Pawpaw brought Sam her very first fishing pole. We were hoping to get it out and wet the hook from the kayak yesterday but couldn't get it put together and working in time. So today we walked to our local neighborhood pond so she could practice her casting and learn a little bit about fishing.
She was very good at following the instructions and wanted to do it by herself but after a few casts and she didn't catch a fish she was done. I am sure that is the way it would be for most little ones.
I knew there probably weren't any fish in this particular pond but wanted Sam to get a chance to try out the fishing pole with her grandparents.
Today was all about practicing. In preparation for a big family camping trip we have coming up soon we lit another backyard fire and roasted marshmallows. I want my girls to be familiar with campfires, know the rules and not be tempted to get too close.
Avery wanted desperately to help me blow on the fire but I convinced her to blow from a safe distance away.
I am really hoping that I will be able to enjoy the campfire and not be stressed with worry about them getting seriously hurt. Lots more practice is needed!
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The Nitty Gritty!
Practice makes perfect for almost anything that you do outdoors. Starting small and working up to bigger adventures are a great way to treat outdoor activities with little kids. Things like backyard fires, picnics, playing in a tent set up in the backyard, camping in the backyard and many others are all great ways to practice skills that your kids will need to be comfortable with when they do outdoor adventures with the family.
If you are familiar with PlayOutdoors their campfire blog has lots of articles on how to get kids outside. Plus, I actually wrote an article for them that is suppose to be published on Jne 6th about camping practice with little kids. And if you need information on how to poop in the woods there is a great article on there right now!
That's a great idea to do practices with the campfire before your big adventure! My girls are 8 and 10, and I still panic when my parents start a fire in their backyard fire pit. I hope someday I will get over that.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Karen Greenberg | 05/20/2011 at 08:58 PM
I think the practice runs are a great idea. We took Princess Pea camping when she had just turned two, and it was possibly the most stressful 4 days of my life! The fire was just too much worry for me. Open flames and so many tripping hazards... (Oh, and the bear in the camp wasn't helping either!) I think with the practice runs, it will be much better for you, as the girls will already know how to handle themselves.
Posted by: Mama Pea Pod | 05/21/2011 at 12:14 AM
it takes alot of practice and coaching with kids and fire. we have an outdoor fire pit and they learned but then they are also scared of fire so that helps.
smores are fun. I don't get to have any (vegan) but my girls love them. my girls love chocolate graham, marshmallows and the darkest chocolate I can find (70% or more).
Posted by: butterfly wishes and wonderland dreams | 05/21/2011 at 09:16 AM
We went fishing once with my son and he enjoyed it until we actually caught some fish. It really scared him! Luckily the next few times we didn't catch anything. Everyone enjoyed it much more!
Posted by: Tat | 05/22/2011 at 05:30 AM