Camping by Fun For Kidz

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Answers on page 30

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Activities: 4 Sleeping Under the Stars Puzzles: 2, 12, 13 6 Build a Campfire Campfire Cooking: 14, 16 8 Campfire Visitor Science: 25 9 Visiting the Grand Canyon Riddles & Rhymes: 29 10 Next Time Puzzle Solutions: 30 17 Never Fry Bacon in Bear Country 18 10 Great Facts About the Great Outdoors 20 Staying Dry in the Rain 21 Say Yes to Yellowstone 22 Camping with Everything from A to Z 24 Who Moved the Street Sign? 26 National Park Adventures 28 Max & Gracie

by Marcia Aaby • illustration by Rebecca Spohn

One of the best parts about camping – especially if you live in a big city – is being able to see the night sky. Now is your chance to see a deep velvety-black sky, millions of sparkling stars, a glowing moon, and, sometimes, the surprise of a falling star.

What You Will Need: ♦♦ a clear night

♦♦ a flashlight to walk safely in the dark ♦♦ an adult’s permission ♦♦ a blanket or lawn chair ♦♦ an open space free of buildings, trees, or bright lights

What to Do:

1. Set up your blanket or chair. 2. Lie on your back. 3. Get comfortable. 4. Look up!

When you first look at the stars overhead, they look like sparkly diamonds on a black carpet. If you look longer, you will see the stars appear in shapes and patterns. These are called constellations. Constellations were discovered and named by sky watchers like you a long time ago. They connected the dots and named the constellations after people, animals, and objects from famous stories.

Here are two constellations that are easily seen. THE BIG DIPPER These seven stars are very bright and really do look like a water dipper. Besides being easy to find and fun to look at, it points the way to the northern star, called Polaris. This is the closest star to the North Pole. The two outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper always point to Polaris. This constellation is used by seafarers and outdoorsmen to tell them what direction is north. It’s like a compass in the sky!

But while you are lying on your blanket or chair, you can also make up your own constellations. There are millions of stars and hundreds of ways to see them. Here is a sky watcher game to play:

Connect the star dots in the sky to make a person, animal, or object. ♦♦ Name your constellation. ♦♦ Make up a story about your constellation. ♦♦ Trade stories with your fellow stargazers. If the moon is out, take time to look at it too. Did you know what looks like a face is really mountains and valleys on the moon’s surface? The moon glows, but it doesn’t have its own light. The light we see is the sun’s light reflecting off the moon’s surface. Falling stars are meteors, or rocks, falling from space. When they hit Earth’s atmosphere, the friction makes them burn and glow. We see them as white streaks across the sky. Most meteors burn up before they get anywhere near Earth’s surface. Many people make a wish if they see a falling star.

CASSIOPEIA Not very far from the Big Dipper, you will see five bright stars that form a sideways “W.” This is the constellation Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is named after a queen in Greek myths. Can you see her sitting on her throne, circling the night sky? Learning the constellations is a fun family project. There are many books at your library that explain the mysteries of the night sky.

by Cindy Davis Building a fantastic campfire is simple. There are only two things you need to bring from home. One is a butane lighter, which your parents will probably already be bringing. The other item is newspaper. Bring one sheet for each fire you plan to build. At camp, gather up some dry wood. First, get the smallest, driest twigs you can find. They will make a snapping noise when you break them. Get two or three handfuls. Then, get slightly larger twigs. A couple of handfuls should be enough. Gather slightly larger and larger sticks and pieces of dead wood. You’ll need 6-12 logs for an evening’s fire. A little more is needed if you plan to cook over it too. Get as much wood as you can so that after dark, when the fire starts to die out, you aren’t forced to feel your way through the woods searching for the best wood. Most states don’t allow campers to bring in their own firewood. Treekilling insects and diseases can be present in the wood. To protect the woods and forests, buy larger pieces of firewood at your campsite or from nearby stores.

Dry, split wood catches fire and burns faster.

After You Have Gathered Firewood: 1. Clear the fireplace or ring where you’re going to build your fire, leaving about an inch of old ashes. If there isn’t some there already, you’ll need to collect a large number of rocks and make a large circle. Dig out the center slightly and lay two or three 12” long x 2” pieces of wood about an inch away from each other. (See illustration 1.) This is to provide air circulation underneath.

2. Tear a sheet of newspaper into strips, and lay them across each other fanning out from the center. (See illustration 2.) 3. Across the top of the newspaper, make a tepee of the smallest twigs. (See illustration 3.) 4. Add about 12 slightly larger sticks to the tepee. Then add a few more, slightly larger than the first. (See illustration 4.) 5. Keeping your face away from the tepee of sticks, put the tip of the lighter near a sheet of newspaper close to the back of your fireplace. Pull the trigger and light the paper starting at number 1. Light the paper from the back to the front so you don’t get burned. (See illustration 5.) 6. If the fire has trouble getting going, fan it with your hands or a leafy branch. As the fire burns through the twigs, carefully add larger and larger pieces of wood, laying them across the top. You don’t need to do tepee fashion anymore. Don’t pile the pieces on all at once. Let them begin to burn before you put more on. Make sure air can get in around each one.

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Now strip the branches and leaves from a long stick, push a marshmallow or hot dog on the end, and toast away!

NEVER put your face near the fire. Hold only the end of the stick of wood. If it doesn’t stay where you put it, move it around with another piece of wood. Never use your hands. NEVER use lighter fluids of other liquids to start your fire. If it’s been raining a lot before your trip, it can’t hurt to bring dry twigs, sticks, and firewood (but don’t transport firewood a long distance or across state lines.)

by Eric R. Ode illustrated by Shannon Comins

We gather ‘round the fire In the shadows of the trees, The silver moon above us And a softly whispered breeze. My father tells us stories That can set our hair on end, Scary tales that happened To an uncle’s neighbor’s friend. Deeper in the forest, Underneath the silver moon, Atop a low and mossy stump, I spy a young raccoon. His eyes reflect the fire Like a flash of dancing birds, As silently he listens To my father’s solemn words. And later as the fire Slowly settles to a spark, I watch him slip away again, This creature of the dark. Perhaps he will be wide awake At break of morning light, In much the way I’m certain I won’t sleep a wink tonight.

by Shirley Anne Ramaley

Is the Grand Canyon a good place for girls and boys to visit? You bet it is! There are plenty of things to do in this beautiful national park, like going camping and hiking and taking pictures with your camera. Located in the state of Arizona, the Grand Canyon is often called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is huge! The canyon measures 18 miles wide and 277 miles long. The park includes over one million acres of land. That’s hard to imagine. It is one of the most popular places in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a National Monument in 1908, over 100 years ago. It became a National Park in 1919.

There are three main sections: the South Rim, the North Rim, and the Inner Canyon. The South Rim is visited most often because it is open to the public all year long. People can camp there in every season. Even your pets are welcome as long as they are always on a leash and never left alone. The North Rim is more difficult to get to and is closed in winter, but it also is a great place to visit. People camp there during the open season. The Inner Canyon is located below the rim of the Grand Canyon. Hikers often go there, as well as people riding on mules and in river boats. Very few people have seen the entire canyon. It’s just too big. But

when you walk a trail along the top of the canyon and look down, you’ll be amazed at how far you can see. The canyon seems to go on forever. At the campgrounds, the park rangers often give talks. People sit around a circle together, frequently in the evening, and learn about the Grand Canyon as stars cover the skies. The visitor centers are always good to visit. You can learn a lot about the canyon and look at the exhibits. Walking the trails – and many are easy – is lots of fun and very good for taking photos. There’s nothing more fun than staying in one of the Grand Canyon campgrounds with your family.