Family Camping Activities

Camping, RVing, and OHV riding are excellent wholesome family activities that complement each other.  Camping by itself offers a variety of places to go and things to do that can keep a family entertained and provide opportunities for bonding and teaching moments.  Camping in an RV makes it more convenient and comfortable than camping in a tent.  We found that dirt biking was perfect for our family.  We have 6 children:  4 boys and 2 girls, with a 14 year age spread.  Just try finding something that will hold the interest both boys and girls from 4 to 18 over several years!  Our RV made an ideal base camp for dirt bike rides, providing air conditioned comfort on hot desert days and a warm haven from bad weather.  Coming "home" to a shower and a comfortable bed is something to look forward to after a long, hot dusty, desert ride.  Likewise, a warm and cozy RV is invaluable when you get caught in bad weather.  Been there, done that, more than once!

Camping and dirt biking provide a natural high that at least one of our son's said helped keep him off drugs when his friends were all doing them in high school. 

Camping, in either a tent or an RV, brings a family together in ways you probably won't have at home.  First of all, you will be in closer physical proximity than you normally are in a permanent residence (how can you not in such confined spaces?) but more importantly, you will be sharing experiences.  Even routine tasks like fixing meals that are typically taken for granted at home can be opportunities for shared activities and family bonding way beyond what is available in our electronically centered lives these days.  Camping helps get both couch potatoes and video game addicts off their butts and out of their ruts.  Of course it may take some planning and organization to take advantage of these opportunities.  You may have to convince your teenagers to leave their video games at home or at least impose -- and enforce -- some limits on their use.  Allowing them at least some access to their electronic companions will probably make things easier.  It will help if you have planned interesting meals and activities that they can be involved in.  Campfire cooking is usually a unique and entertaining enough experience to provide incentives for most kids but even cooking in the RV on on the camp stove can be fun, especially if it involves making special treats!  Preparing traditional pioneer or mountain man food can make an interesting evening.  Plan your outings to go where there are fun things to do.  Do a little research to find out if the activities are suitable for your family.  Some ranger-led nature hikes are really fun for younger visitors but may not hold the interest of your older teens.  A visit to an antique car museum will probably be fun for everyone, particularly the boys, but your boys might not be so thrilled with spending an afternoon in a doll house.   You might even find it good to spend some time learning to share video games with your electronically addicted children and even easier and more interesting to you than it is at home.

RVing is often easier for a family than tent camping.  There is usually less setup time and effort required when you get to camp so you can spend more time on non work-like activities.  An RV gives you flexibility in travel.  Even with a trailer you can pull over into a rest area or onto a safe spot along side the road when someone needs to use the bathroom instead of having to scurry to find a service station.  With a motorhome the on board facilities are conveniently available anytime to everyone but the driver.  And even the driver can benefit by sending the copilot for a refreshing drink or a snack.  Traveling by RV often lets you choose optional side-trips along the way and provides opportunities for spontaneous exploration.

We found OHV (dirt bike) riding to be a perfect complement for RVing for our family.  Everyone very much enjoyed riding and even found some fun in maintaining their bikes and riding gear.  There were frequently new areas to visit or new trails to ride and re-visiting favorite trails was always a fun adventure. We found riding offered an unexpected balance of opportunities to build both individual confidence and teamwork.  We went riding with our "Desert Rat" group (www.desertrat.org) almost every holiday weekend while the kids were growing up, forming friendships that endure to this day for both adults and kids.  Our oldest daughter even raced Women's Desert, advancing from Novice to Expert in her first season and bringing home many trophies.  She even won the #1 Women's Motocross plate in Los Angeles one year.

Options for in camp activities are virtually endless.  There are many sports and hundreds of games you can play in camp.  Bring along a football or a volleyball or a softball or a frisbee.  Lawn darts is popular game among many campers, but make sure you keep the playing area clear.  They can deliver very painful and even lethal injuries.  Card games and board games are essential for indoor distractions during bad weather but can be fun around the campfire or picnic table any time.  Card games are especially well-suited to camping since a deck of cards takes up very little space.  Various forms of tag and "capture the flag" can create hours of more physical activities if you need to burn off some calories or use up some of that extra energy kids always seem to have, especially when you're ready to take it easy!

Like most things, you'll only get something out of an activity if you put something into it.  Camping, RVing, and OHVing provide opportunities for building character and for family bonding, but it is up to you to make use of those opportunities.  You'll need to select appropriate destinations for you family and plan relevant activities.  You'll need to watch for -- or create -- "teaching moments" when you can use activities to help kids learn important life lessons.  Sometimes you can offer hands-on experience to augment book learning in things like science, biology, first aid, mechanics, astronomy, and survival.  Sometimes your activities will provide good examples of personal interaction and the natural consequences that result from life choices.  Little, if any, of it will happen automatically.  You'll need to pay attention to what is going on and make use of the circumstances and situations you encounter.  Sometimes it is painful but allowing your children to experience the natural consequences of their choices and actions is one of the best things you can do for them.

Family togetherness.  Try it!