Crystle Stewart of Texas Becomes Miss USA 2008
HULIQ (press release), USA - 2 hours ago
Miss. USA 2008 Crystle Stewart completed her degree in Consumer Science and Merchandising at the University of Houston. She founded and runs her business ...
http://www.huliq.com/56665/crystle-stewart-texas-becomes-miss-usa-2008
Miss USA 2008 Pageant Airs Friday at 9pm on NBC
TransWorldNews (press release), USA - Apr 11, 2008
The 2008 Miss USA Pageant will air Friday night on NBC at 9pm. The beauty contest, which is organized by the Miss Universe organization, has been around ...
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BelletresseTM Luxury Hair Care Distributed to Miss USA® 2008 ...
PR Web (press release), USA - 36 minutes ago
BelletresseTM products are created, designed, patented, and formulated in the USA with pride. Gift bags distributed to Miss USA ® 2008 contestants and ...
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'Miss USA 2008' Pageant Invites Ridicule In Pursuit Of An Audience
Hartford Courant - Apr 11, 2008
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Miss USA 2008 Top 15 Contestants
5 hours ago
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Crystle Stewart of Texas Becomes Miss USA 2008
This evening, during one of the year's most exciting live television events, a star-studded panel of judges chose Miss Texas USA, Crystle Stewart, as MISS USA 2008. Donny and Marie Osmond hosted the 57th Annual MISS USA Pageant from the ...
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Miss USA 2008. Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA: Rachel Smith
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Pageant Update - Miss USA 2008 Contestants
(Click here to see the Miss Teen USA 2008 Contestants!) ... Click here to see Pageant Update's special Miss USA 2008 pageant coverage! ...
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YouTube - Miss Tennessee USA 2008 Crowning
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Eagle U Blog: Miss USA 2008
Mar 12, 2008 ... Congratulations to all of our Eagle U grads who will be competing in the 57th Annual Miss USA 2008 Pageant! We are so proud of each one of ...
eagleublog.blogspot.com
12 April 2008
11 April 2008
A SECOND-CLASS SCOUT
Before being awarded a second-class scout’s badge, a boy must pass the following tests:
1. Have at least one month’s service as a tenderfoot.
2. Elementary first aid bandaging.
3. Signaling. Elementary knowledge of semaphore or Morse alphabet.
4. Track half a mile in twenty-five minutes, or if in a town describe satisfactorily the contents of one store window out of four, observed for one minute each.
5. Go a mile in twelve minutes at “scouts’ pace.”
6. Lay and light a fire using not more than two matches.
7. Cook a quarter of a pound of meat and two potatoes without cooking utensils other than the regulation billy.
8. Have at least twenty-five cents in the savings bank.
9. Know the sixteen principal points of the compass.
1. Have at least one month’s service as a tenderfoot.
2. Elementary first aid bandaging.
3. Signaling. Elementary knowledge of semaphore or Morse alphabet.
4. Track half a mile in twenty-five minutes, or if in a town describe satisfactorily the contents of one store window out of four, observed for one minute each.
5. Go a mile in twelve minutes at “scouts’ pace.”
6. Lay and light a fire using not more than two matches.
7. Cook a quarter of a pound of meat and two potatoes without cooking utensils other than the regulation billy.
8. Have at least twenty-five cents in the savings bank.
9. Know the sixteen principal points of the compass.
10 April 2008
THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Headquarters—Purpose—Scout law—How to anatomy a convoying of
scouts—Organization of a troop—Practical activities for scouts—A
scout camp—Model affairs of a Sir R.S.S. Baden-Powell advance camp
The Boy Advance movement that has afresh been alien both in England and America with such admirable success is so carefully accompanying to about all branches of alfresco amusement and to the things that boys are absorbed in that this book would be abridged after acknowledgment of the article and purposes of this organization. It is a baroque movement for the authoritative of bigger citizens, and it cannot be too awful recommended.
The Boy Scouts of America is a abiding organization, and it has its address at 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City. From the axial office, patrols and troops are actuality formed all over the United States. Any advice with advertence to the movement may be acquired by applying to this office.
Through the address of the managing secretary, Mr. John L. Alexander, assertive facts are presented apropos the organization, which are acquired from their appear literature, for which due acclaim is hereby given.
The Boy Scouts is an alignment the purpose of which is character-building for boys amid the ages of twelve and eighteen. It is an accomplishment to get boys to acknowledge the things about them and to alternation them in self-reliance, manhood, and acceptable citizenship. It is “peace-scouting” these boys appoint in, active as abundant as accessible out of doors; camping, hiking and acquirements the secrets of the dupe and fields. The movement is not about military, but the aggressive virtues of discipline, obedience, neatness and adjustment are advance virtues. Endurance, self-reliance, abstemiousness and an accomplishment to advice some one abroad are advance objectives. Every action that lends itself to these aims is acceptable scoutcraft.
The Boy Scouts were started in England by Gen. Sir Robert Baden-Powell. He was afflicted with the actuality that 46 per cent. of the boys of England were growing up after any adeptness of advantageous occupations, and capital to do article that would advice the boy to become a advantageous citizen. He absolutely declared that his ambition was not the authoritative of soldiers. In his work. General Baden-Powell has affected the boy’s activity in all its interests and broadened a boy’s angle by the widest array of activities. In two and a bisected years over bisected a actor Boy Scouts accept been enrolled, and twenty thousand of these accept been in array at one time in London.
The advance abstraction has sprung up spontaneously all over America. In Canadian cities the Boy Scouts cardinal thousands. In the United States, towns and cities are actuality swept by the idea. Gangs of boys are to be apparent on every hand, accomplishing their best at scoutcraft, “doing a acceptable about-face every day to some one,” and accepting fun out of it. Prominent business men and educators are abaft the movement.
The aim of the Boy Scouts is to supplement the assorted absolute educational agencies, and to advance the adeptness in boys to do things for themselves and others. The adjustment is summed up in the appellation “scoutcraft” and is a aggregate of observation, answer and handiness—or the adeptness to do. Scoutcraft consists of “First Aid,” Activity Saving, Tracking, Signaling, Cycling, Nature Study, Seamanship and added instruction. This is able in amateur and aggregation comedy and in pleasure, not work, for the boy. The alone accessories it needs is the out-of-doors, a accumulation of boys and a leader.
Before he becomes a scout, a boy charge booty the scouts’ adjuration thus:
“On my honor, I affiance that I will do my best, 1. To do my assignment to God and my country. 2. To advice added bodies at all times. 3. To obey the advance law.”
When demography this adjuration the advance will angle captivation his appropriate duke aloft akin with his shoulder, approach to the front, deride comatose on the attach of the little finger, and the added three fingers cocked pointing upward. This the scouts’ address and abstruse sign.
When the duke is aloft accept aerial it is alleged “the bisected salute.”
When aloft to the forehead it is alleged “the abounding salute.”
The three fingers captivated up (like the three credibility on the scouts’ badge) admonish him of his three promises in the scouts’ oath.
There are three classes of scouts. A boy on abutting the Boy Scouts charge canyon a analysis in the afterward credibility afore demography the oath:
Know the scouts’ laws and signs and the salute.
Know the agreement of the civic banderole and the appropriate way to fly it.
Tie four of the afterward knots: Reef, area bend, abysm hitch, bowline, middleman’s, fisherman’s, sheep-shank.
He again takes the scouts’ adjuration and is enrolled as a amateur and is advantaged to abrasion the address badge.
scouts—Organization of a troop—Practical activities for scouts—A
scout camp—Model affairs of a Sir R.S.S. Baden-Powell advance camp
The Boy Advance movement that has afresh been alien both in England and America with such admirable success is so carefully accompanying to about all branches of alfresco amusement and to the things that boys are absorbed in that this book would be abridged after acknowledgment of the article and purposes of this organization. It is a baroque movement for the authoritative of bigger citizens, and it cannot be too awful recommended.
The Boy Scouts of America is a abiding organization, and it has its address at 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City. From the axial office, patrols and troops are actuality formed all over the United States. Any advice with advertence to the movement may be acquired by applying to this office.
Through the address of the managing secretary, Mr. John L. Alexander, assertive facts are presented apropos the organization, which are acquired from their appear literature, for which due acclaim is hereby given.
The Boy Scouts is an alignment the purpose of which is character-building for boys amid the ages of twelve and eighteen. It is an accomplishment to get boys to acknowledge the things about them and to alternation them in self-reliance, manhood, and acceptable citizenship. It is “peace-scouting” these boys appoint in, active as abundant as accessible out of doors; camping, hiking and acquirements the secrets of the dupe and fields. The movement is not about military, but the aggressive virtues of discipline, obedience, neatness and adjustment are advance virtues. Endurance, self-reliance, abstemiousness and an accomplishment to advice some one abroad are advance objectives. Every action that lends itself to these aims is acceptable scoutcraft.
The Boy Scouts were started in England by Gen. Sir Robert Baden-Powell. He was afflicted with the actuality that 46 per cent. of the boys of England were growing up after any adeptness of advantageous occupations, and capital to do article that would advice the boy to become a advantageous citizen. He absolutely declared that his ambition was not the authoritative of soldiers. In his work. General Baden-Powell has affected the boy’s activity in all its interests and broadened a boy’s angle by the widest array of activities. In two and a bisected years over bisected a actor Boy Scouts accept been enrolled, and twenty thousand of these accept been in array at one time in London.
The advance abstraction has sprung up spontaneously all over America. In Canadian cities the Boy Scouts cardinal thousands. In the United States, towns and cities are actuality swept by the idea. Gangs of boys are to be apparent on every hand, accomplishing their best at scoutcraft, “doing a acceptable about-face every day to some one,” and accepting fun out of it. Prominent business men and educators are abaft the movement.
The aim of the Boy Scouts is to supplement the assorted absolute educational agencies, and to advance the adeptness in boys to do things for themselves and others. The adjustment is summed up in the appellation “scoutcraft” and is a aggregate of observation, answer and handiness—or the adeptness to do. Scoutcraft consists of “First Aid,” Activity Saving, Tracking, Signaling, Cycling, Nature Study, Seamanship and added instruction. This is able in amateur and aggregation comedy and in pleasure, not work, for the boy. The alone accessories it needs is the out-of-doors, a accumulation of boys and a leader.
Before he becomes a scout, a boy charge booty the scouts’ adjuration thus:
“On my honor, I affiance that I will do my best, 1. To do my assignment to God and my country. 2. To advice added bodies at all times. 3. To obey the advance law.”
When demography this adjuration the advance will angle captivation his appropriate duke aloft akin with his shoulder, approach to the front, deride comatose on the attach of the little finger, and the added three fingers cocked pointing upward. This the scouts’ address and abstruse sign.
When the duke is aloft accept aerial it is alleged “the bisected salute.”
When aloft to the forehead it is alleged “the abounding salute.”
The three fingers captivated up (like the three credibility on the scouts’ badge) admonish him of his three promises in the scouts’ oath.
There are three classes of scouts. A boy on abutting the Boy Scouts charge canyon a analysis in the afterward credibility afore demography the oath:
Know the scouts’ laws and signs and the salute.
Know the agreement of the civic banderole and the appropriate way to fly it.
Tie four of the afterward knots: Reef, area bend, abysm hitch, bowline, middleman’s, fisherman’s, sheep-shank.
He again takes the scouts’ adjuration and is enrolled as a amateur and is advantaged to abrasion the address badge.
The Perfect Machine
Suppose you should wake up Christmas morning and find yourself to be the owner of a bicycle. It is a brand-new wheel and everything is in perfect working order. The bearings are well oiled, the nickel is bright and shiny and it is all tuned up and ready for use. If you are a careful, sensible boy you can have fun with it for a long time until finally, like the “One Hoss Shay” in the poem, it wears out and goes to pieces all at once. On the other hand, if you are careless or indifferent or lazy you may allow the machine to get out of order or to become rusty from disuse, or perhaps when a nut works loose you neglect it and have a breakdown on the road, or you may forget to oil the bearings and in a short time they begin to squeak and wear. If you are another kind of a boy, you may be careful enough about oiling and cleaning the wheel, but you may also be reckless and head—strong and will jump over curbstones and gutters or ride it over rough roads at a dangerous rate of speed, and in this way shorten its life by abuse just as the careless boy may by neglect.
It is just so with the human body which, after all, is a machine too, and, more than that, it is the most wonderful and perfect machine in the world. With care it should last many years. With abuse or neglect it may very soon wear out. The boy who neglects his health is like the boy who allows the bearings on his wheel to become dry or the metal parts rusty. The chief difference is that when the bicycle wears out or breaks down we may replace the parts or even buy another machine, but when our health is injured, money will not restore it.
In order to keep well we must observe certain rules of health. By exercise we keep the working parts in good order. If we are lazy or indolent we are like the bicycle that is allowed to go to pieces from lack of use. If we are reckless and foolhardy we may injure some part of the delicate machinery from excessive exercise or strain.
Play is the most natural thing in the world but we must use judgment in our play. A boy or girl who is not allowed to play or who is restrained by too anxious parents is unhappy indeed. Nearly all animals play. We know, for instance, that puppies, kittens, and lambs are playful. It is a perfectly natural instinct. By proper play we build up our bodies and train our minds. The healthy man never gets too old to play. He may not care to play marbles or roll hoops, but he will find his pleasure in some game or sport like tennis, golf, horseback riding, camping, fishing or hunting.
In this book we shall talk about some forms of play and recreation that are not strictly confined to children, but which we may still enjoy even after we have become grown men and women. We shall also talk about some children’s games that some of the older readers may have outgrown. While we play we keep our minds occupied by the sport, and at the same time we exercise our muscles and feed our lungs and our bodies with oxygen.
It is unfortunate that in school or college athletics those who need exercise the most are often those who are physically unfitted to play on the school teams. In other words, we select our runners and jumpers and football players from among the stronger boys, while the weaker ones really need the benefit of the sport. Every boy should take part in school games when possible even if he is not as swift or as strong as some other boys.
It is very unmanly of one boy to make fun of another because he is weak or clumsy or unskillful. After all, the thing that counts and the thing that is most creditable is to make the most of our opportunities whatever they may be. If an undersized or timid boy becomes stronger or more brave because he joins in games and sports, he deserves a hundred times more credit than the big, strong boy whom nature has given a sturdy frame and good lungs and who makes a place on the school team without any real effort.
If we live a natural, open-air life we shall have but little need of doctors or medicine. Many of our grandmothers’ notions on how to keep well have changed in recent years. Old-fashioned remedies made from roots and herbs have been almost completely replaced by better habits of life and common-sense ideas. We used to believe that night air was largely responsible for fevers and colds. Doctors now say that one of the surest ways to keep well is to live and sleep in the open air. In many modern houses the whole family is provided with outside sleeping porches with absolutely no protection from the outside air but the roof. I have followed the practice of sleeping in the open air for some time, and in midwinter without discomfort have had the temperature of my sleeping porch fall to six degrees below zero. Of course it is foolish for any one to sleep exposed to rain or snow or to think that there is any benefit to be derived from being cold or uncomfortable. The whole idea of open-air sleeping is to breathe pure, fresh air in place of the atmosphere of a house which, under the best conditions, is full of dust and germs. If we become outdoor sleepers, coughs and colds will be almost unknown. General Sherman once wrote a letter in which he said that he did not have a case of cold in his entire army and he attributed it to the fact that his soldiers slept and lived in the open air.
Image: A Child’s May Day Party
One can almost tell a man who sleeps in the open by looking at him. His eye is clear and his cheek ruddy. There is no surer way to become well and strong than to become accustomed to this practice. Then you can laugh at the doctor and throw the medicine bottles away. In stating this I know that many parents will not agree with me, and will feel that to advise a boy to sleep in the open when the weather is stormy or extremely cold is almost like inviting him to his death. It is a fact just the same that every one would be healthier and happier if they followed this practice. In a few years I expect to see outdoor sleeping the rule rather than the exception. Progressive doctors are already agreed on this method of sleeping for sick people. In some hospitals even delicate babies are given open-air treatment in midwinter as a cure for pneumonia. My own experience is that in the two years that I have been an outdoor sleeper, with the snow drifts sometimes covering the foot of the bed, with the wintry winds howling about my head in a northeaster, I have been absolutely free from any trace of coughs or colds. Thousands of others will give the same testimony. According to old-fashioned ideas such things would give me my “death of cold.” It rarely happens that one begins the practice of sleeping out without becoming a firm believer in it.
One of the children of a friend in Connecticut who had just built a beautiful home was taken ill, and the doctor recommended that the child’s bed be moved out on the porch. This was in December. The father also had his own bed moved out to keep the baby company. My friend told me that after the first night he felt like a changed man. He awoke after a refreshing sleep and felt better than he had in years. The whole family soon followed and all the beautiful bedrooms in the house were deserted. The baby got well and stayed well and the doctor’s visits are few and far between in that household.
By all means sleep in the open if you can. Of course one must have ample protection from the weather, such as a porch or piazza with a screen or shelter to the north and west. A warm room in which to dress and undress is also absolutely necessary. If your rest is disturbed by cold, as it will probably be until you become accustomed to it and learn the tricks of the outdoor sleeper, you simply need more covers. In winter, the bed should be made up with light summer blankets in place of sheets, which would become very cold. Use, as a night cap, an old sweater or skating cap. A good costume consists of a flannel shirt, woollen drawers, and heavy, lumberman’s stockings. With such an outfit and plenty of covers, one can sleep out on the coldest night and never awaken until the winter’s sun comes peeping over the hill to tell him that it is time to get up.
Besides fresh air, another important thing in keeping well is to eat slowly and to chew your food thoroughly. Boys and girls often develop a habit of rapid eating because they are anxious to get back to play or to school. Slow eating is largely a matter of habit as well, and while it may seem hard at first it will soon become second nature to us. Remember to chew your food thoroughly. The stomach has no teeth. We have all heard of Mr. Horace Fletcher, that wonderful old man who made himself young again by chewing his food.
There is no fun in life unless we are well, and a sensible boy should realize that his parents’ interest in him is for his own benefit. It may seem hard sometimes to be obliged to do without things that we want, but as a rule the judgment of the older people is better than our own. A growing boy will often eat too much candy or too many sweet things and then suffer from his lack of judgment. To fill our stomachs with indigestible food is just as foolish as it would be to put sand in the bearings of our wheel, or to interfere with the delicate adjustment of our watch until it refuses to keep time.
While we play, our muscles are developed, our lungs filled with fresh air and the whole body is made stronger and more vigorous. Some boys play too hard. Over-exertion will sometimes cause a strain on the delicate machinery of the body that will be very serious in after life. The heart is especially subject to the dangers of overstrain in growing boys. We are not all equally strong, and it is no discredit to a boy that he cannot run as far or lift as much as some of his playmates or companions. You all remember the fable of the frog who tried to make himself as big as the ox and finally burst. The idea of exercise is not to try to excel every one in what you do, but to do your best without over-exertion. If a boy has a rugged frame and well developed muscles, it is perfectly natural that he should be superior in most sports to a boy that is delicate or undersized.
To be in good physical condition and to laugh at the doctor we must keep out of doors as much as possible. Gymnasium work of course will help us to build up our strength and develop our muscles, but skill in various acrobatics and gymnastic tricks does not give the clear eye and ruddy cheek of the person whose life is in the open air. Outdoor sports, like tennis, baseball, and horseback riding are far superior to chestweights or Indian clubs as a means of obtaining normal permanent development.
Parents who criticize school or college athletics often forget that the observance of the strict rules of training required from every member of a team is the very best way to keep a boy healthy in mind and body.
Tobacco and alcohol are absolutely prohibited, the kind of food eaten and the hours for retiring are compulsory, and a boy is taught not only to train his muscles but to discipline his mind. Before a candidate is allowed to take active part in the sport for which he is training he must be “in condition,” as it is called.
There are a great many rules of health that will help any one to keep well, but the best rule of all is to live a common-sense life and not to think too much about ourselves. Systematic exercises taken daily with setting up motions are very good unless we allow them to become irksome. All indoor exercise should be practiced with as much fresh air in the room as possible. It is an excellent plan to face an open window if we practice morning and evening gymnastics.
There are many exercises that can be performed with no apparatus whatever. In all exercises we should practice deep regular breathing until it becomes a habit with us. Most people acquire a faulty habit of breathing and only use a small part of their total lung capacity. Learn to take deep breaths while in the fresh air. After a while it will become a habit.
Just how much muscle a boy should have will depend upon his physical make-up. The gymnasium director in one of our largest colleges, who has spent his whole life in exercise, is a small, slender man whose muscles are not at all prominent and yet they are like steel wires. He has made a life-long study of himself and has developed every muscle in his body. From his appearance he would not be considered a strong man and yet some of the younger athletes weighing fifty pounds more than he, have, in wrestling and feats of strength, found that the man with the largest muscles is not always the best man.
There is one question that every growing boy will have to look squarely in the face and to decide for himself. It is the question of smoking. There is absolutely no question but that smoking is injurious for any one, and in the case of boys who are not yet fully grown positively dangerous. Ask any cigarette smoker you know and he will tell you not to smoke. If you ask him why he does not take his own advice he will possibly explain how the habit has fastened its grip on him, just as the slimy tentacles of some devil fish will wind themselves about a victim struggling in the water, until he is no longer able to escape. A boy may begin to smoke in a spirit of fun or possibly because he thinks it is manly, but more often it is because the “other fellers” are trying it too.
My teacher once gave our school an object lesson in habits which is worth repeating. He called one of the boys to the platform and wound a tiny piece of thread around the boy’s wrists. He then told him to break it, which the boy did very easily. The teacher continued to wind more thread until he had so many strands that the boy could break them only with a great effort and finally he could not break them at all. His hands were tied. Just so it is with a habit. The first, second, or tenth time may be easy to break, but we shall finally get so many tiny threads that our hands are tied. We have acquired a habit. Don’t be a fool. Don’t smoke cigarettes.
Walking is one of the most healthful forms of exercise. It may seem unnecessary to devote much space to a subject that every one thinks they know all about, but the fact is that, with trolley cars, automobiles, and horses, a great many persons have almost lost the ability to walk any distance. An excellent rule to follow if you are going anywhere is this: If you have the time, and the distance is not too great, walk. In recent years it has been the practice of a number of prominent business and professional men who get but little outdoor exercise to walk to and from their offices every day, rain or shine. In this way elderly men will average from seven to ten miles a day and thus keep in good condition with no other exercise.
It is very easy to cultivate the street car habit, and some boys feel that they must ride to and from school even if it is only a few blocks or squares. We have all read of the old men who are walking across the country from New York to California and back again and maintaining an average of forty miles a day. There is not a horse in the world that would have the endurance to go half the distance in the same time and keep it up day after day. For the first week or ten days the horse would be far ahead but, like the fable of the hare and the tortoise, after a while the tortoise would pass the hare and get in first.
In walking for pleasure, avoid a rambling, purposeless style. Decide where you are going and go. Walk out in the country if possible and on roads where the automobiles will not endanger your life or blow clouds of dust in your face. Never mind the weather. One rarely takes cold while in motion. To walk comfortably we should wear loose clothing and old shoes. Walking just for the sake of exercise can easily become a tiresome occupation, but the active mind can always see something of interest, such as wild flowers, gardens, and all the various sides of nature study in the country, and people, houses and life in the city.
A tramping vacation of several days furnishes a fine opportunity to see new scenes and to live economically, but near a city you may have difficulty in persuading the farm-wife where you stop that you are not a tramp who will burn the house in the night. If you intend to live by the wayside, the surest way to inspire confidence is to show in advance that you have money to pay for your accommodations. Also try to avoid looking like a tramp, which is quite different from looking like a tramper.
There seems to be a great difference of opinion on the question of how fast one can walk. The popular idea is “four miles an hour” but any one who has tried to cover a mile every fifteen minutes will testify that such a rate of speed is more like a race than a walk and that it will require great physical exertion to maintain it for any considerable distance. An eighteen or twenty-mile walk is about all the average boy should attempt in a day, and this is allowing the full day for the task from early morning until sunset.
Short and frequent rests are much better than long stops, which have a tendency to stiffen the muscles. The walker on a long tramp must pay especial attention to the care of his feet. They should be bathed frequently in cold water to which a little alum has been added. A rough place or crease in the stocking will sometimes cause a very painful blister.
Mountain climbing is a very interesting branch of walking. It is sometimes very dangerous as well and in such cases should only be attempted under the guidance of some one familiar with the neigborhood. For rough climbing our shoes should be provided with iron hob nails. Steel nails often become very slippery and will cause a bad fall on rocks.
Cross-country running and hare and hound chases are much more common in England than in America. Our runners as a rule excel in the sprints and short dashes, although in the recent Olympic sports we have shown that our trained athletes are the equal of the world in nearly all branches of sport.
In many of the English schools it is a regular part of the school work for the teacher to organize hare and hound chases. The hares are given a start of several minutes and leave a trail by means of bits of paper or confetti, which they carry in a bag. In this kind of running the object to be sought is not so much speed as endurance. An easy dog trot with deep regular breathing will soon give us our second wind, when we can keep on for a long distance.
After any kind of physical exertion, especially when we are in a perspiration, care must be exercised not to become chilled suddenly. A rub down with a rough towel will help to prevent soreness and stiff muscles. The lameness that follows any kind of unusual exercise is an indication that certain muscles have been brought into use that are out of condition. A trained athlete does not experience this soreness unless he has unduly exerted himself, and the easiest way to get over it is to do more of the same kind of work until we are in condition.
The human body a perfect machine — How to keep well — Outdoor
sleeping — Exercise and play — Smoking — Walking
It is just so with the human body which, after all, is a machine too, and, more than that, it is the most wonderful and perfect machine in the world. With care it should last many years. With abuse or neglect it may very soon wear out. The boy who neglects his health is like the boy who allows the bearings on his wheel to become dry or the metal parts rusty. The chief difference is that when the bicycle wears out or breaks down we may replace the parts or even buy another machine, but when our health is injured, money will not restore it.
In order to keep well we must observe certain rules of health. By exercise we keep the working parts in good order. If we are lazy or indolent we are like the bicycle that is allowed to go to pieces from lack of use. If we are reckless and foolhardy we may injure some part of the delicate machinery from excessive exercise or strain.
Play is the most natural thing in the world but we must use judgment in our play. A boy or girl who is not allowed to play or who is restrained by too anxious parents is unhappy indeed. Nearly all animals play. We know, for instance, that puppies, kittens, and lambs are playful. It is a perfectly natural instinct. By proper play we build up our bodies and train our minds. The healthy man never gets too old to play. He may not care to play marbles or roll hoops, but he will find his pleasure in some game or sport like tennis, golf, horseback riding, camping, fishing or hunting.
In this book we shall talk about some forms of play and recreation that are not strictly confined to children, but which we may still enjoy even after we have become grown men and women. We shall also talk about some children’s games that some of the older readers may have outgrown. While we play we keep our minds occupied by the sport, and at the same time we exercise our muscles and feed our lungs and our bodies with oxygen.
It is unfortunate that in school or college athletics those who need exercise the most are often those who are physically unfitted to play on the school teams. In other words, we select our runners and jumpers and football players from among the stronger boys, while the weaker ones really need the benefit of the sport. Every boy should take part in school games when possible even if he is not as swift or as strong as some other boys.
It is very unmanly of one boy to make fun of another because he is weak or clumsy or unskillful. After all, the thing that counts and the thing that is most creditable is to make the most of our opportunities whatever they may be. If an undersized or timid boy becomes stronger or more brave because he joins in games and sports, he deserves a hundred times more credit than the big, strong boy whom nature has given a sturdy frame and good lungs and who makes a place on the school team without any real effort.
If we live a natural, open-air life we shall have but little need of doctors or medicine. Many of our grandmothers’ notions on how to keep well have changed in recent years. Old-fashioned remedies made from roots and herbs have been almost completely replaced by better habits of life and common-sense ideas. We used to believe that night air was largely responsible for fevers and colds. Doctors now say that one of the surest ways to keep well is to live and sleep in the open air. In many modern houses the whole family is provided with outside sleeping porches with absolutely no protection from the outside air but the roof. I have followed the practice of sleeping in the open air for some time, and in midwinter without discomfort have had the temperature of my sleeping porch fall to six degrees below zero. Of course it is foolish for any one to sleep exposed to rain or snow or to think that there is any benefit to be derived from being cold or uncomfortable. The whole idea of open-air sleeping is to breathe pure, fresh air in place of the atmosphere of a house which, under the best conditions, is full of dust and germs. If we become outdoor sleepers, coughs and colds will be almost unknown. General Sherman once wrote a letter in which he said that he did not have a case of cold in his entire army and he attributed it to the fact that his soldiers slept and lived in the open air.
Image: A Child’s May Day Party
One can almost tell a man who sleeps in the open by looking at him. His eye is clear and his cheek ruddy. There is no surer way to become well and strong than to become accustomed to this practice. Then you can laugh at the doctor and throw the medicine bottles away. In stating this I know that many parents will not agree with me, and will feel that to advise a boy to sleep in the open when the weather is stormy or extremely cold is almost like inviting him to his death. It is a fact just the same that every one would be healthier and happier if they followed this practice. In a few years I expect to see outdoor sleeping the rule rather than the exception. Progressive doctors are already agreed on this method of sleeping for sick people. In some hospitals even delicate babies are given open-air treatment in midwinter as a cure for pneumonia. My own experience is that in the two years that I have been an outdoor sleeper, with the snow drifts sometimes covering the foot of the bed, with the wintry winds howling about my head in a northeaster, I have been absolutely free from any trace of coughs or colds. Thousands of others will give the same testimony. According to old-fashioned ideas such things would give me my “death of cold.” It rarely happens that one begins the practice of sleeping out without becoming a firm believer in it.
One of the children of a friend in Connecticut who had just built a beautiful home was taken ill, and the doctor recommended that the child’s bed be moved out on the porch. This was in December. The father also had his own bed moved out to keep the baby company. My friend told me that after the first night he felt like a changed man. He awoke after a refreshing sleep and felt better than he had in years. The whole family soon followed and all the beautiful bedrooms in the house were deserted. The baby got well and stayed well and the doctor’s visits are few and far between in that household.
By all means sleep in the open if you can. Of course one must have ample protection from the weather, such as a porch or piazza with a screen or shelter to the north and west. A warm room in which to dress and undress is also absolutely necessary. If your rest is disturbed by cold, as it will probably be until you become accustomed to it and learn the tricks of the outdoor sleeper, you simply need more covers. In winter, the bed should be made up with light summer blankets in place of sheets, which would become very cold. Use, as a night cap, an old sweater or skating cap. A good costume consists of a flannel shirt, woollen drawers, and heavy, lumberman’s stockings. With such an outfit and plenty of covers, one can sleep out on the coldest night and never awaken until the winter’s sun comes peeping over the hill to tell him that it is time to get up.
Besides fresh air, another important thing in keeping well is to eat slowly and to chew your food thoroughly. Boys and girls often develop a habit of rapid eating because they are anxious to get back to play or to school. Slow eating is largely a matter of habit as well, and while it may seem hard at first it will soon become second nature to us. Remember to chew your food thoroughly. The stomach has no teeth. We have all heard of Mr. Horace Fletcher, that wonderful old man who made himself young again by chewing his food.
There is no fun in life unless we are well, and a sensible boy should realize that his parents’ interest in him is for his own benefit. It may seem hard sometimes to be obliged to do without things that we want, but as a rule the judgment of the older people is better than our own. A growing boy will often eat too much candy or too many sweet things and then suffer from his lack of judgment. To fill our stomachs with indigestible food is just as foolish as it would be to put sand in the bearings of our wheel, or to interfere with the delicate adjustment of our watch until it refuses to keep time.
While we play, our muscles are developed, our lungs filled with fresh air and the whole body is made stronger and more vigorous. Some boys play too hard. Over-exertion will sometimes cause a strain on the delicate machinery of the body that will be very serious in after life. The heart is especially subject to the dangers of overstrain in growing boys. We are not all equally strong, and it is no discredit to a boy that he cannot run as far or lift as much as some of his playmates or companions. You all remember the fable of the frog who tried to make himself as big as the ox and finally burst. The idea of exercise is not to try to excel every one in what you do, but to do your best without over-exertion. If a boy has a rugged frame and well developed muscles, it is perfectly natural that he should be superior in most sports to a boy that is delicate or undersized.
To be in good physical condition and to laugh at the doctor we must keep out of doors as much as possible. Gymnasium work of course will help us to build up our strength and develop our muscles, but skill in various acrobatics and gymnastic tricks does not give the clear eye and ruddy cheek of the person whose life is in the open air. Outdoor sports, like tennis, baseball, and horseback riding are far superior to chestweights or Indian clubs as a means of obtaining normal permanent development.
Parents who criticize school or college athletics often forget that the observance of the strict rules of training required from every member of a team is the very best way to keep a boy healthy in mind and body.
Tobacco and alcohol are absolutely prohibited, the kind of food eaten and the hours for retiring are compulsory, and a boy is taught not only to train his muscles but to discipline his mind. Before a candidate is allowed to take active part in the sport for which he is training he must be “in condition,” as it is called.
There are a great many rules of health that will help any one to keep well, but the best rule of all is to live a common-sense life and not to think too much about ourselves. Systematic exercises taken daily with setting up motions are very good unless we allow them to become irksome. All indoor exercise should be practiced with as much fresh air in the room as possible. It is an excellent plan to face an open window if we practice morning and evening gymnastics.
There are many exercises that can be performed with no apparatus whatever. In all exercises we should practice deep regular breathing until it becomes a habit with us. Most people acquire a faulty habit of breathing and only use a small part of their total lung capacity. Learn to take deep breaths while in the fresh air. After a while it will become a habit.
Just how much muscle a boy should have will depend upon his physical make-up. The gymnasium director in one of our largest colleges, who has spent his whole life in exercise, is a small, slender man whose muscles are not at all prominent and yet they are like steel wires. He has made a life-long study of himself and has developed every muscle in his body. From his appearance he would not be considered a strong man and yet some of the younger athletes weighing fifty pounds more than he, have, in wrestling and feats of strength, found that the man with the largest muscles is not always the best man.
There is one question that every growing boy will have to look squarely in the face and to decide for himself. It is the question of smoking. There is absolutely no question but that smoking is injurious for any one, and in the case of boys who are not yet fully grown positively dangerous. Ask any cigarette smoker you know and he will tell you not to smoke. If you ask him why he does not take his own advice he will possibly explain how the habit has fastened its grip on him, just as the slimy tentacles of some devil fish will wind themselves about a victim struggling in the water, until he is no longer able to escape. A boy may begin to smoke in a spirit of fun or possibly because he thinks it is manly, but more often it is because the “other fellers” are trying it too.
My teacher once gave our school an object lesson in habits which is worth repeating. He called one of the boys to the platform and wound a tiny piece of thread around the boy’s wrists. He then told him to break it, which the boy did very easily. The teacher continued to wind more thread until he had so many strands that the boy could break them only with a great effort and finally he could not break them at all. His hands were tied. Just so it is with a habit. The first, second, or tenth time may be easy to break, but we shall finally get so many tiny threads that our hands are tied. We have acquired a habit. Don’t be a fool. Don’t smoke cigarettes.
Walking is one of the most healthful forms of exercise. It may seem unnecessary to devote much space to a subject that every one thinks they know all about, but the fact is that, with trolley cars, automobiles, and horses, a great many persons have almost lost the ability to walk any distance. An excellent rule to follow if you are going anywhere is this: If you have the time, and the distance is not too great, walk. In recent years it has been the practice of a number of prominent business and professional men who get but little outdoor exercise to walk to and from their offices every day, rain or shine. In this way elderly men will average from seven to ten miles a day and thus keep in good condition with no other exercise.
It is very easy to cultivate the street car habit, and some boys feel that they must ride to and from school even if it is only a few blocks or squares. We have all read of the old men who are walking across the country from New York to California and back again and maintaining an average of forty miles a day. There is not a horse in the world that would have the endurance to go half the distance in the same time and keep it up day after day. For the first week or ten days the horse would be far ahead but, like the fable of the hare and the tortoise, after a while the tortoise would pass the hare and get in first.
In walking for pleasure, avoid a rambling, purposeless style. Decide where you are going and go. Walk out in the country if possible and on roads where the automobiles will not endanger your life or blow clouds of dust in your face. Never mind the weather. One rarely takes cold while in motion. To walk comfortably we should wear loose clothing and old shoes. Walking just for the sake of exercise can easily become a tiresome occupation, but the active mind can always see something of interest, such as wild flowers, gardens, and all the various sides of nature study in the country, and people, houses and life in the city.
A tramping vacation of several days furnishes a fine opportunity to see new scenes and to live economically, but near a city you may have difficulty in persuading the farm-wife where you stop that you are not a tramp who will burn the house in the night. If you intend to live by the wayside, the surest way to inspire confidence is to show in advance that you have money to pay for your accommodations. Also try to avoid looking like a tramp, which is quite different from looking like a tramper.
There seems to be a great difference of opinion on the question of how fast one can walk. The popular idea is “four miles an hour” but any one who has tried to cover a mile every fifteen minutes will testify that such a rate of speed is more like a race than a walk and that it will require great physical exertion to maintain it for any considerable distance. An eighteen or twenty-mile walk is about all the average boy should attempt in a day, and this is allowing the full day for the task from early morning until sunset.
Short and frequent rests are much better than long stops, which have a tendency to stiffen the muscles. The walker on a long tramp must pay especial attention to the care of his feet. They should be bathed frequently in cold water to which a little alum has been added. A rough place or crease in the stocking will sometimes cause a very painful blister.
Mountain climbing is a very interesting branch of walking. It is sometimes very dangerous as well and in such cases should only be attempted under the guidance of some one familiar with the neigborhood. For rough climbing our shoes should be provided with iron hob nails. Steel nails often become very slippery and will cause a bad fall on rocks.
Cross-country running and hare and hound chases are much more common in England than in America. Our runners as a rule excel in the sprints and short dashes, although in the recent Olympic sports we have shown that our trained athletes are the equal of the world in nearly all branches of sport.
In many of the English schools it is a regular part of the school work for the teacher to organize hare and hound chases. The hares are given a start of several minutes and leave a trail by means of bits of paper or confetti, which they carry in a bag. In this kind of running the object to be sought is not so much speed as endurance. An easy dog trot with deep regular breathing will soon give us our second wind, when we can keep on for a long distance.
After any kind of physical exertion, especially when we are in a perspiration, care must be exercised not to become chilled suddenly. A rub down with a rough towel will help to prevent soreness and stiff muscles. The lameness that follows any kind of unusual exercise is an indication that certain muscles have been brought into use that are out of condition. A trained athlete does not experience this soreness unless he has unduly exerted himself, and the easiest way to get over it is to do more of the same kind of work until we are in condition.
08 April 2008
Laissez-vous toucher l'automne
Laissez-vous toucher l'automne. Laissez la chute vex avec nous lors de votre grisaille liquéfié sera en baisse. Laissez tomber le bruit que vous une berceuse. "
Hier, j'étais excité funnily. Le ciel est resté Stygian chaque période et mon maltraité ficelle carillons effectué des heures supplémentaires. "Clang, clang…. Le météorologue veut vérifier quelque chose…" Je obstruée employés pour une instance et d'autoriser mes sens ingérer il pouces "Clang, clang… get your ass du invoquer et à la télé". Après des mois de l'air glacé, je unsmooth unstoppered fenêtre de mon devoir et de modifier actualisées chaleur s'infiltrait pouces "Clang, Boum! Rumble, rumble, rumble, bruit sourd. "La mise en action a été déprécier crapper descendant dans la rue, alors je me suis tiré de mon mauvais découvrir trance et est allé au-dessous d'enquêter.
Pour la milliardième exemple depuis l'avènement de la télévision par câble Je remercie silencieusement les pouvoirs en place pour que l'étonnement est The Weather Channel. Il n'ya pas de prévoir le moment où le ciel devient noir chromatique; rencontrer le froid, successiveness faits. Comme elle l'a renversé, mon fidèle ficelle carillons étaient correctes - nous avions 40 indication nonindulgent rafales et un avertissement de tempête. C'est le boucher qui excite moi.
Comme elle s'est retournée, je n'ai pas besoin de mes foregather idolâtre et ceux descendant à saborder le niveau avec des lampes de poche et de l'eau embouteillée. Mais, je n'ai savourer mon prototypal stimuler du printemps. Ma fille a un brillant chromatique slicker, jumelés mi-bas mousse bottes (aka Christopher Robin) et un parapluie Mohammedan faute de goût pour sa branche dans le Midwest. I hit cuisine artiste inondé les accumulateurs, la base et d'un télégramme du récepteur vers le ciel.
actualisent que je redoute le plus lourd groupement saveur qui se trouve entre l'hiver et l'immunité comfortableness de l'été. Mais je ne suis même pas "redouter" quoi que ce soit. Il s'agit d'un exemple et de gaspiller de l'énergie. Pour moi, la salubrité et la ferveur égale à modifier certains dans le défier descendant est correct excitant pour moi.
Ces jours-ci, ma parenté jouit de la pleine Mother Nature's opinion balançoires. La saveur inclément effectuation nous avons l'intention d'aller vers le plus sur la route sur l'artefact à la boîte à lettres. Je savante que mon shampoing pour se renforcer brunettes obtient des résultats tout aussi lumineux sur la couverture d'un trouble Labrador noir. Et, après un certain temps, le bruit sec d'incessants dewy chaussures de sport dans l'appareil n'est audible rencontrer.
Aujourd'hui paraît un peu terne en comparaison. Ce n'est pas chaud, pas froid. Pas de soleil, du brouillard, de chute ou de foncer tournant dans certaines de ses formes vécu. Si j'étais à l'extérieur de jeu, je ne serais pas certaine exigence principale catégorie de matériel à tous. Quel est celui des loisirs? Je conçois, je vais rencontrer matériel avec The Weather Channel et pariez quoi de brassage pour le reste de la semaine.
Activité Exercice: La future instance, il pleut, le lieu impressible sur quelque chose et nous découvrir l'entrée À la promenade. (Check The Weather Channel premier, bien sûr, d'atteindre loyal que vous ne serez pas pelted avec balle de remplissage grêle. J'ai même dit que je l'aventure, pas vérole marques.) Stick il découvre pendant un certain temps. Walk absent haw certaine anxiété vous a frappé le plus d'efforts de votre matériel humide, ternes ou vos chaussures. Au bout d'un moment, vous allez actualiser qu'il est liquide et de répondre, modifier… quoi de mieux que le sentiment fantastique? À la revitalisation.
07 April 2008
What About Fido?
What About Fido? (Pros and Cons of Taking Your Pet Dog Camping)
Camping is definitely a great way to spend one’s vacation. The great outdoors is indeed a good venue to take time off from the hustling and bustling city with the fresh air and nice view that is a welcome replacement to your daily dose of smog and dust.
However, many people are hesitant about taking camping trips especially those who have pets. While pet hotels are now widely available, a lot of dog owners could not bear to be separated from their beloved canines even for just a few days.
One great idea to do is bring Fido along on the camping trip. Of course there are advantages as well as disadvantages with bringing your pet dog camping, it is therefore important to weigh the pros and cons carefully before deciding to take Fido along on your trip.
The Pros of Taking Your Pet Dog Camping
Bringing your pet dog camping can be very exciting for both you and your canine friend. The outdoors can be very stimulating for an animal that has spent much of its time in a yard or a secluded doghouse. Your dog would greatly be excited to see, smell, and hear new things. The fresh air of the woods can be very advantageous to your dog’s health. The camping site can also be a great venue for the dog to exercise since you are most likely going to do a lot walks in the forest.
Bringing your pet dog along can also free you of worries and the anxiety of leaving him or her behind. This gives you peace of mind during a time when you are supposed to be relaxing. While pet hotels have been really made to be safe for you pets, seeing your pet all the time is usually the best way to make sure they are safe and are being treated the way you want them to be.
When you bring your dog along, you can also do a lot of activities. You can take your dog on hunts for bugs and other small animals. You can play catch and fetch. Dogs can be great company for long walks. They can also help guard you from dangerous animals and nosy campers. Dogs are great protectors in the wild. A dog can even help you find your way back to your campsite in case you get lost.
The Cons of Taking Your Pet Dog Camping
Taking your dog camping can indeed be fun, however it can also be a hassle. Dogs can get too excited in the outdoors. They can get rowdy and misbehave because of the new sights, sounds and smells that agitate them. Dogs may also be frightened by the wild animals they might encounter in the woods. Being introduced to a large space may also exhaust your dog especially if it is old.
Bringing your dog along may give you extra things to worry about. Dogs may get lost in the woods and it would really be stressful on your part if they do. Your might constantly need to check on your dog, giving you extra tasks during a time when you are supposed to be relaxing. Your dog can also be extra noisy especially at night, disturbing your sleep and the quiet moments. Dogs may easily get into accidents outdoors as there are many hidden dangers that lurk in the forest. They might run into cliffs or get entangled in bushes. They may get attacked by wild animals or get bitten by snakes and rodents. They may even catch ticks that could cause Lyme disease.
Dogs may even restrict you from doing certain activities in the campsite. Some areas in national parks do not allow dogs and other pets and thus you might not be able to gain access to such areas if you bring your dog. Dogs may provoke wild animals and cause and you may be greatly bothered by them.
Taking your pet dog camping can have its merits and demerits. You have to carefully decide whether to bring your dog or not. If you do so, it is best to check with your dog’s veterinarian to make sure that your best friend is fit for the outdoors.
The choice is up to you whether you should bring your dog camping. If you do decide to bring Fido along, enjoy the moment together, after all, your dog is your best friend!
06 April 2008
10 Fun Things for Kids To Do
10 Fun Things for Kids to Do On A Camping Trip
No doubt about it, camping trips are fun. A vacation in the wild outdoors, fresh air, roughing it can be such a fun break from the hectic routine of city life.
1. Get wet and go splashing. More likely, you would be able to find a nice swimming spot. Whether a big lake or a small brook, you are bound to locate a nice body of water to splash around and have wet fun. Swimming amidst nature can be so much more enjoyable than swimming in a man-made pool. Just be sure that the swimming hole you find is safe for people, normally camping parks would tell you which ones are good for dips and which ones are not. Also, be careful about diving and never leave your kids swimming alone.
2. Bike together. Most camping sites have great bike trails. Riding bicycles is very fun when the view is great. It is faster and cooler than just traveling on foot. Make sure to bring a map and plan your trip so that you would not easily get lost. Do not ride too fast, or you might leave each other behind, anyway, you would not be able to enjoy the scenery if you speed.
3. Watch for birds and animals. Most camping sites and forest parks have primers and leaflets about the various animals thriving in their area. You may also bring books about wild animals and see if you could spot them. Try having a contest – the one who spots most kinds of animals wins. See the different animals that come out during the night and compare them to those that come out during the day. Just keep your children a safe distance away so that they will not disturb the animals.
4. Play games in the outdoors. It may be the classic sac race, tug-o-war, or just plain tag. Nothing beats the time-tested games when done in the woods. Just be sure to play games in a clear area to avoid accidents. Also, avoid creating so much noise so that you disturb the wildlife.
5. Organize a scavenger hunt. Kids love to go on quests and adventures. Scavenger hunts can be a great alternative to the role playing games kids play these days, not to mention that it is more physical, allowing your kids to exercise rather than just sit in front of the computer screen all day. Just warn your kids about the many prickly plants that could be lurking in the woods, such as poison ivy, oak and sumac.
6. Learn how to read maps and compasses. The great outdoors is a nice way to teach your children about navigation. Take out your map and compass while exploring the forest. Show your kids where you are on the map and show them where you are heading. This can also be done in conjunction with the scavenger hunt.
7. Light a campfire. Perhaps this is among the most awaited activities during camping. This can be the best way to end the day. Gather around the campfire to sing songs and tell stories (scary ones if you would like). Roast marshmallows and hotdogs. Play riddles and other word games.
8. Watch the stars. This is another night activity that can be both fun and educational. You may just simply lie on the ground and appreciate the free light show in the sky, or you may bring out a star chart and look for famous constellations and other heavenly bodies. Look for shooting stars and make your wish.
9. Bathe in the rain. The weather can be unpredictable in many places, you cannot expect to have clear and sunny skies all the time. But do not pout if the rain does pour. You can have fun playing in the rain and enjoy mother earth’s natural shower. Just be careful not to go out when there is thunder and lightning.
10. Just relax and simply enjoy the moment. You are in the outdoors for only a few times in a year (or even in a lifetime). Enjoy what nature has to offer. Avoid bringing any electronic gadget and simply bask in the quiet of the forest. This is the time to bond and enjoy each other’s company.
There are hundreds of other activities to do out doors, these ten are just a fraction of the many activities you can do with your kids on a camping trip. The point of it all is to enjoy spending the time together as a family.
No doubt about it, camping trips are fun. A vacation in the wild outdoors, fresh air, roughing it can be such a fun break from the hectic routine of city life.
However, a lot of people think they cannot enjoy or even survive a camping trip because of kids. Children can indeed add enjoyment to anybody’s life, but to be honest, it is really hard to bring kids along on a camping trip. Imagine having no television or computers to keep them busy (and quiet). For the average parent, that could spell disaster. But you should not despair; there are many activities in the outdoors that can keep kids entertained during a camping trip. Here are ten of them.
1. Get wet and go splashing. More likely, you would be able to find a nice swimming spot. Whether a big lake or a small brook, you are bound to locate a nice body of water to splash around and have wet fun. Swimming amidst nature can be so much more enjoyable than swimming in a man-made pool. Just be sure that the swimming hole you find is safe for people, normally camping parks would tell you which ones are good for dips and which ones are not. Also, be careful about diving and never leave your kids swimming alone.
2. Bike together. Most camping sites have great bike trails. Riding bicycles is very fun when the view is great. It is faster and cooler than just traveling on foot. Make sure to bring a map and plan your trip so that you would not easily get lost. Do not ride too fast, or you might leave each other behind, anyway, you would not be able to enjoy the scenery if you speed.
3. Watch for birds and animals. Most camping sites and forest parks have primers and leaflets about the various animals thriving in their area. You may also bring books about wild animals and see if you could spot them. Try having a contest – the one who spots most kinds of animals wins. See the different animals that come out during the night and compare them to those that come out during the day. Just keep your children a safe distance away so that they will not disturb the animals.
4. Play games in the outdoors. It may be the classic sac race, tug-o-war, or just plain tag. Nothing beats the time-tested games when done in the woods. Just be sure to play games in a clear area to avoid accidents. Also, avoid creating so much noise so that you disturb the wildlife.
5. Organize a scavenger hunt. Kids love to go on quests and adventures. Scavenger hunts can be a great alternative to the role playing games kids play these days, not to mention that it is more physical, allowing your kids to exercise rather than just sit in front of the computer screen all day. Just warn your kids about the many prickly plants that could be lurking in the woods, such as poison ivy, oak and sumac.
6. Learn how to read maps and compasses. The great outdoors is a nice way to teach your children about navigation. Take out your map and compass while exploring the forest. Show your kids where you are on the map and show them where you are heading. This can also be done in conjunction with the scavenger hunt.
7. Light a campfire. Perhaps this is among the most awaited activities during camping. This can be the best way to end the day. Gather around the campfire to sing songs and tell stories (scary ones if you would like). Roast marshmallows and hotdogs. Play riddles and other word games.
8. Watch the stars. This is another night activity that can be both fun and educational. You may just simply lie on the ground and appreciate the free light show in the sky, or you may bring out a star chart and look for famous constellations and other heavenly bodies. Look for shooting stars and make your wish.
9. Bathe in the rain. The weather can be unpredictable in many places, you cannot expect to have clear and sunny skies all the time. But do not pout if the rain does pour. You can have fun playing in the rain and enjoy mother earth’s natural shower. Just be careful not to go out when there is thunder and lightning.
10. Just relax and simply enjoy the moment. You are in the outdoors for only a few times in a year (or even in a lifetime). Enjoy what nature has to offer. Avoid bringing any electronic gadget and simply bask in the quiet of the forest. This is the time to bond and enjoy each other’s company.
There are hundreds of other activities to do out doors, these ten are just a fraction of the many activities you can do with your kids on a camping trip. The point of it all is to enjoy spending the time together as a family.
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