Adventuring with Grandchildren
by Frances Warden
When my first grandchild was born, I had no idea what a magical time of life I was about to enter. When I first saw him through the nursery window, he was twisting his little body around, wide-eyed, trying to see over his own shoulder. One hour old, and already he was full of the spirit of exploration!
I soon learned that grandchildren—through their curiosity, creativity, and uninhibited love for life—are in a unique position to rekindle their grandparents’ dormant curiosity, creativity, and love for life. They notice things that we, as adults, have often tuned out for years. For instance, my one-year-old grandson is fascinated by birds. He is as excited about finding a bird in the backyard as I would be about an exotic zoo animal. When I am with Jacob, I notice seagulls and robins. The world is a richer place for me.
The outdoors is one of the few places where children can expend their boundless energy without fear of breaking something, messing something up, or being told to quiet down. Camping and adventuring with our grandchildren can be the ultimate win-win situation. They get to explore the world, spend time with people they love, and run around in the fresh air and sunshine. We get to do the same. Even those of us who might otherwise sit at home and watch TV will find joy and a fresh view of the world when we share in fleeting moments of exuberant childhood.
Keep it Simple
Planning an outdoor adventure with children might seem overwhelming at first, but remember that a destination doesn’t have to be exotic or distant. Children will find something to explore almost anywhere out-of-doors. If you stop beside the highway to stretch and change drivers, they will soon be exploring boulders on the hillside and chasing lizards. Nature adventures with our grandchildren become magical when we remove ourselves from outside distractions and competing demands on our time. Being with them can rekindle our willingness to look at the world with wonder.
Recently my son’s family and I took a trip to Flaming Gorge. We had made reservations in Manilla by phone, sight unseen. When we pulled up to the motel, we saw a long, low, unbeautiful building, which appeared desperately to need a coat of paint. The three adults of the party looked at one another and rolled our eyes.
The children, however, were uncritical and enthusiastic, and we all soon realized that we had discovered an unexpected treasure. A little roofed porch, graced with a couple of tables and some folding chairs, ran along the front of the building. We began by eating breakfast there. We noticed how quiet and peaceful the little town was, and we wandered around together, exploring the ancient rodeo buildings, feeling strangely calm in the clear air and stillness. We came back and sat on the porch again, and the longer we sat there, the more relaxed we became. During a sudden thunderstorm, we listened together to the sound of the rain on the metal roof. When night came, we played board games and looked at the stars and listened to the crickets chirp. We found a closeness and peace in that unlikely setting that we will never forget. Without our grandchildren’s open-minded exploration of what appeared to be just another dumpy motel, we might have missed this memorable experience.
Leave the iPods at Home
Another thing to consider when taking grandchildren on adventures is leaving the electronic gadgetry behind. Children need to get unplugged as often as possible from the world of constant noise and entertainment in which we live—iPods, video games, TVs, radios, and computers. As they leave these distractions behind, our grandchildren will begin to interact more and be more aware of nature’s intrigue.
They may also learn to be more active participants in their own entertainment. Try bringing along a harmonica or a guitar, a football, or a pack of cards. Unpressured, unstructured time spent together is remarkably healing, and children will often open up and talk unexpectedly when you are alone together, something virtually impossible in the press and background static of everyday life.
Be Ready to Learn
When one takes the time, it’s easy to see that the world truly is full of wonderful things. When you are out in nature, observe, and encourage your grandchildren to do the same. You might bring books on identifying constellations, trees, flowers, birds, bugs, snakes, or rocks in the areas you visit. History books that bring the cities to life as you pass through or stay in them can also be helpful. On a recent trip to Grandaddy Lake, we brought a topographical map of the region and taught the grandchildren how to read it.
You might use Google Earth to see details of the areas you visit from a satellite point of view before you start on the trip. While there, you might teach children about cloud formations, geological formations, and changes in the patterns of wild flowers and trees as you pass from one mini-ecosystem to the next.
Finally, watch for points of interest—not only those that everyone visits, but others that are often passed by. Even the most apparently desolate parts of the state have unexpected treasures. In the western desert, if you follow the old Pony Express trail, you are likely to spot wild antelope, wild mustangs, and golden eagles. Be flexible, and follow up on interesting distractions.
Encourage Children’s Interests
On your trips, take the time to quench each grandchild’s innate curiosities. Ask them what kinds of things they are interested in, or where they would like to go on the next trip, and then plan special trips around their interests. If children love dinosaurs, consider the dinosaur footprints near St. George, or the dinosaur museum in Vernal. If they like birds, some of the richest diversity of species in the state can be found along the southern marshes of the Great Salt Lake. If they are interested in rocks, the Geode beds near Dugway, Topaz Mountain, or the Petrified Forest near Escalante will fascinate them. If archeology interests them, try taking them to Nine Mile Canyon to see the petroglyphs. For budding astronomers, there is no better place than the high desert for stargazing. One of my most vivid memories as a child is of lying beside my grandfather, looking up at the night sky at shooting stars.
To preserve these memories, you might help grandchildren plan and make scrapbooks of your trips together. You might buy them small journals, and encourage them to write down each evening what they remember about that day. Disposable cameras are an inexpensive and wonderful way to encourage them to take pictures. Let them have their own maps and mark the routes or trails you take. Encourage them to choose postcards, information brochures, or other “scrapbookable” items from gift shops, museums, or other stops.
Be Safe
As wonderful as these nature experiences sound, they are only as good as your preparation! A lightweight, water-resistant jacket tied around the waist in case of inclement weather is a good idea no matter the age of the child. In addition, supply each child with a fanny pack, containing at least a whistle, small flashlight, mylar “space” blanket or sleeping bag, and water. Depending on the age of the child and the circumstances, your emergency kit might also include such things as an energy bar, mirror, and bright piece of cloth (for signaling), water purification pills, matches, necessary medications, a first-aid kit, a bandana, a small container of sunscreen and mosquito repellent, a compass, a map, a small knife, and any other survival items you think might be useful. This kind of preparation, in addition to keeping your precious ones safe, also allows for another rich learning experience; as you teach children how to respect and live safely in the wilderness, the more they will come to appreciate it.
Leave a Legacy
There are so many good reasons to take children camping and exploring, but perhaps the most important is the legacy you leave. When you think of your own childhood, what memories do you have of your grandparents? I remember that on hot summer afternoons, my sister, my cousins, my grandparents, and I would drive up the canyon. We would put a watermelon in the creek to chill. We would roast hot dogs, drink root beer floats (I can still see the dry ice steaming as Grandpa opened the lid), build a fire, and get melted marshmallows on our clothes and dirt in our hair. As we drove back home through the night, we would all sing, “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” together. Finally, we would fall asleep to the sound of my grandfather singing softly the Hawaiian songs that he loved. My grandparents may be gone now, but the memories we made together remain with me forever.