Camping

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July 20, 2010

Camping Tips – Maximizing fun, minimizing stress

Posted by wsneely under Camping
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Camping can be a great, inexpensive, relaxing time to get away for a bit and unwind and unplug from the daily busy-ness. However, it is important to maximize your relaxation time and to minimize the stress by packing appropriately and preparing for things that may come.

Things to pack:

-any medications that you may need for the week/weekend (inhaler, epi pen, etc.)

-prepare the meals as much as possible (pre make the burgers, have the meat sliced and the veggies cut up)

-freeze as much as possible to reduce the need to constantly refill the cooler with ice, and keep the cooler in the shade (you can freeze meat, bags of water,

-proper clothing – if it is HOT out, dress appropriately – tank tops, shorts, tennis shoes, sandals, and pack light – you’re not going to the Hilton! :) (I should probably heed my own advise, and I tend to be an overpacker). If it s COLD out – dress approrpriately by packing layers – and lots of them. Long johns, thermals, jeans, sweatshirts, wind breakers, etc.

-plenty of fluids (water, juice, gatorade, soda, tea) – make sure to pack 3-4 drinks per person/per day so that you do not have to make extra trips to the store

-proper safety precautions – if you are camping in your backyard you probably don’t need too much protective gear, however, if you are camping in the Rocky Mountains or elsewhere, make sure to pack proper protection

-Sunscreen, bug spray, personal hygiene products, etc.

Here is a GREAT camping packing list. With camping,  it’s important to be prepared and in doing so it is possible to truly maximize your FUN and minimize or alleviate your stress! :) Have fun, and email us – let us know how it goes :)

 

July 16, 2010

35 Reasons to Carry a Bandanna

Posted by Jessica under Camping, fishing, Free Play, g2g Outside Events, Kayaking, Nature, Outdoor Games, Uncategorized
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A Boston Terrier sporting a cute bandanna.

As a child, I always knew when it was cleaning day at our house when my mom donned her red bandanna.  She’d wear it as a kerchief on her head to keep the hair out of her face and the dust out of her hair.  For some reason, it became kind of a uniform for her on those days, and now I can’t remember a time in my life when I’ve been without a bandanna.

A few years back, my sisters, mom, and I were sitting around the kitchen table (probably during some holiday) and reminiscing our childhood.  We started giving mom a hard time about that red bandanna – which led to a conversation about just how handy those bandannas can be!  And so, the idea of carrying a bandanna pretty much every where was born.  I’m a firm believer that you can survive just about any emergency as long as you have a bandanna and some duct tape.

I’m sure you’ll think of many more reasons to carry a bandanna on your own, but I’ve uploaded a pdf of the booklet we created for g2goutside called “35 reasons to Carry a Bandanna.”  Enjoy!

BandannaBook (click here to download!)

 

July 8, 2010

g2g Photo Contest – COLEMAN PRIZES!

Posted by wsneely under Camping, g2g Outside Events, Photo Contests
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g2g families – send in your family photos from the fair, the fourth of july or other events by Monday at noon. We will post all the pictures submitted to the blog and families will vote, and the winner will be announced on Friday, July 16th! The winner will receive an awesome Coleman full size cooler – like this one  pictured from the Coleman website!

Submit pictures to g2goutside@gmail.com

 

June 29, 2010

Leaf Print Wreath

Posted by denisegdias under Camping, Free Play, Gardening, Nature, Outdoor Games, Photo Contests | Tags: |
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Make a neat picture to frame and hang in your home!

Supplies:

  • paper
  • pencil
  • paper plate
  • fresh leaves or flowers
  • paint brush about 1 inch wide
  • poster or tempera paints
  • box of tissues or paper towels
  1. On a separate piece of paper, arrange your leaves and flowers in a circle or another pleasing design. 
  2. On the piece of paper you plan to print on, draw a circle, by using your pencil.  You can trace around a plate  to get a nice round shape. 
  3. Put a dot at the top and bottom of your circle.
  4. Brush the back of a leaf, and place it carefully on the circle you  have drawn.  Make sure not to move it around or it will smear the paint.  You can always practice on a scrap of paper first to make sure you have the techniques down before you print on your paper. 
  5. Cover the leaf with tissue and smooth down lightly.  After a few seconds, peel off the tissue and the leaf. 
  6. Repeat the process with the other leaves and flowers, working your way down inside of the circle and then the other.
 

June 8, 2010

Snacks for the Great Outdoors

Posted by denisegdias under Camping, canoeing, fishing, g2g Outside Events, Gardening, hunting, Journaling, Kayaking, Local Initiatives, Outdoor Games, Photo Contests, Places to Go, Poetry Contests, Polls, Shooting Sports, Uncategorized, Watersports | Tags: |
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If you head out for a family outing, don’t forget to pack a snack along with lots of water!   Snacks help to keep you fueled up and ready to have fun in the sun!  Here are a couple of snacks that are perfect to pack up and enjoy outside.

Chicken Feed 

A Snack to Take on a Hike!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups toasted oat cereal
  • 1 cup peanuts
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 cup small chocolate candies (such as M&M’s®)

Directions: Remember to Wash Your Hands!

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir gently.
2. Serve in paper cups or small bags.

Helpful Hints:

Individual bowls of ingredients can be set up, and children can take one spoonful of the ones they want to eat in their cup. They may go through the line again after everyone has been through once.

Power Bites

A backpack snack!

 Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup grated carrots
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup raisins 

Directions: Remember to Wash Your Hands!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly coat 9×9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, applesauce, egg, vanilla and carrots.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Let cool and cut into bars.

Helpful Hints:

Power Bites are low in fat and high in healthy ingredients. There’s
fruit — applesauce and raisins; vegetables — carrots; and whole grains — oatmeal and whole wheat. Individually wrap Power Bites to take on a hike for energy along the way.

Cooking is a math lesson right in the kitchen. How do you measure 3/4 cup carrots? (Use a 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup measure.) Stir flour before spooning into the cup and leveling off for accurate measure. Use a ruler to measure baking dishes to find one that is 9 inches square. This recipe makes 18 bars about 3×2 inches each. How will you cut the bars in the dish? ( Six bars one way by 3 bars the other way will make 18.)

Safety Tip:

Just as important as washing your hands before cooking is cleaning the countertops. The best way to sanitize the kitchen counter is to put 1 teaspoon bleach in a quart spray bottle of water. Spray the counter, wipe with a paper towel and then throw the towel away. Change the water in the spray bottle daily.

Grating carrots is a fun cooking experience for kids, but it can also be a real “knuckle-scraper.” Adult supervision and “how-to” instructions are important for kids.

You can find more Kids a Cooking Recipies at: www.kidsacooking.ksu.edu

 

May 28, 2010

“Let’s Move Campaign” – Create a Memory Friday

Posted by wsneely under Camping, canoeing, fishing, Free Play, Gardening, hunting, Kayaking, Nature, Outdoor Games, Watersports
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On this “Create a Memory Friday”- we will look at some ideas from Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity – and this is the description I found on their homepage:

www.letsmove.gov

“Let’s Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.

Let’s Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.”

Today, while perusing their blog, I found a website link that gives some great ideas for making “play time” a family activity: http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardhealthylifestyle/PlayHard/makefamilytimeanactivetime.htm

Some basic ideas from the list include:

- involve the whole family in outdoor and indoor chores together

-plant a garden together in your backyard (no backyard? join a community garden – there are a couple in wichita!)

-instead of going through the automatic car wash, wash the car at home and let the kids play in the bubbles!

Over Memorial Day weekend, try to get the kids involved in some of your chores – watering the garden, plucking weeds, washing the car, walking the dog – and enjoy the outside! The weather forecast predicts SUNNY & HOT – and is perfect for any type of water activity. As always, please use caution when playing and working in the heat – drink plenty of water and take rest breaks when needed.

 

May 18, 2010

It’s Bubble Season!

Posted by denisegdias under Camping, Free Play, Outdoor Games, Uncategorized
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This time of year is perfect for bubble blowing.  Below are 4 recipes for you to try outside!

Bubbles

1/4 cup liquid detergent

2 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

9 Tablespoons of cooking oil

Mix together, add a few drops if food coloring and 1 1/2 quarts of water.  Shake to dissolve sugar.

Beluga Bubbles

1 cup of warm water

1/4 cup blue dishwashing liquid (Dawn works well)

1 Tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients.  Mix well until the salt dissolves.

Giant Bubbles

1 cup of liquid detergent (Ivory is good)

1 cup of glycerin (available at the pharmacy)

3 cups of water

Mix ingredients in a dish pan or large skillet.  If bubble blower is made of wire or a coat hanger be sure to wrap the ends so there are no sharp points.

Children’s Soap Bubbles

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup of Palmolive liquid detergent

3/4 teaspoon of glycerin (available at the pharmacy)

Drops of red, green, or yellow food coloring (optional)

In a bowl, stir together the water, detergent and glycerin.  Add the food coloring, drop by drop to your liking: purples and blues tend to look  like unattractive ink, so stick to brighter colors.  Pour the mixture into an empty, commercial bubbles bottle to use along with the accompanying plastic hoop.  Or, pour the mixture into a small plastic bottle or paper cup and make a bubble-blowing hoop out of wire. 

Bubble Blowers:

To make a wire hoop: Measure off 12 inches of wire.  Begin to fold ends together in a spiral to make a stem.  Wrap the end of the stem well in masking tape to cover the wire tips.  The wire hoop should be used by children over 5 years old.

Scout around the house for utensils that you can dip into the bubble mixture to make bubbles.  Slotted spoons, cheese grates and other objects make great bubble blowers. 

What other things can you think of to use to blow bubbles with?

 

May 27, 2009

Take it in Stages

Posted by Libby under Camping, Nature | Tags: , , , , , |
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Foster and Lecia only started backpacking after several "car" camping trips.

Foster and Lecia only started backpacking after several "car" camping trips.

It is easy to discover a new activity, try to participate, and then get overwhelmed. When connecting your family with nature and the outdoors, consider what you ALREADY do. Then take one more step. And then another.

Compare this with education – we start children in kindergarten, not college! Do the same with your family’s outdoor activities. If you already spend lots of time in the yard, consider visiting a nature park. If you want to take your family camping, start with the comforts of home close by and spend a night in the backyard. If you want to go canoeing, start by spending time at the edges of a creek.

Before you start anything new, analyze your own comfort levels. What do you like? What are you willing to try? Can you put some of your fears aside? Remember, if you are not comfortable participating in the outdoor activity, your family will not be either.

 

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