By Donna Scofield
• Give each child a disposable camera to photograph a record of the trip that they can put into an album of their own back home. Turn it into a sneaky educational experience as you help younger children word the captions for their snapshots. (Be sure to take a couple of extra cameras for the kid whose trip is spoiled by dropping his camera into the river or leaving it at a rest stop.)
• Take a sturdy little box for each child to collect cones, leaves, shells, rocks and all that “junk.” Back home, they can have fun making a shadow box to display their found treasures.
• Take a craft box for days when rain keeps you inside the tent or trailer. The edges of pine cones can be rolled in glitter for Christmas decorations, acorns can be glued to circles of cardboard for small wreaths, leaves and dried weeds can make interesting collages — the possibilities are vast. (Include glue, scissors, glitter, scraps of fabric, pipe cleaners, paper and markers in the craft box.)
• Stick a few special supplies in the box to make “gnome homes.” The little homes can be made of twigs, leaves, branches, etc., in the roots of trees or at the bases of bushes. If your kids need more of a “starter,” cut a plastic soda bottle or a round oatmeal carton in half, so they have a round-roofed structure to begin with. To this they can glue moss, feathers, twigs, flowers, etc. until they have a little shelter that invites a homeless gnome to move right in!
• Don’t forget a big supply of little cars. There’s nothing more fun than sitting at the shallow side of a lake or stream, digging little rivers and making bridges and tunnels for Matchbox cars.
• Older children may enjoy having a book describing (with illustrations) the local vegetation, so they can identify unfamiliar plants. Kids might want to collect leaves and blossoms for their scrapbook, too. (A bird book also is fun to bring along.)
• Let each kid be responsible for one meal. This will include planning ahead, so you have the proper supplies, and parental help, both to keep the planned menu within reason, and to ensure safety around knives, camp stoves or fires.
•Have fun with “dinner on a stick.” More than hot dogs and marshmallows can be roasted on a campfire. Try meatballs or meat chunks, quartered vegetables and biscuits.
• Freeze bottled water before leaving home to have icy water for the car trip and hikes. Pour out a little water before freezing to allow for expansion. A tiny shot of lemon, orange, or pineapple juice in the water before freezing is refreshing, too — not enough to make it sweet, but just a hint of flavor. This is something the kids will enjoy doing.
• Before leaving home, let kids make their own granola or trail mix. Personal selection of ingredients, plus pride of ownership, makes it taste much better.
• Give each child a small, cheap flashlight. Shining a beam of light into a spooky corner of the tent makes a kid into a brave super-hero instantly! Plus they’re a fun way to drive a sibling crazy.
Yakima freelance writer Donna Scofield raised two sons and two daughters. She has two grandchildren.