Sunday, March 30, 2008

Family Fun: Kids Camping Gear

Children love being out doors and active whether it be the play ground, the back yard, school, hiking, or camping children love to be involved. Kids camping gear can make the child feel more invested in the experience.

Kids camping gear is often the exact same as adult camping gear in slight miniature. Some examples of kids camping gear includes kids’ packs, kids’ sleeping bags, the well known pup-tent, and child sized clothing, outerwear, and boots.

Basic camping gear should always include insect repellant, a first aid kit, iodine tablets (for water in case of an emergency), sun screen, and some form of emergency communication device such as a two way radio or a cellular phone. A kid’s camping gear pack could include a first aid kit and extra water, to teach them how to be prepared for anything.

Fun And Learning

Camping is a great time for families to connect and children to learn about the world around them. Educating the child on what equipment is needed for a kid’s camping gear, can help them feel responsible and eager to explore.

If a kid’s camping gear includes some fun extras like binoculars and a small note book, it will open up an opportunity to record what they see both near and far. Later the whole family could compare what they saw with one another, and discuss which animals live in which places and why for example.

Another fun addition to a child’s camping gear is a plant identification book. Learning about plants is fun and important for children. They should know if they are inspecting a lady bird on the leaf of a milk weed plant or poison ivy; likewise if they are eating raspberries or something harmful from a berry bush in a forest.

Traveling in some areas of the country will allow people to see animals rarely seen in the wild such as elk, moose, certain types of rams, and even more dangerous animals like mountain lions, cougars, and bears. When traveling in these areas every person should have bear mace and something that makes noise like a bell to alert predators of their approach.

Most large animals do not attack because they are wicked or hungry; instead they are likely to attack because the animal was afraid or caught off guard. Having a bear bell and bear mace in the kid’s camping gear is a precaution the child and every family member should take.

Having a way to phone or call for help in an emergency is always important, more so in a forest, mountainous, desert, or very rural area. Having a GPS locator and a way to call for help is a wise idea for each member of the party and should be included in a kid’s camping gear.

No comments: