We used to go camping a lot. Car campers, we would take every creature comfort from home, and set up our tent next to the car. We would take day hikes each day, and cook over an open fire. To be honest, though, most of the time we all spent reading.
When my children were younger, I would prepare unit studies for them to read. Books on insects or trees, or stories of survival and outdoor living. I would read ahead all their school books for the coming year. Hey, when you’re reading ahead for their 6th grade year, it’s pretty easy! I’ll admit it gets MUCH more difficult when you are reading ahead for high school!
When my children were older, I would try to read ahead some of their school books that I didn’t already know, or the books I was not planning to read aloud to them. I could get some real quality “planning ahead” done that way!
When we went camping, whether my children were younger or older, we always brought with us a huge box of books to read. I would try to sneak in some really great reading that I knew they would love – using books from “reading lists for the college bound.” Reading “Call of the Wild” or “Mark Twain” is much more fun when you’re camping!
Remember to save all the book titles for your reading list. It doesn’t matter whether they read the books for school or for fun, when camping or in bed at night. All their books can be put on the reading list.
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Stephanie says:
Those memories sound wonderful! I love taking books on vacation, too. My husband laughs at me because I look like I’m moving in… only all of my bags are books and sewing or crochet! Seriously though, great reminder to keep a reading log!
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
J W says:
I had to laugh – “Hey, when you’re reading ahead for their 6th grade year, it’s pretty easy!”
There’s no possible way I could read ahead every single book my 6th grader has read so far this year and will read from now to the end of the year
All I can do is read the contraversial books like Harry Potter and the His Dark Materials trilogy, and trust that the horse training and care manuals don’t get too off color when it comes to stallion/mare relationships 
We did run into a little bit of problem on a book about Seabiscuit, so we simply discussed human nature and how sad it is that people will behave in the way they were behaving. Fortunately, that was only one small section of the book. I figure I’d learned far worse by 4th grade, so thoughtful discussion of the issue involved has to be better than crude playground jokes.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:32 am
Lee says:
I only managed to pre-read the assigned school books (Sonlight.) I didn’t read ahead the reading for pleasure books.
I wish I actually *had* read ahead on some of those books. It might have eliminated some problems. But like you, it wasn’t humanly possible to do it all.
Good lesson: you can’t do it all.
Blessings,
Lee
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:40 am