"Gramping"

Were you aware there's a new term out there? Yes, it's "gramping," and it means grandparents camping with their grandchildren. Not sure I like the word--but I sure like the concept! And it's SPRING, y'all! Let's go GRAMPING!

Last spring my friend Gail went camping with her grandchildren. They did the cutest, kid-friendly activities (see above photo for a sample--playing with glow-in-the-dark balloons), so I HAD to ask her to share this experience in my blog. Here's Gail~

"Growing up as a young family, my daughter, my husband, and I enjoyed camping. We started our tent camp outings at state parks because as rookies, we felt safe and comfortable. We love running water, electricity and restrooms! Camping afforded us the opportunity to slow down, unwind and get reacquainted. Other benefits that my family of three enjoyed: being outside, learning about nature, and playing together. Bottom line--we were making memories. Now. . .fast forward a few decades. . .

I had the pleasure of tagging along with my daughter, my two grandchildren, and a group of friends on an overnight campout last March. It was the first time in many years that we had 'tent' camped. My grands were only two and four years old on their inaugural camping trip, and we all had a blast!

Playing ladder ball.

Rise and shine and get your face washed for a day of more camping fun!

Catching butterflies!

Success! I got it put together!

Have some quiet activities planned too.

Keep the little guys busy while you cook.

More from Gail~

"A lot of fun was packed into two days and one very cold night tent camping at Lake Georgetown. One of the biggest 'hits' of the weekend was the glow-in-the-dark balloons, bracelets and sticks. This was not my idea, but it was a good one. A friend got them at Walmart (probably a seasonal item). Here's the list of things we did:

• Hiked
• Chased and caught butterflies
• Cooked outdoors
• Watched the deer
• Played ladder ball
• Enjoyed the campfire in the evenings
• Roasted marshmallows
• Told favorite stories
• Sang camp songs
• Relaxed in hammocks
• Worked puzzles
• Explored the outdoors

You get the idea--we simply enjoyed each other's company. And the best part? MAKING MEMORIES, of course!"

A balloon creature after dark!

Mother and child--can you see them?

Gramma Gail herself--also known as Gigi.

Don't you know they slept soundly that night after a hard day of play in the great outdoors!

I'm guessing all you need to go gramping is a weekend. That's probably all the little guys can handle, and I'm guessing that may be all the grandparents can handle as well. But what fun! Let's all give camping with our grands a try. And as I always say, if you've already gone on camping trips with your grandchildren, please share activities and PHOTOS. We'd love to see them!

Happy Spring, Everybody!

P. S. And thanks, Gail, for this fun blog post!

Final note: All butterflies captured were gently released back to nature.