| Tip of the Week |
Girl Scout and Boy Scout Handbooks, and of course the internet, are good places to find instructions for creating outdoor solar ovens from cardboard boxes and aluminum foil, and other child-safe cooking equipment. |
| Upcoming Events |
SAVE THE DATE
9th Annual Early Childhood Professional Day
Saturday, September 25th
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hagerstown
Solutions for Parent Partnerships: Having Challenging Conversations
Saturday, June 26th
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
HCC
FREE
for I-Care Members
Know, Love & Teach
III: Infants & Toddlers
Saturday, July 31st &
Saturday, August 28th
8:30 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Grantsville Elementary School
Saturday, July 10th & August 7th
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
HCC |
| Contact Us |
|
6 West Washington Street, Suite 210
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
301-733-0000 or 800-924-9188
FAX: 301-733-0886
| |
|
Greetings!
Happy Wednesday.
We are continuing our I-Care newsletter series on summer activities with this issue on the ultimate in childhood outdoor experiences - camping. You may have strong feelings about camping, either negative or positive. Before you head for the mountains - or shudder and press the delete button - scan the suggestions below for giving children a small taste of outdoor living without an overnight in the woods, or even leaving the familiar territory of your own backyard.
Whether you build a full day camping experience or only a one-time 30 minute outdoor activity, we think there are ideas here you can use to share the best of summer with your children and families. Remember to let us know your results - share your experiences at help@applesforchildren.org . |
|
|
"The old people came literally to love the soil and sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Chief Luther Standing Bear
You need not be an experienced or gung-ho camper to carry out a simple and enjoyable two hour session "camping-out" with children. As discussed below, gathering supplies and equipment, preparing your camping space, outdoor cooking and cleaning up are all activities that children generally find interesting - even more so in the context of a camp-out. Some of the positive feelings children and families have about camping-out will develop during planning and anticipation leading up to the event. Include children and families in brainstorming, list making and gathering supplies and equipment for these activities. Some families may even have special camping skills and stories to share.
A tent or lean-to is a visible sign that a space is being used for a camping adventure. For a home-made tent, drape a blanket or tarp over a rope that is tied between two low hanging branches. Stake the fabric to the ground with short sticks or stakes. Or make a lean-to shelter by leaning, and nailing or tying boards or leafy branches against a tree or wall. Leave one side or end of your shelter open for observation and supervision of the children inside. You may want to agree on a rule about how many people can be inside the shelter at one time.
Sleeping bags, blanket rolls and hammocks provide "nests" or soft spaces for quiet time when children need a break. Gather camping hats, sunscreen, insect repellent and appropriate clothing for the activities you plan. A shade canopy made of a stretched tarp or sheet helps children avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day.
Children can make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches outdoors or wrap potatoes or burgers in foil for baking in a fire pit or buried in coals. And cutting up strawberries for fruit salad is more fun at the picnic table than the kitchen table.
Have kids use plastic wash basins - one of soapy water and one for rinsing - to wash up hands, plastic plates, doll clothes or bathing suits. Plastic tablecloths may also "need" scrubbing - and are good for a game of Barefoot Slip & Slide before they are ready to rinse and hang on the clothesline. Routine daily activities provide opportunities for children to learn new and different skills, when the routines take place outdoors. |
|
|
