Has your husband been itching to try camping with your preschooler, but you weren’t sure the family was old enough yet? Here are a few great Father’s Day gifts for families who love, or want to love, the outdoors.
We’ll start with the obvious. Going camping? You’ll need a tent. We have one like this, which is perfect for the whole family.
There’s plenty of room for everyone to move around, store their things… and sleep. For a backyard camping family, you aren’t going to need to spend oodles of cash, so look for a tent under $100.
Even if you aren’t a camping family, having a family telescope for the dad is a great opportunity for him to learn and dream and share.
We don’t get the greatest view from our home with our telescope (thank you, tree-ed backyard), but we take it on road trips with us to New England and the southeast and are in for a treat each time.
I haven’t read this book, but I’ve read plenty of reviews, and this book seems to have it all.
On Amazon, it’s been touted as more thorough and informative than many adult camping books, with everything from things to do to songs to sing, recipes and safety tips.
If nothing else, please get a camping safety book, or read and print out backyard camping safety resources on the web.
It would be pretty hard to go camping without a sleeping bag, but it’s worth it to double-check that all the campers have good ones, preferably without holes or mildew, before you gift someone a tent!
Keep an eye out for temperature recommendations–unless your backyard is in Antarctica, chances are if you’re backyard or summer camping, you won’t need to purchase a sleeping bag made for temperatures under 32 degrees. (This will save you a lot of money, too.)
Camping allows for lots of learning and nature experiences, but it’s always fun to bring along a game or two made for the outdoors.
You’ll want one that transports well and one that you don’t have to worry about loosing pieces. Horseshoes is a great game, but try thinking outside the purchase and create games, like hopscotch, marbles and rock stacking.
The iGo Pocket Projector is not a must-have, it’s not something that we’ve even considered bringing along before, but I will admit that many a night, we’ve let the kids bring a DVD player into the tent for a movie before bedtime.
I was sent the projector so that my family could view Sid the Science Kid’s Backyard Camping episode, and it’s a tech person’s delight (a GREAT last-minute gift for Father’s Day!)
The packaging says it projects up to 70″, but we had it across the wall, which my husband estimates to be about 96 inches. The picture quality wasn’t quite as nice as on our LED TVs, but it truly felt like being in a theater.
I can’t wait to broadcast a movie inside or on the side of our tent in the backyard. Or hanging a sheet from the swingset as a screen. The possibilities are endless.
A few things to keep in mind, the projector comes with adapters for most phones and a flip camera, but not for the iPhone, iPod, or iPad. You’ll need an additional adapter for that (which I’m going to guess you can get at Radio Shack.)
The same goes for connecting it to your laptop. Also, if you get this, be sure to charge the battery before using it. The battery should last 1.5 hours–not quite enough for a feature-length film, but long enough to watch a TV episode or most kids’ movies.
Be sure to watch Sid the Science Kid’s Backyard Camping episode, premiering next Monday, for tips on backyard camping with your family (check your local listings for channel and time). Don’t forget the bug spray!
