Ideas For Camping With Girls

Camping is a fun family adventure that allows girls to participate in activities that are often considered things that only boys do. If you decide to take your daughter camping, tailor your camping activities to encourage her to participate and have a good time in the outdoors while also teaching her about healthy living and taking care of the environment. Kids Health recommends that you plan ahead, pack the right items, and know your daughter's limits so that you and your daughter will have a fun and rewarding camping experience that focuses on healthy, outdoor fun.

Cooking

Many girls enjoy cooking and preparing meals, and camping provides the ideal opportunity for her to cook over a supervised, open fire and learn new skills while also enjoying the overall camping experience. Alice Cary, author of "Parents' Guide to Hiking and Camping," suggests letting your daughter help with the meal preparation by giving her a variety of different ingredients to experiment with.

Christopher Van Tilburg, author of "Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors," recommends focusing on healthy meals when teaching your daughter to cook while camping. One meal idea might be to wrap chicken and potatoes in foil and cook them over an open fire. Others include roasting bite-sized vegetables or cooking whole wheat noodles in a pan set over the open fire.

Helping With The Campsite

According to Cary, children love sleeping in tents and welcome any opportunity to sleep somewhere new and exciting. Many girls enjoy playing house and setting up pretend play areas, and allowing your daughter to help set up the tent will motivate her in a way that is enjoyable and instructive. Combine her spirit of play with learning by teaching your daughter how to create and maintain an eco-friendly campsite. According to Helen Coronato, author of "Eco-Friendly Families," environmental lessons allow your daughter to learn hands-on ways to care for the earth as she makes connections with nature. Encourage her to to clean up her trash and other waste and to set aside items that can be recycled after returning home.

Connecting With Nature

Another camping activity recommended by Lynn Brunelle, author of "Camp Out! The Ultimate Kids' Guide," is constructing a camp sign using a decomposable brown paper bag and items found in nature, such as berries or sticks. Learning to identify different plant species is an additional activity that can provide a permanent lifelong benefit, especially if you incorporate the identification of poisonous plants. Brunelle recommends taking your daughter on walks or hikes so that she can observe the plants native to the area where she is camping.