Customs and Traditions Bring Family Together

[JAM'S MOM]

Just wondering what traditions families have that bring them together while camping - just everyday family customs. Memories are made around the everyday stuff that is described by "that's how we always do it".

When camping at the Fort, our customs are simple but important to our routine. We start the day having breakfast outside at the picnic table and together we plan the day's events. At the end of the day, we go to the beach to watch the fireworks. The kids run around until the fireworks start and then they cuddle up with Mom and Dad. The kids count on these two events to start and end the day.

When I recall my childhood camping memories, there were customs we could count on. My Mom and I always did the dishes together while my Dad and brothers found firewood. The campfire was the site for creating ghost stories while drinking hot chocolate. We knew we were settled in for the night with our family and it made everything right in our world! I always smile remembering the campfire and that we each had a special colored mug for our hot chocolate and we could add marshmallows by spooning them from a special green and black container, used solely for the campfire marshmallows.

Anybody else have any family customs that bring the family together?

Happy Camping!!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

A big breakfast at the picnic table is always the way we start the day. No matter what happens or who goes where that day we all gather for the first meal.

 

[4daubers]

One of the reasons we love camping is that it lends itself to creating great traditions and family customs. We're fortunate that our teens still love to go camping with us and still want traditions.

And isn't true that it's the simple things that become the biggest traditions? Late night campfires with parents talking and kids winding down. We camp frequently with another family and spend every Thanksgiving, Spring Break and Summer trip together. One our first trip, all the kids wants s'mores. We had marshmallows but no graham crackers or Hershey's chocolate. The other mom brought out chocolate chip cookies to use instead. It worked great and it is still our s'mores tradition. Campfire time is still important for both families and we've watched all the kids, as they grow up, graduate .from the small cartoon character camping chairs...to the big ones declaring loyality to a team or activity. All bring their chairs nightly for camp fire. We thought they would stay in the campers watching TV but they don't.

One a trip several years ago, an older family befriended my son and interested him in bird watching. They were park volunteers and had established a delightful bird sanctuary at a state park. Before long, we were all bird watching. My son's interest has lessened but bird watching has become a camping must do especially for DH and myself.

My family likes to play gin and dominoes (42) while meals are being prepared.

For our long trips, my family still gets a kick out of checking license plates from other states. Each member has a blank US Map and as sappy as it sounds, it's a goal to get all 50 states. My kids aren't geeks either.

First night arrival meal is usually tacos. That began years ago on a long trip when we were dragging in for a fast overnight stay to move on early the next morning.

Using the "Disney" dishes for all meals while at WDW. We also have some plastic disney forks from a trip 10 years ago that still get used.

Taking loop walks to see the camp lights...hearing laughter from other camp sites.

This could go on forever!

 

[Shannone1]

Anybody else have any family customs that bring the family together?

Happy Camping!!

Every night at dinner we do our "best and worst". We take turns telling the best thing and the worst thing that happened to us that day. During the school year it is a great way to find out what is happening with the kids at school. When people come visit, they join in too.

 

[swillis]

Every night at dinner we do our "best and worst". We take turns telling the best thing and the worst thing that happened to us that day. During the school year it is a great way to find out what is happening with the kids at school. When people come visit, they join in too.

We do this in our family each night at dinner too! It's a great tool to get the preteens talking about things they might not have brought up otherwise.

 

[Colson39]

When I was young, our parents used to always take us in the boat over to the Contemporary, and leave us for a couple hours to waste away our youth in the arcade.

Now, almost every night we take a trip to Crockett's Tavern for a nightcap, to watch the end of a game, to say hi to the latest bartender, and to talk about life in general. A great way for us to wind down, and that drink or two always makes falling asleep A LOT easier...lol (as if you needed prodding to fall asleep after being at a park!). Plus, Crockett's Tavern is one of the few resort taverns that we have consistently made friends at, and last time we went the bartender gave us 3 free drinks! Can't beat that! Just enjoying being in Disney with family, man you're making me miss the Fort right now!

 

[tellnotails]

Great thread JM.........




It so easy to do yet so few take the time...

 

[JAM'S MOM]

It's been fun reading the entries and they all make me smile because I can just feel the connection that the families have.

Having breakfast together is a wonderful treat especially since normal mornings are too busy getting ready for school and work.Playing the games and talking about best and worst and eating chocolate chip cookies smores will make find additions to the "togetherness" customs.

It really does show that the little things in life can make a long lasting impression since many of us can readily recall those family memories.

It's great to know that our family is creating memories that will be shared with the next generation or shared with neighbors or the great people on the DIS camping forum.

Happy Camping Customs make Happy Memories!

 

[tellnotails]

It's been fun reading the entries and they all make me smile because I can just feel the connection that the families have.

Having breakfast together is a wonderful treat especially since normal mornings are too busy getting ready for school and work.Playing the games and talking about best and worst and eating chocolate chip cookies smores will make find additions to the "togetherness" customs.

It really does show that the little things in life can make a long lasting impression since many of us can readily recall those family memories.

It's great to know that our family is creating memories that will be shared with the next generation or shared with neighbors or the great people on the DIS camping forum.

Happy Camping Customs make Happy Memories!

My first tent was two broom sticks and a old bed sheet.......

But since that first tent I've learnt a lot about family and life.....

Bigger(trailer or tent) is not always better...

Making a camping trip happen is easier then talking about it.....

I've never heard a child say I hate our camper or tent, its too small.....

Take'em camping......you'll never regret it

 

[Colson39]

lol, my first tent was about the same, I think we just used some old branches to hold up our sheet.

Although, I wouldn't mind having family traditions in a big Prevost, it definitely would be fun! A true family can have fun anywhere, rich or poor, makes no difference. But man, some of those campers I saw the other day on the Travel channel, woohoo!

 

[F4disneyfan]

Ours isn't a camping thing ours is just our 5 year trip to Disney that myself and teh wife go on with the ids and all of the inlaws my sisterin law and her hubby and their kids and my wifes other brother and his fiance. The wife and I get the kids to Disney every year but every 5 years we have a big family trip that everyone goes on.

 

[GreatLakes5]

Our camping traditions - regardless of where we are - usually involves bikes. When we arrive at a site we grab the bikes and ride around the campground just to get the "lay of the land". In some campgrounds it means just a quick loop. Then the boys like to be the co-men of the mobile house and help dad level and get the "equipment" out. More interesting conversations between the men folk have happened during set up (men in the trailer being 35, 11, & 8).

Evenings include marshmallows, laughing about the day's events, and singing (yes, we're that hokey) a bit. For those who are so inclined, it often seems we are able to hear God a bit better in the outdoors and some of our more profound and special spiritual times with our children have taken place courtesy of a campfire or night time stars.