Holiday Traveling

Holiday traveling in an RV is especially fun when kids are involved. There's something essentially magical about camping trips. For many kids, it's the first time they sing around a campfire--or even learn to build a fire. The first time a scary story is heard in the woods. The first time they hold a marshmallow skewered stick.

You don't have to be a camp scout leader to know how to show kids a good time on the road. Just planning a couple of fun activities will often start the ball rolling. Sometimes it just takes a little brainstorming to get get your creative juices flowing with dozens of great ideas.

I Want Some More S'More's!

Campfire cooking is just fun. Roasting marshmallows and hotdogs over an open flame may not be nutritionally complete, but it sure is a blast. And there are lots of fun recipes available that let kids, and grownups, get creative with campfire cooking. Even kids that never even pick up a can opener at home might enjoy making individual pineapple cakes in tuna fish cans, pasta cooked in red-pepper cups, or roasting a turkey on an outdoor grill.

Activities around the campfire at night often make for the most long lasting memories. Of course, what the family does during the day is important, as well. It's the special nights, however, that cause children to fall in love with camping. Bring along a book or two of good scary stories. Maybe let the kids pick out a favorite story of their own to tell around the fire after dark. Or, if you or someone in your family is musically inclined, you might consider grabbing a couple of American songbooks, with full lyrics, so everyone can sing together. Pick up a couple of harmonicas, maybe a small drum, or a tambourine. Music and storytelling under the stars, with sticky marshmallow fingers, are powerful ingredients to spark a child's imagination for life.