Hiking and Camping with little kids.

[jackelope]

My kid's school in Duvall is hosting it's 1st annual(and hopefully many more to come) Outdoors Expo. They're asking for parents to come and help with demo's of pretty much anything outdoors. Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Hiking, Climbing, anything... I'm pretty excited about this. The guy that is putting the whole thing on is doing some hunting stuff. My wife and I are in charge of a fishing boot, and a hiking/camping/backpacking booth. I'm looking for ideas when it comes to camping and hiking with kids. What has worked well for you? I have a 5 year old who is a camping addict. She loved it from the 1st trip we made. She's hiked a bunch for a 5 year old too. All kids are different though and I know the same things that worked for her may not always work for all kids. Not worried about anything too high tech as these kids will be from Kindergarten to 5th grade.

Thanks in advance.

[boneaddict]

glowsticks, flashlights(headlamps), critters like newts or salamanders.   Fur.  smores, maps   rocks, fire building

[jackelope]

glowsticks, flashlights(headlamps), critters like newts or salamanders.   Fur.  smores, maps   rocks, fire building

Do we have newts and salamanders here?

Fire building is unfortunately not an option.

[snowpack]

lots of newts on the wetside.

[jackelope]

lots of newts on the wetside.

Dang. I used to be a newt and salamander catching machine back east. I've looked a few times but never found any here. I guess I just assumed they didn't exist out here.

[turkeyfeather]

Keep them busy with activities. Instead of handing out glow sticks, have them make their own. You can have them try to build their own bows out of sticks they find and string. Those are some of the things I have done.

[actionshooter]

lots of newts on the wetside.

Dang. I used to be a newt and salamander catching machine back east. I've looked a few times but never found any here. I guess I just assumed they didn't exist out here.

Just be aware that the rough skinned newt is poisonous, the cute little guys with the orange bellies.

[Whitpirate]

Cherry Valley or Stillwater?  And if you need some help let me know I'd be willing to help.  We could do some basic knots with para-cord, Foil-packet cooking (in a charcoal bbq) to show them some basic cooking stuff, tent assembly, etc...

My boy is in 2nd grade at Stillwater.

[fireweed]

boiling water on a pack stove and Cooking up a packet of freeze dried and having a taste is a hit.  My kids love the raspberry crumble.

[Fl0und3rz]

Compass and maps for the older kids, fire safety for all, and/or camp fire building for some of the older ones.

Awesome idea, BTW.

[Fl0und3rz]

boiling water on a pack stove and Cooking up a packet of freeze dried and having a taste is a hit.  My kids love the raspberry crumble.

That or a hobo pie maker, loaf of bread, butter, and cherry/apple/blueberry pie filling is also a hit.

[jackelope]

Cherry Valley or Stillwater?  And if you need some help let me know I'd be willing to help.  We could do some basic knots with para-cord, Foil-packet cooking (in a charcoal bbq) to show them some basic cooking stuff, tent assembly, etc...

My boy is in 2nd grade at Stillwater.

Neither... 
Private school.

[runamuk]

lots of newts on the wetside.

Dang. I used to be a newt and salamander catching machine back east. I've looked a few times but never found any here. I guess I just assumed they didn't exist out here.

I caught tons of newts and salamanders as a little girl in the woods in Duvall... the creek at the back of our property held some crawdads as well, not to mention the toads and frogs in our pond.  I never did grab that bullfrog he was a wiley one, I collected over 50 treefrogs one time when I was like 3.  We also caught the heck out of snakes.  we were strange little girls I guess.  old logs in the woods where its damp and there is lots of leaf litter is where I would find salamanders flip over small bits of wood newts often are just cruising the damp shady spots.  Course Duvall was mostly woods and forest back in the 70's its changed an awful lot since then.

[steen]

For very small children I used a backpack to take my small kids with me.  I'm sure you are looking for intertainment for children but I'm thinking about the parents also.  I carted my kids around in a backpack for almost 3 years ( they were small children under 20 lbs.)I enjoyed it very much!

[jackelope]

Obviously I haven't spent enough time in the woods in my own backyard.
 

Thanks Run.

[Mark Brenckle]

The idea for basic map reading and compass work would work well for the older kids, you could have them navigate from one spot to another using compass headings and 'paces', similar to a treasure hunt.  Knot tying is also a great idea.  When my son was that age his class collected and disected hawk poop to see what it had been eating - he was fascinated by that project.

[Jingles]

Snake recognition what to avoid

[JackOfAllTrades]

Snake recognition is cool, but don't scare them.
Make it educational and get them to think. Polution in our streams and the impact on wildlife. Litter and how it hurts critters. What wildlife management is. Hunting/Fishing is not bad. Promote it.  A fish tank with trout, another with salmon frye. Show the different species. I'm sure a science teacher from the school can assist with poster/photos. Else call WDFW and have an agent give a presentation. Bear/deer/elk/clam/crab identification. Kids thrive on touch. Don't rule out vocalizations of our states big/small game. Make a game out of identifying sound. Kids love the competition with their peers. Still, you'll lose the intelectual kid, so bring maps and general orientering into the mix. Compas and how it works. There are things that are so basic that we overlook that the kids can grasp quite well.
 
-Steve

[jackelope]

A little more background on this event.
I'm doing a camping/hiking booth. This is at a tiny private Christian school. There's no science teacher. It's going to be very simple. No fish tanks and salmon fry.  We've got a uniformed WDFW officer there. We've also got a grant from RMEF and they're sending us an "elk crate" which is a box of stuff from the RMEF. It's got props in it to show the kids. Sheds, skulls, books, etc. stuff like that. One dad is doing a hunting booth. Another is doing a rock climbing booth. My wife and I are doing a fishing booth and the camping/hiking booth. This is all going down in 1 big room unless I can pull off an area in the parking lot to teach  kids to cast a fishing rod. I'd love to teach campfire building but not sure I'll be able to pull that off in the middle of town without someone getting pissed. 

[turkeyfeather]

I'd tell the cranky's your trying to teach the kids the proper way to build and extinguish a camp fire safely.

[Widgeondeke]

Rock identification.  Maybe check with a rock hound club. Kids could get a souvenir.  Geodes would be cool, but maybe cost prohibitive.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Kids backpacks, sleeping bags, sleep mats, cooking tools, tents, maps, compas. What they can expect to see in the woods. Hiking is an incredible way to see nature as untouched. Not like in the city park or zoo. 10 essentials and why to have them. What to do if they get lost or separtated from their hiking group. What to do if they fall or cut/bruise themselves. (useful even if not hiking). Do you know anyone with a pack horse that could demostrate how to load up? Kids love animals. Demonstrate a water filter with some murkey water then explain why not to drink from flowing streems or stagnent lakes.
 
-Steve

[rtspring]

How to make shelters, my favorite thing as a kid!!

[ICEMAN]

Take a bunch of plaster of paris and have the kids take some animal prints in mud. They can take them home with them!

[timberghost72]

Maybe have a display of the 10 essentials that should be in your pack for safety while hiking/camping. Sounds like a lot of fun.

[boneaddict]

How many kids Josh?

[Skyvalhunter]

a little bit on survival would help. Just the basics like don't split up if lost, no panicing, stay put at night, maybe instruct how to get out of the weather. If lost following water down stream.

[jackelope]

How many kids Josh?

Good question...however many show up. It's an evening thing after school. Open to the public, right smack in the middle of town so there could be a bunch or just a few. My gut is leaning towards the not too many side. It's the 1st one they're doing too. There's only maybe 50-60 kids in the school total. The classes are very small and they go to 5th grade only at this time.

Maybe have a display of the 10 essentials that should be in your pack for safety while hiking/camping. Sounds like a lot of fun.

a little bit on survival would help. Just the basics like don't split up if lost, no panicing, stay put at night, maybe instruct how to get out of the weather. If lost following water down stream.

Take a bunch of plaster of paris and have the kids take some animal prints in mud. They can take them home with them!

I used to love doing that as a kid.

[boneaddict]

Ropes and tieing certain knots was always a good learning thing in Boyscouts.   Some really good ideas so far.

[ghosthunter]

Maybe demo to them what to do if lost. Explain tools search and rescue use, night vision,diferent uses of a garbage bag, whistles?