Camp Anthro For the Little Ones

If your brood is too young for an overnight adventure, consider backyard day-camping. If you have a few quilts or blankets (three or four work best), some rope or twine, clothespins (in a pinch, no pun intended, chip clips will do!), a few pillows, and a couple of trees, you have everything you need to create a soft, shaded haven for you and the little ones. Have your eldest help pack the picnic basket while you drape, hang, and pad your family-friendly fort. After dessert, consider a spirited game of kiddie croquet – with a crew as cute as yours, everyone’s a winner.

If you’ve already booked a campsite at a nearby park, consider bringing along an in-the-wild twist on the ever-popular scavenger hunt. From lichen-covered logs to spiderwebs to salamanders, campgrounds offer abundant options for your checklist. If time is short (or your drawing skills aren’t the sharpest), worry not: Just print this adorable, downloadable guide. Once your intrepid explorers have returned, reward them with brand-new flashlights and settle in for a spooky night of fireside ghost stories (or moonlit flashlight tag, under the stars).

There’s no need to tote a big bag of toys to the lake – instead, have the kiddos DIY them once you’re there! Help everyone collect three or four rocks each and wash them well. Using craft acrylic paint and a paint brush with synthetic bristles, let them decorate to their hearts’ content. Once the rocks have dried, the possibilities are endless: They can be used for building castles, for treasure hunts, or later, as decorative objects (and beloved souvenirs) in their rooms. You could even use them to enhance the décor at the picnic table when your end-of-day cookout is served.

Ahoy! If the kids are too old for rock-painting, consider shipbuilding. For a tried-and-true Bark Boat, here’s what you’ll need: one piece of buoyant bark (make sure it’s seaworthy before you build!), a large green leaf, and a twig. Make a small hole in the bark. Next, thread the leaf through the twig, and push it into the hole in the bark. They’re great for races (or seeing whose vessel sinks first). Bon voyage!