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Fun for the kids

Started by Ginette, July 16, 2009, 09:41:59 AM

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Ginette

This season is going to be my family's first time to camp at faire and in the family camping.  Our camping has been camping at state parks, where my now 10 year old daughter can swim, fish, run among the trees, kick a ball around or play catch.  In an effort to not get board and or want to camp again at faire, I'm looking in to ways to keep her busy, while respecting those around us. 

How do you keep your children busy and having fun while camping at faire?  Do you have a faire survival pack with games, books and little things to keep busy?  Do you take portable movie player, this could be used for adults too I guess?  What do you recommend not bringing?  Common since tells me not to bring load noisy items that may keep children up or be just down right bothersome. ;) 
Weddings & Events at Sherwood Forest Faire.
PR for life!

Dinobabe

My parents kept me busy with tending the fire, collecting wood, fishing, helping to cook, cleaning up the tent inside, board/card games, coloring, singing, reading, etc.
No technology when I was a kid and it was great!
Teach her a period (or modern) craft or skill. 
http://www.wikihow.com/Finger-Knit
http://dev.origami.com/diagram.cfm
You could research some period children's games (single and multiple player) and if there are other kids in camp it would be great!
Try these...
http://www.larsdatter.com/games.htm
http://jducoeur.org/game-hist/game-rules.html
Natasha McCallister
Bristol Faire 1988-2005
The Wizard's Chamber/Sir Don Palmist
59.2% FaireFolk Corrupt
midsouthrenfaire.com

midnightferret

A friend of mine keeps her 11yo daughter Erin occupied with a Nintendo DS that also plays movies, but I think it's only for extreme emergencies. When I was a kid I had the equivalent: paperback books and a flashlight with lotsa batteries.

But I'm really here to talk about GAMES! I am a big game nerd.
Some portable games that Erin enjoys are:
Farkle (you don't have to buy the game, just get 6 dice and a pen). Honestly, I played this with Lady Rochelle's husband Mike for a loooooong time once in camp, and we're supposed to be adults!
Pass the Pigs - I've seen this one cheap at Target - loads of fun!
Another Target/Walmart special is a card game called "Sleeping Queens," by Gamewright. This is a game that works well when Erin wants to play, but we have also played it with just "adults" In fact, ! Wal-Mart and Target carry a lot of Gamewright games, including a pirate themed game called "Loot," a castle building game called "Castle Keep," and a portable Scrabble-like game called "Bananagrams." I totally (heart) Gamewright because they make cheap, portable games that both adults and kids can enjoy. You can also find them at Toys-R-US and Barnes and Noble.

Now, there are other boardgames I could suggest because I am a huge boardgame geek and I live for that kind of thing (I even teach adults with boardgames!), but many of them are not very cheap, and who wants to bring a $30 game to camp? Also, if you brought all the games I suggested, you wouldn't have time for cool activities such as setting up, cooking camp food, making S'mores, and telling scary stories!

Lady Rochelle

Ha, Hey Ferrett, I had to ask my husband about that, he said yeah honey thats that weekend you brought the case of wine and you were the only drinking it,  lmao, dang I didnt know ya'll  were playing farkle, lmao I dont even know what it is. But anyways, UNO, we always bring uno, and she is not too young to teach spades or rummy,.hangman is fun
Let the games begin !

dragongirl

Wow, I must have been a weird kid.  I used to amuse myself with my Barbies and GI Joe's for hours on end.  I also loved to play in the dirt much to the disgust of my mother and sister( who I shared a bed with). lol  You might want to teach her some crafts, Latch Hook and Macrome were favorites of mine.  I also learned how to make pencil holders out of concentrated OJ containers and wooden clothes pins.  A half a walnut shell, paint and a pipe cleaner could beome a varity of animals.
Lady Hermina Dolores De Pagan
Captain of the Tres Flores
Sailing with Ye Pyrate Brotherhood

Anna Iram

Ginette, I haven't any children, but I love games. How about something like horseshoes? A little active without getting wild. I don't know how much space there is over in family camp. Maybe not enough for games?

Checkers never gets old.

Give them a real challenge. Buy them some beanbags and print off some "learn to juggle" instructions from the internet.



dragongirl

OK, I'm back from Pennsic and to amuse both kids and adults Claus the Toymaker sells Bad Garb Old Maid cards.  I bought a set and we had hours of amusement with them in camp.  you might try and find games like that.
Lady Hermina Dolores De Pagan
Captain of the Tres Flores
Sailing with Ye Pyrate Brotherhood

jcbanner

I'f its for camping, I would say leave the electronics at home, (or atleast in the car) if you want to watch movies, you might as well stay in a hotel, and boardgames are for nights in at home.  your camping! it should be related to the outdoors in some manor.

To keep them busy, see about getting them a field guide. (a simple easy to understand guide) about local plants and animals.  Set them to a contest to see who can find and identify the most plant types. youd be surprised how many diffrent types of plants you'll find in even a small area.

for something a little more fun, if you cant sell them in the contest idea, have them keep an eye out for turkey feathers, or any larger wing feathers. there's a fun toy you can make from 2 of these feathers. take a piece of corn cob, or barring that, a short chunk of a fat stick that breaks easy (about 1.5 inches thick, 2-3 inches long  is good).  Depending on how old they are, you may need to do the next part. carve out a slender, deep hole that the two feathers can be jammed into with the points facing away from each other. let them figure out how to get them to stay in there. (tip, tightly wrapping the ends of the feathers together with thin string, or stuffing tooth picks along side the feathers makes a tighter fit.)

Remember lawn darts? Its basically the same thing, you throw it and try and get it close to a target, draw a circle on the ground if that works for you.  But there's no point on it, so if they want they can play catch. or they can each make one and try to see who's flies better.  I'll make one every now and then when I get bored, they're fun to play with, just make sure they wash their hands before eating.


Ginette

I love those ideas JC and will use them the next time we go camping some place other then the faire grounds. 
Weddings & Events at Sherwood Forest Faire.
PR for life!

midnightferret

So, Ginette, did you decide on what to entertain your small person with at camp?

Ginette

I'm thinking card games, board games, coloring books, crayons, her IPod, and books.  But who knows what will get tossed in at the last minute.
Weddings & Events at Sherwood Forest Faire.
PR for life!

RenRobin

In years past we have broke out the glow sticks and bracelets/necklaces/ and any thing glow in the dark.  We found a glow in th dark squishy ball that lights up that they played hot potato with, the adults even joined in with that.  We set limits how far off they could wander and we could still see them with their glow suff on and told them to wear themselves out.  One rule was no one could take off their glow in the dark item, until they went into the tent to sleep. 

We also built up the anticipation for smores...1 hour till smores....30 minutes till smores...kids will keep themselves busy especially on AHE, playing tag and trying to out scare each other and of course trick or treating.

Pumpkin carving is another thing they can do, you also can toast the seeds if you want to do something with her too.
Loki-terr (in training)

Ginette

Pumpkin carving, now that sounds fun!!    :D
Weddings & Events at Sherwood Forest Faire.
PR for life!

RenRobin

Just remember to be courteous with where you get rid of the guts....some fool camping next to us last year left guts right next to our truck  :P so you could not help but step in them.  But knowing you, that is not something you would even do. ;D
Loki-terr (in training)