FutureCamping Video Blog

Use this checklist as a guide to the materials and conditions you should have for a boating trip. Your needs will vary depending on the type of boat, the water you will be in, and the activities planned. Add to the list as needed.

• Full fuel tank(s)
• Bell or whistle or horn, as required
• Working lights, as required
• At least one working flashlight
• Completed safety check for leaks, boat plug in
• Fuel lines and tank checked for leaks
• Suitable weather and water conditions
• Properly stored and secured gear and supplies
• A Coast Guard approved, wearable PFD that is properly sized and in good condition for each person on board. On boats 16 feet and over, an additional throwable device is required.
• Approved, full-charge fire extinguisher(s) for motorboats
• Paddles or oars
• The boat's Certificate of Number LI Anchor and anchor line LI Tool kit and spare parts
• Any needed charts, tide tables, current tables, navigation equipment
• Boat shoes on all deck hands
• Motor in good operating condition
• Propeller in good condition with lower unit free of weeds and debris
• Passengers seated and briefed on emergency procedures; their PFDs checked for fit
• Your boating plans known by a responsible person ashore

What you take with you on your camping trip will depend on where you're going and how long you plan to be away. We all think of the obvious gear we need to go camping, but remember to take these essentials to make your trip safer and more comfortable.

Backcountry camping

• Plenty of water (and purification tablets or filters for the backcountry)
• Small first aid kit (bandages for blisters)
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellant
• Basic survival kit with matches, signal mirror, etc.
• High energy food
• A whistle
• Rain gear and other seasonal weather clothing

There are many health and lifestyle benefits of physical activity for older adults. People with an active lifestyle feel healthier and have an improved sense of well being. Beside feeling better, physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, colon cancer and diabetes.

Activity ideas for older adults

There are hundreds of enjoyable physical activities you can do.

The trick is to find ones that appeal to you. As a starting point, here are some of the most popular and readily available forms of exercise for older adults.

• Walking is the most natural exercise of all and fits in with almost everyone's lifestyle.
• Gentle exercise classes provide great opportunities for social interaction and support.
• Swimming is a good all round exercise and a great way to get fit.
• Aqua aerobics is a group exercise class done in water and is very popular with older adults.
• Golf is very good for stamina and leg strength if played regularly.
• Weight training helps to keep bones and muscles strong.
• Tai Chi is a martial arts form of exercise combining a physical workout, relaxation and skilled learning.
• Gardening provides hours of enjoyment while improving your strength, flexibility and suppleness.

The human body needs water continuously. Be sure to keep hydrated during summer activities.

Don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink water; the human body needs fluids on a regular basis. An adult should drink about two liters of water each day (that's about eight, 8-ounce glasses) to stay hydrated. In extreme temperatures, two to four 8-ounce glasses of fluid an hour will help keep you hydrated and decrease the risks for heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Dehydration occurs when the body loses water faster than it should. During times of extreme heat or extreme exertion, be alert for signs of dehydration. Symptoms include a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up. Young children and babies show similar symptoms if dehydrated; additionally, a dehydrated child may cry without tears and exhibit unusual drowsiness or fussiness.

Outdoor Activities And Thirst

Sometimes it's easy to underestimate the weather and think that you won't become too hot during a walk to the bus stop or a jog around the track. But during most summer days, you need a bottle of water on the sidelines when you and your family or friends are running around playing soccer, chasing Frisbees, or mowing the lawn. Whatever your outdoor activity, have water on hand to satisfy your thirst and decrease the chances of dehydration.

Wondering how to quench your thirst? Drink water! Avoid beverages with alcohol and drinks high in sugar since they don't fight dehydration and can make symptoms worse. Stay away from caffeinated and carbonated beverages when you feel thirsty. Sports drinks may be appropriate when you're physically active but remember that they have high levels of sugar, salt, and potassium.

Drinking Water And Camping And Hiking Trips

If you're enjoying the great outdoors on a hiking or camping trip, you have options: bring drinking water with you or be prepared to purify your own water from a lake, stream, or river. If you plan on drinking water from a natural source, be sure to boil or filter and chemically treat the water (for general guidelines, see "Treatment of Drinking Water"). Even though fresh water from a stream or river looks clean, it may contain germs that can make you sick. If you're planning a day trip hiking through the woods, bring drinking water with you. It's a great way to keep hydrated and is easy to carry. Be sure to have enough drinking water on hand to keep everyone in your group hydrated.

Keep Hydrated; Keep Safe

Playing ball, hiking a trail, or flying to a distant land, you'll need water to drink. Wherever you get your drinking water (a private well, a public water system, or a stream next to your camping site), it's important to know that it's clean, because clean means free of germs that can cause water-related illnesses. Take the necessary precautions before you drink: check with your water supplier and make sure it is following the state standards concerning clean water, drink commercially-bottled water if reliable safe tap water is unavailable, and purify water from a lake, river, or stream.

For some children, going away to camp is an exciting adventure to look forward to and they just cannot wait! For others, the thought of being away from home presents more of a challenge.

Their fears might seem trivial to adults, but to a child these are very real. Will I be sad because I miss Mum and Dad too much? What will the food be like? Will the other kids like me? Will it be scary? Who is going to look after me if I'm sick or unhappy?

"A Kids Holiday Camp at one of our Centres is a tremendous opportunity for children," says Robert Ridley from NSW Sport and Recreation. "Coming to camp is in many ways a rite of passage, a chance to take steps into the bigger world. Going to camp is a great way for kids to build independence, develop self-esteem, learn about teamwork, make new friends and try different activities and experiences."

Qualified holiday staff are able to help kids discover hidden talents or aptitudes which often lead to positive life-changing experiences that affect all areas of their lives. Children receive the best instruction and supervision when they take part in fun, adventurous activities such as canoeing or abseiling. Most importantly, they are properly cared for and supported at all other times during the camp. The welfare of campers is paramount.

"To do this, our highly trained instructors deliver the adventurous activities, while our camp counsellors, who are the constant companions of campers, provide the social, emotional and physical support that helps kids to feel relaxed, safe and accepted for their whole stay at camp," says Mr Ridley.

From mealtimes to activities and with their fellow campers in their dormitories, Camp Counsellors are looking after the wellbeing of the group and the individuals that make up the group. They are the child's go to person when at camp. Their role is to make sure that children feel safe within the group.

For example, some parents worry about homesickness and how their child will cope without them. Robert Ridley says staff at NSW Sport and Recreation Centres are trained to recognise the symptoms and intervene with a range of measures to make sure the child is treated respectfully and with empathy.

"We know that being homesick is a very natural feeling. Unfortunately many children think homesickness is a weakness, something to be ashamed of," says Mr Ridley. "It's not something we dismiss lightly and every situation requires careful and considerate management. When children realise that their friends feel or have felt the same way, it helps them understand what a natural thing homesickness is. You mean you get homesick too? Many children find this to be a huge relief and are then able to focus more on the positive and enjoyable activities camp offers."

To help a child prepare for camp, it's a good idea for parents and carers to talk to them about their expectations, fears, and how they feel about being away from home. Sending a child to camp with a friend with whom they can share their experiences is another possibility.

Wildlife viewing opportunities are everywhere and include a variety of animals, some as common as a hummingbird at a backyard feeder, some passing through only briefly on their seasonal migrations, and others so rare that dedicated watchers spend hours just to catch a glimpse.

Watching wildlife is a lifelong learning experience. It can begin at any age and everyone can participate.

Arizona provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the nation, with more than 900 animal species and 50 million public acres of natural land to explore. So, you are bound to witness some spectacular sights in Arizona's varied landscapes if you know where and when to look, what to look for, and how to look for wildlife in any givenhabitat.

What is wildlife viewing?

Wildlife viewing is the activity of watching and enjoying wildlife species in their natural environment. The activity may be as simple as observing a backyard bird feeder, or as adventurous as a moonlit hike through a canyon to watch nocturnal animals scurry about under the cover of dark. It is also called watchable wildlife.

Why watch wildlife?

• It can provide a fun and inexpensive activity for the entire family to enjoy together.
• It is a relaxing experience that provides a reconnection to nature.
• Observers can gain a better understanding of how wildlife acts in their natural environment, including how they forage for food, where they live and their interactions with other wildlife.
• Seeing wildlife can leave a viewer with a positive, unforgettable, and personal experience that they will recall for years to come.
• Wildlife viewing experiences can help inspire conservation efforts to benefit wildlife.
• Wildlife viewing provided more than $825 million in 2006 to Arizona and its communities.
• It benefits wildlife through a heightened public awareness of the value of wildlife and habitat, and the need to conserve irreplaceable assets.

Each All-day Middle School Camp has a unique and exciting twist this summer. Please read the description under each camp to select the one that best suits your child's interests. Participants from all of the Middle School Camps swim multiple times a week at the Water Park at Bohrer Park and occasionally participate in fun activities together. Each middle school camp features different off-site field trips, although the actual field trips have yet to be confirmed. Please note that field trips vary according to session and may not be scheduled every week. There are no additional fees for field trips.

Activities offer opportunities for all children to grow and develop their own expressions. The activities, both group and individual can change the perceptions of the parent toward the child and a child's perception of who they are. With the change of perception comes a change in the developing story of the child. The expressions of children can show themselves when given the opportunity through art, physical activity, reading, journaling, and even photography. These activities provide the outlet of expression not always possible in words and emotions. There are a great number of activities and the challenge is narrowing the list to just the most enjoyable.

Summer Camp allows children to learn and play in a healthy, secure, and friendly environment. Some of the questions a parent should ask when looking for a camp that has been permitted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are:

• Is summer camp what I really want for my child?
• Do I want it to be close to home or work?
• Do the hours fit my schedule?
• Would I feel comfortable leaving my child there?
• Can I afford it?

Parents will answer these questions differently according to their situation and the needs of their child. However, there are some basics things that all parents should look for in a camp. The following document, prepared by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation, tells you what some of those things are and suggests how you can find them.

Getting Started

• Ask the operator of the camp you are interested in if he or she has applied for a permit from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
• Get referrals from other parents, friends or relatives who have had experience with a particular camp.
• Use this website or request a copy of the Department's summer camp directory to find a conveniently located camp.
• Visit different campsites and speak with different camp directors to determine which one most closely meets your child's needs.
• Choose a program that fosters a healthy and safe environment, while providing a variety of recreational activities.