The best way to get started camping is to keep everything as simple as possible. Try pitching your Wenzel tent near your car at a site in a private campground or in a state or national park.

For your first trip, pick a spot within a few hours of home and plan on staying no more than a couple nights. Call the campground before you go and inquire if family programs and activities are offered, and if you can reserve a site. In many campgrounds the sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis - which means you may want to check in and select your camp site early rather than waiting until dark.

Campgrounds differ a lot in the amenities they offer. Some of the fancier ones even have water slides, horseback riding and kayaking equipment. Look for a campground which at least offers basics such as running water, flush--or at least pit--toilets, picnic Tables, grills and storage lockers (to keep the critters out). "Primitive" campgrounds are usually without running water and only have (at best) pit toilets. If you choose this no-frills approach to your outing, just be sure to bring along plenty of water for drinking, cooking and washing.

Free Camping Possibilities!
Free campgrounds have other benefits besides saving you money. They are usually found in peaceful and scenic settings. Some are located by lakes or rivers and offer numerous recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, or water-skiing. Here are some of the possibilities: >National Forests: You can legally camp anywhere on national forest land. Unfortunately much of the forest area is so dense that official camp sites are often hard to locate. Find any level spot on the edge of the campground. A map of the National Forest will show all the places you have to choose from!

Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs): The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) established nine LTVA's in 1983 in the California desert and along the lower Colorado River where visitors may camp for the entire winter. If you wish to stay in an LTVA you'll need to buy a long-term permit for $25 and pick a location in one of the designated areas. This permit lasts from October 1 to May 31st. You may move from one LTVA to another without paying additional user fees. Guests may stay with permit holders during the season at no charge.

City Parks: Many cities allow over-night (dry) camping in their parks. Check the local Chamber of Commerce or police station about free places to spend a night.

Car Games for Kids

Odd or Even - What are the chances?
Game for two players - Have each child guess if there are more license plates that end in an odd or even number. (plates that end in a letter do not count)

1. Give each child a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, or something to mark with.
2. Set a time limit, usually 10-15 minutes.
3. Have one child look for plates that end in an odd number, and the other look for an even number.
4. A tick mark or dash should be marked for each car they find. (For extra learning, have them group the marks in sets of 5)
5. At the end of the time limit, have the children add up their marks. (Counting by 5's if grouping was used)

I Spy
Pick out an object that everyone can see. Then give them a clue by saying, "I spy something ..." (Say its shape, color or size) The other players ask questions about what you see and you only answer with "yes" or "no". The first player who guesses right becomes the new spy.

A to Z
Have the contestant watch road signs for words beginning with the letter "A." After "A", go to "B", and so on. Can you get to "Z" and finish the alphabet? Alternate the starting person at the start of a new game, so everyone gets a chance with the challenging letters. (For younger players you may want to skip letters that seldom show up on signs such as "Q"," "X", and" Z.")

What did I bring on my trip?
You say, "I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing..." . The first player should name an item that starts with the letter "A". After "A" , the next player will say the same thing but with the letter "B", and so on.

Guess the number
Your child thinks of a number within a stated range and you try to guess the number by asking questions.For example: Your child says, I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 100. You ask: Is it more than 50? Your child: No. You: Is it an even number? Child: No. You: Can you divide this number into three equal parts? And so forth. After you have guessed the number, let your child guess a number that you are thinking of by asking similar questions.

By asking questions about numbers, your child develops an understanding of some concepts, characteristics and meanings of numbers. For example, this might be an opportunity to explain the difference between odd and even numbers.

License Plate
You call out the number on a license plate and see who can add up the numbers correctly. Ask, How did you do that? Another license plate game is to copy down the number on the plate. Ignore any letters and read the number out loud, for example: M663218 would be six hundred sixty-three thousand, two hundred eighteen.

Are We There Yet?
Try grappling with the Are we there yet? questions with a little diversionary questioning of your own. Ask your child questions about how far you're traveling. Yards? Miles? Kilometers? How fast are we going? If it's 3:15 now, and it takes us two hours to get there, what time will we arrive? How far have we gone?

Some other activities you might try while in transit are to have the kids watch for numbers on streets and buildings, phone numbers on the sides of trucks and other vehicles, dates on buildings, or business signs with numbers in them.