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Winter Camping in Florida....includes fun learning lessons

I'm thankful that my teen kids have flexible jobs that allow them to take the time off when we want to take a mini-vacation.  And because we homeschool high school, it makes it easier to take the time off from schoolwork, too.  So we went camping last weekend.  I know in most parts of the country you wouldn't even think of sleeping outside in a tent! Well, if it weren't because we had already planned this a few weeks ago with several other families, I may have chosen to stay home because it was soooo cold!! But my husband had already requested the time off work and he couldn't change it.  Oh, and have I mentioned we live in Florida?! Yes, I've lived here all my life.  So anything below 65 degrees is too cold for me. Well, it was as low as 34 degrees sleeping in our tent. Ahhhh!  It was not easy getting a full night's rest.  Even snuggled up close to my hubby, and with the kids' sleeping bags zipped up completely, we were freezing.  I think each of us slept with multiple pairs of socks on, gloves, and hats to keep our heads warm, and still we were cold.

I gotta tell you, though, we had soooo much fun. We went on hikes (yes, on flat ground), made s'mores, some went canoeing, and we took lots of pictures. My daughter and her cousin enjoy photography.  So they had fun taking some creative photographs on railroad tracks, abandoned boxcars, and some old shacks they found. They really impressed me with some of the photos they took.  My niece actually entered a photography contest with some of them and won several awards.

Some of my friends tease me that I love camping so much. I really love being out in nature. I love the night sky most of all.  We live in the city, so we don't get a nice open view of all the stars at home. One night one of the guys went to the store and purchased night sky lanterns for all the kids.  We had nine kids between all the families.  It was a little scary when after releasing one of the sky lanterns we noticed a hole on the side of it.  We were praying it would keep rising and not fall in the trees. Of course we had a lesson on the laws of physics, hot air being lighter than cold air and what makes the lanterns rise.  Well, thankfully all went well! The kids loved watching them rise together and separate in their soared in their own directions out of view.  The night sky was absolutely gorgeous.


Another reason I love camping is because the guys do everything! When we arrive at the campground, dad and the kids put the tents up.
Once the tent is up, I set up everything inside because I like to be organized and be able to find things easily. My son Noah is in charge of the fire and the husbands are in charge of the meals. Sometimes I wash the dishes, but this time the guys did that, too.  So it's really a vacation, especially from one of the things I like to do the least: cooking!  I also enjoy the little hikes we take through the trails. Samantha and I took several, just the two of us.  We talked about facts about animals we saw on the trails, like the alligators.  The week before we left her online science lessons online were on change in matter.  So every time she or I noticed a physical change in matter, we would point it out, like when my son was chopping wood, or when we made biscuits on a stick.
Noah chopping wood


Biscuits on a stick












Learning is just part of everyday life, isn't it?  I can't wait to go camping again!

4 comments:

  1. My kinda camping involves a thermostat and indoor plumbing, lol, but when I do cave and go with the guys, I would rather go in the winter than in the summer. I can bundle and bundle and bundle, but I can NEVER get cool in a tent in July. :)

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  2. I agree. Summer is way too hot...attracts the bugs. We have a nightmare story of camping in the summer...and ticks. Uggghhh!!

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  3. good review! I loved camping when I was younger and everything that goes with it from fishing to hiking, marvellous. Now I'm much older it would be cottage or RV holiday for me & i agree with you. Thank's for sharing.

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    1. I'm older and I still love camping. ;) I cannot imagine not loving it...well, only if there were bears! That thought scares me. But we've only gone camping in areas (Florida) with no bears.
      Thanks for leaving a comment! It's always nice to know my blog is getting visitors. It's humbling. :)

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