when Anders (2.5) will hit the wall and "need" to be carried. It could be a couple miles into a walk or it could be a few minutes after we hit the trail. Carrying him and his one-year-old brother is out of the question. I'm tough and all, but two kids is too many to carry.

I've been trying to come up with ways I can get all four boys outside, exercised and having fun. Last weekend I took them to a place I don't normally think of as a recreational/dog walking/kid entertaining place.

A closed campground.

We are lucky to have several campgrounds less than 30 minutes from our house. We hit up a Forest Service campground (Pine Creek Campground) after it had closed for the season. No one was there, so the dogs could run amok and the roads were perfect for pushing a stroller.

Turned out that Finn fell asleep in the truck just before we got there, so I left him in there. Anders and I found plenty to do within sight of the truck.

It wasn't exactly a wilderness experience, but there were trees, snow, shrubs and, most importantly, sticks. (Do all kids LOVE sticks and rocks, or is that a boy thing?).

Anders played in the campfire ring, stirred snow and chased the dogs. The dogs ran around willy nilly without bugging anyone, Finn slept and I could check a couple things off my to-do list: run dogs, get kids outside.

Where do you take your kids to connect with nature that's a little outside the box?

by Melynda @ www.yourwildchild.com

My son Tiernan loves to have a flashlight in hand for any adventure. Recently those adventures have included visiting a cave, camping with his Daddy and making his Halloween jammies glow in the dark. However, we noticed a pattern. He would easily fall asleep in the tent by himself if he had a flashlight to play with. Inevitably he would fall asleep on top of the light and in the morning the batteries would be dead. Then we found the EcoTwist'r by SUN. Love it. It doesn't require any batteries, you twist it to generate energy and the LED light is as bright as any child needs. An excellent product!

I needed a gift for Joanne, a good friend and climbing partner, and I saw this hammock on-line.  It was the perfect gift for someone who spends a great deal of time climbing, hiking, camping, biking…It’s a bit heavy for the fast-and-light backpacking crowd, but wonderful for car camping and some quality back yard time.  After I gave Jo her gift, I found I had some “hammock-envy”, so I bought another one for my son, my future rope-gun, and I.  Okay, so he’s only 11 months old, but I can dream.  Turns out, he LOVES the hammock.  A couple of times during the day he and I will sneak out back and snuggle in our hammock.  I have a few of his favorite toys tucked into the hammock pocket, plus I keep a fleece blanket inside, in case any napping happens.  It’s wonderful when he relaxes so much he just drifts off to sleep under the trees.  I give this hammock a 5 star rating.

In early August we began our journey over McClure Pass to spend the night at Lake Irwin, a campground just a few miles from Crested Butte.  The campground was full but we followed a dirt road just past the designated campsites. As we began to unpack, a man came running towards us. His girlfriend had fallen 10 feet off a cliff and her head was bleeding. She was a mile up the road still accompanied by a Good Samaritan who happened to be passing by, also looking for the waterfall at the end of the hike. We repacked the truck, drove the boyfriend to his car, informed two men and two children on dirt bikes of the accident since they were headed in that direction, found the camp manager who had no access to contact help, and drove towards Crested Butte. Once our cell phones were able to pick up a signal, we called 911, described the situation to the dispatcher, and met up with the ambulance to provide them with further details and directions. Needless to say, we forgo staying at the Irwin Lake Campground and decided to pitch a tent just outside of Crested Butte.  We took a road that leads to National Forest open land and were able to put up the tent in time to watch the sun set. The moon was full and the sky clear. We preferred this kind of camping anyway, without the rules and regulations that restrict our dog from wandering and with the illusion that the very spot we chose belonged to us, or that we and everything in sight, belonged to it.

As my husband was preparing the fire and dinner for us, our almost three-year-old insisted on using his camera. We told her she had to remain sitting while she used the hand-held digital camera, since she had dropped it the weekend before. She began snapping at a furious rate, capturing every angle from her fixed vantage point. She was focused on the nuances of her environment and empowered by her new-found ability. The next morning, she took on the same role right after breakfast. Although she had complained the evening before and upon waking that she did not like sleeping in a tent (this was our third summer camping with her, but this time her age allowed for greater and specific verbal dissent), she was thoroughly engaged as a photographer, which later enhanced the walk we took where she spent more time exploring and running around than whining to be held.

A year before her birth, I was working for an organization called “Kids with Cameras,” a nonprofit affiliated with the Academy Award-winning documentary “Born into Brothels.” The nonprofit hoped to raise money to educate the children in the film and others like them – raised in whorehouses in the red-light district of Calcutta, India. Zana Briski, a photographer planning to capture the women’s lives, found herself more drawn to the children there as their curiosity for her camera grew. Zana soon invited her then-boyfriend Ross Kauffman to film their interactions. What they captured brilliantly was how an art form like photography can pull a child from her world and into another, where he can express and create, where she can believe.

My little girl is far from the slums of Calcutta, safe and sound in the heart of the Western American wilderness, but she also yearns to control her surroundings through self-expression. I began to imagine the life she could lead as a professional photographer, and although few reach the level of traveling the world in that fashion, it can be done, and it can be one of the most exciting and enriching avenues in which to live a life. But that’s an extreme case, and mere projection. Fortunately, however, digital visual technology is available for the masses to enjoy, providing immense pleasure from saving a moment, an image, a person within their eyespan forever.

There are now also options for children. At our local Target, I found a couple of kid’s waterproof cameras designed to survive destructive behavior, ranging from $50-60. We’ve decided to give one to our daughter when her new sibling arrives in November. We are hoping that it won’t be just a passing fancy for her, that this will perhaps just be the beginning of a lifelong love of photography, and, somewhat selfishly, that it will allow for much more pleasurable walks, hikes, car rides, and any kind of forced group activity that she otherwise fights for the sake of her individuality and freedom.

A month since our overnight outing, I do wish I could report that it was her playing with the camera that brings back her strongest memories of that trip, but it’s not. What she asks about over and over (and over and over) is the story of the woman who fell off the cliff. The latest obsessive topic revolves around pain and death, and death and dying. I thought we had more time until this would happen, but alas there are many bugs and animals that die on a daily basis here, and it’s almost impossible to find a full-length animated movie that does not somehow discuss or allude to our mortality. Maybe her camera will help to answer some of these questions for her, or maybe at least provide a vehicle for exploring her fears and questions - the same fears and questions that we never stop asking of ourselves and of the universe.

  Nikki

The paint comes in powder form.  You simply mix it with water and use only what you need, so there is no waste.  It does not come with preservatives so if your child ingests some you don’t need to worry.  It is made with all natural, plant based ingredients.

The dough is smooth and fun to play with. It also comes in gluten, soy and dairy free formula if your kid who has allergy.

Very affordable, a great gift and a great toy to bring along on a trip since if there is residue you don’t need to worry about leaving a trace.

Frequently, as a child in the '50's, my parents packed up 5 kids and we went camping with the old canvas tent and heavy canvas/flannel sleeping bags.  They also had a piece of property up by Lake Tahoe/CA with a stream running through it.  We kids would spend hours in that creek building dams for swimming pools, exploring, playing, etc.  I have vivid memories of it being my turn to sleep on this funny leather sofa under a circle of pine trees, watching the stars coming out and feeling the greatness of the trees, stars and outdoors.  Today I can look up in a grove of pine trees and that feeling will be there for me.  Which is why I love that today's young parents are getting their children outside.  You are building memories for your children as well as a love for the land which our world needs in its future leaders. 

When my children were little their dad did not like to camp so we never got them out as toddlers for that camping experience.  During a second marriage we took a 6 week trip to Alaska and back which was my childrens introduction to camping.  I was the only one on that trip with camping experience.  It was definitely an experience!  Today the oldest is building his own camping supply and will borrow from my cache as needed, and I willingly loan knowing that he is getting out there to camp.  Now as a single I camp by myself.  It's the greatest thing to watch young families in campgrounds and see all the different camping styles they bring with them.  There is no right or wrong thing, just what works for you. 

Packing for a new trip always lets me work on how to pack better and lighter and repurpose things. Mid summer I was distressing over throwing that bundle of firewood that I buy from the park office into the back seat of my car and the mess it left.  As I was packing I had the tarps and tent in a big green rubbermaid bin (left over from the Alaska trip) on the backseat and realized I could use it for the firewood once I got to the park (see picture).  I sign in, setup the tent and go back and get the wood which can stay in the bin until I need it. And the backseat stays clean.  As you can see from the picture, it also works for a place by the fire to set hot pie irons. (Not a cooking venue I recommend around toddlers!)

I have the privilege of working at a beautiful school in a forest that supports a healthy environmental education program.  Our students (3-14yrs) are outside everyday rain or shine, hot or cold.  How fun to watch them move a bug off a walking path so it doesn't get trampled, fill pocket with acorns, leaves, sticks, or a special rock. They sled when it snows. They look up, they look down, they know the birds, they are excited about chipmunks, squirrels, skunks and deer. They accidentally fall in the streams and lag behind to watch something special only they can see. Its a school where no child is ever left inside.  We don't just have earth day, we have earth week.  A large branch fell off an Oak tree last week and there were tears.  Building this love of the outdoors feeds a respect for our world that you will want them to have as they become adults and the custodians of what you love.   Whether we do it at a school or you do it over a weekend camping trip, keep doing it. 

Are we there yet?

This 3000 square mile provincial park can mostly be visited in the backcountry by foot or canoe.  However along the highway that crosses it there are fourteen trails, eight campgrounds, a visitor center, a few eating establishments and two museums that are all accessible by car.

If you are just driving through, you don’t need a reservation.  But if you want to use the campgrounds or go into the backcountry, you need to reserve well in advance.  This is a very popular destination for many Canadians.  Don’t worry too much about crowds, though; when you are in the backcountry you will not be swarmed by other groups, since the park is well managed.  However you may encounter many mosquitoes and moose.  If you are lucky you, can spot other wildlife like beaver, fox, wolf or bear. Rest assured like most wild animals, they will be more scared of you then you are of them.

Another great way to experience the park is to stay at one of the three lodges offering cabins or luxury accommodation within the park.  You may need to take a small boat ride to get to your lodging but you will be taken care of in style.

Planning a trip to Algonquin Provincial Park is pretty simple if you are already knowledgeable about backcountry hiking or canoeing.  If you stop by the visitor’s center they have clear maps and all the trails and tent sites are clearly marked.  Make sure to bring all your appropriate gear or reserve your gear from a local outfitter.

Also, the group of seven, Canada's (1910-1930) group of landscape painters were inspired by this parks majestic wilderness.  So, don't forget your camera or your paints.

Heidi

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We try to keep our kids outfitted in non-cotton clothing for our hiking and camping adventures, when the weather can turn cold or wet.  A leaky diaper can also be a problem, when it's cold or windy enough that it's better to have wet clothing than an exposed bottom in the wrong spot.  So, below are some sources for polyester clothing for kids (note that all of these sites also carry cotton clothing; check fabric composition).

REI
MEC
Land's End Sun.Life line of clothing
Milk Factory

An unexpected source of polyester and fleece shirts is Carter's, specifically their polyester pajama shirts.  These are made to address fire safety concerns with cotton pajamas, but they have several advantages over other technical kids' gear.  They're soft, with a cotton-like texture; they come in a variety of weights and sleeve lengths depending on the season; they come with a wide variety of appliques, to meet the interests of your favorite kid; and because they're marketed for a general audience, rather than a specific technical market, they are available on sale in a variety of brick-and-mortar locations.

In the attached photo, my son is wearing a Carter's pajama shirt, and a pair of hiking pants made from an old pair of women's hiking shorts (our all-time favorite toddler hiking pants).

Where do you get your kids' gear?  I'm always up for a new source!