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Many people live in Lake Country because of the beauty of nature. But what do the kids think? According to a recent DNR study, the number of young people using state parks, fishing, hunting, or otherwise recreating in nature is shrinking each year. Over-scheduling and organized sports, along with the growing fascination with and dependence on technology, are some of the main reasons kids and their parents aren’t getting outdoors.
Do you remember the wonderful summer days of going to the family cabin, taking a bike ride to a nearby lake, having a picnic, or spending a weekend in a tent or camper in a state park? Those memories bring warmth to our souls and smiles to our faces. And that’s what we want our children and grandchildren to experience and remember, too.
So what’s to be done? It’s 6 p.m., dinner is done, the dishes are in the sink, and the sun is high above the horizon. Don’t turn on the TV. Instead, grab the kids and get outside. Here are some ideas of simple things a family can do on a warm summer evening.
Old-fashioned Games
Kids are used to hearing parents say, “Go outside and play,” but they’re not used to having parents play with them. So go outside and play games like you did as a kid. We played Kick the Can when I was young, but you may have known it as, “Olley olley oxenfree” or “Ghost in the Graveyard.” They’re all basically a version of hide and seek, but can provide thrills for all ages. If there are kids living in neighboring houses, invite them to join in. Make sure the neighbors don’t mind if you hide in, or run through, their yards. If you can’t use the neighborhood, go to the park. There are usually trees and playground equipment to hide behind. Whether you have a large or small area, the premise remains the same. One person is “It” and has a “home base” that everyone else has to try to reach without getting tagged. Whoever gets tagged first is the new “It.” This game involves stealth and offers great aerobic activity.
Wildlife Safari
Who says you have to go to Africa for a safari? There are great Wildlife Management Areas that can provide glimpses of wild creatures and early evening is often the best time to see the critters. The heat of the day is over and, like us, birds and mammals are more likely to be active. Bring along binoculars and field guides to help you spot and identify the birds you see. Mammals may be elusive—look for tracks in the mud or dirt to help you figure out who’s living nearby. Uppgaard Wildlife Area has 110 acres specifically designed to attract wildlife. At Chiarella Forest Management Area there is a good chance of seeing bluebirds along the meadow’s edge. Lowell Wildlife Management Area at Rice Lake has beavers, waterfowl, and reptiles. Pillsbury State Forest (Pillager) has an easy and short nature trail on the west side of Rock Lake. Both Ox and Loon Lakes in the Whitefish Chain (Crosslake) are known to have good wildlife-watching opportunities and Pelican Lake (Breezy Point) is a designated loon-nesting area. Lake Bemidji State Park has a quarter-mile-long boardwalk through a tamarack bog, where carnivorous plants, dragonflies, and warblers are known to lurk.
Backyard Campout
This is an especially good activity for younger kids. It can be just as exciting for them as going to a faraway park, because it isn’t their normal routine. If you don’t have a tent, borrow one from a friend or relative. Set it up with the kids, being sure to practice beforehand, because there’s nothing that could ruin the evening more than a frustrated parent wrestling with unfamiliar poles and fabric. Let the kids gather their bedding—sleeping bags if you have them—and any of their special bedtime toys or books. Give each child his or her own flashlight with new batteries. Plan to make s’mores—those indescribably sweet messes of gooey marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. (For quick and easy s’mores, use chocolate-covered graham crackers and skip the chocolate bars. These s’mores are easier for small hands to manage and there is less chocolate overload.) You can roast the marshmallows over coals, but if you gather wood and build an actual campfire in a firepit, it will make the experience more realistic. Assuming it’s a clear night, lie on the grass and stare up at the vast dome of blackness with the stars gazing back at you. Bone up on your astronomy beforehand, so you can point out the Big Dipper and Orion.
Treasure Hunts
Letterboxing is relatively new to the United States. Everyone loves a treasure hunt, especially these days, with pirates all the rage. Letterboxing began in England about 150 years ago and got started in the U.S. ten years ago, but it is growing rapidly as more people learn about it. It involves locating a hidden, waterproof box, which contains a notebook and a rubber stamp. As the letterbox hunter, you bring your own notebook, your own personal rubber stamp, and an ink pad. When you locate the box, open it, make your stamp mark inside the box’s journal and stamp in your journal, using the stamp in the box. Most of the clues are found on the Internet (www.letterboxing.org). A compass and a map may be needed for this hunt.
Geocaching, on the other hand, has more complicated clues and a GPS unit is often needed to pinpoint the actual cache. This means your teenager may be more intrigued with this activity because it involves technology that they can teach you. In geocaching, the box generally contains small items the owner placed there, as well as items others leave. If you take something from the cache, plan to add something. A journal records the name of the owner, others who have visited, and other miscellaneous information and observations. All caches are planted on places that are open to the public or have been given permission for others to access. Clues can be found on www.geocaching.com.
Miniature Golf
Play mini-golf, only don’t spend money on it—make a course in your own backyard. This might be especially appealing to the pre-teen and teenage members of the family. Challenge everyone to come up with one or two “holes,” with all the impediments and obstructions they can imagine and find in the house or yard. A little advance planning might be necessary, such as saving empty cans to use for catching the golf balls. You don’t need to dig holes in the lawn, just lay the cans on their sides. You may also have to borrow extra putting irons and round up small sheets of paper and little pencils. Each hole’s designer should give his or her creation a par. Half the fun of this activity is seeing what sort of course you end up with. Will there be ramps or water hazards or sharp corners to negotiate? You may not be able to fit nine “holes” in your yard, but you will find lots to laugh about as you attempt to make your way around.
Late-Night Special
Whether you’re camping out or not, there is a “show” that can only be seen once a year—this year it’s on August 11th. Tell the kids you’re going to see a “Meteor Movie,” because on this night, the dust leftover from Comet Swift-Tuttle burns through our atmosphere, creating streaks of light, sometimes called a meteor shower or shooting stars. City lights and a nearly full moon can make it harder to see them, but it’s worth a try. Sometimes there are as few as three or four an hour, but there can also be as many as hundreds per hour. The show doesn’t start until close to midnight, so it has the added enticement of staying up way past the normal bedtime hour.
Night Sounds
There are certain animals that only become vocal at dawn and dusk—they are known as crepuscular. Some, like owls, are just heard at night. As you spend time outdoors in the evening, pay attention to the different sounds you hear. Depending on the habitat, you might hear the following. See if you can match the animal to the description of the sound it makes.
A. Nighthawks
B. Loons
C. Coyotes
D. Crickets
E. Tree Frogs
F. Owls
1. hooting
2. chirping
3. peenting
4. trilling
5. yipping
6. wailing
Answers can be found at the bottom of the story.
Casting Tracks
Tracks are the prints left behind by animals as they roam about. They can make fun souvenirs, but to bring a track home you must make a plaster cast of it. Buy Plaster of Paris and bring along a small plastic dish (an empty whipped topping container works well), a cardboard strip (1.5” wide), a paper clip, and some water. You can bring a spoon to stir the mixture, but sticks work fine. A former curator of the science museum says to put the plaster in first, then add water until it stands one-quarter-inch above the powder, then mix until it is about the consistency of pancake batter. Tap the bowl on the ground to remove any bubbles. Use the cardboard to make a ring around the track, pressing it into the soil around the track; use the paper clip to hold it together. Then carefully pour the mixture into the circle of cardboard, letting it run into the track. It’s okay if it spreads out. The deeper the track, the better.
Wait thirty minutes or more for it to set. This might be a good time to continue your hike. When you return, touch the cast to see if it feels hard. If so, carefully remove the cardboard and then dig around the edges and under it a bit. Do not pry it up. Wrap it up in newspaper and take home to finish drying. Any dirt or sand on the bottom can be brushed off later.
Park Links
Uppgaard Wildlife Management Area, Pillsbury State Forest, and Bemidji State Park: www.dnr.state.mn.us. Click on Destinations and a drop-down menu indicates WMA, State Forest or State Park.
Chiarella Forest Managment Area and Lowell Wildlife Management Area: www.paulbunyanscenicbyway.org. Click on Scenic Byway Photo Tour and choose CSAH#11.
Answers:
A-3, B-6, C-5, D-2, E-4, F-1
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