Let’s go camping

Camping is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family or friends. And most places, you can do it without having to go too far from home. You can even do it in your own backyard.

Kinds of camping

When most people think about camping, they think about a tent in the woods.

But people camp in all kinds of places, with all kinds of shelter. Some people like to camp on the beach. Some opt to sleep in their vehicles or even get recreational vehicles with built-in bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. The most important thing is that you spend time outdoors and enjoy nature. Unless, of course, you build a blanket tent and camp in your living room — that’s fun, too!

Safety and supplies

If you’ve ever gone hiking or camping, you know the most important thing is to have the supplies you need to stay safe. Here are just a few of the things you’ll need:

• Sturdy shoes and extra socks so you’ll always have dry ones

• A flashlight and extra batteries

• A first-aid kit

• Plenty of food and water and a secure place to put it

• A sleeping bag or other bedding

• Bug spray

Research where you’ll be ahead of time to know exactly what you need to take with you. If you’ll be swimming, you’ll need some good water shoes. If you’ll have to cook over a fire, you’ll need to bring food and utensils that make campfire cooking easier. If you hike to a camping spot, you’ll also need a good backpack to carry all of your things, including your tent.

Someone in your group should have a phone and a way to charge it so you can call for help or look up your location on a map, but keep the phone off when you don’t need it. Spend your time together enjoying each other’s company.

Things to do

Besides hiking, swimming and other daytime activities, there’s a lot of outdoor fun to be had when you’re camping, even after dark. A campfire can keep you warm, cook your food and be a fun spot to tell scary stories. If you’re out in the wilderness, you might be able to do some stargazing and spot some constellations or even shooting stars. And even though you’ll need to watch out for animals that come to steal your food (like raccoons) or that could hurt you (like poisonous snakes) you might see a cool new creature that you’ve never seen before.