An Intergenerational Family Camping Experience Gave Young Leaders the Chance to Share their Skills, Connect with their Families, and Grow Together
Written by Sara Grillo, CAP Instructor & Events Coordinator. After spending the past few weeks learning how to camp, leading a backyard overnight for younger kids, and putting their new outdoor skills into action, our Casa de la Esperanza teens had one more adventure ahead of them: bringing their families along for a fun family camping adventure.
We loaded up and headed out together, with one important task for the ride up: preparing ghost stories for the campfire. By the time we arrived at Camp ACA, we had a silly and scary story ready to go (even with sound effects), and plenty of time to slow down, relax, and enjoy being together.
The first afternoon was all about settling in and spending time as a group. We shared lunch, played some getting-to-know-you games, and quickly discovered that the younger participants had a serious advantage when it came to the name and rhythm games. The adults gave it their best shot, but the kids absolutely rocked it. There may have been a few adults questioning their rhythm skills by the end of the afternoon!
We also got to spend some time getting to know the other residents of our campsite: the goats! Campers had the chance to feed them and spend some time petting them and sharing the experience with the smallest camper in our group. Then we got creative with a little sunshine, making sun prints and experimenting with the ways we could use the sun to create art.
Of course, no camping trip would be complete without a game of Camouflage. Kids, teens, and adults all disappeared into the landscape, and the game quickly became a favorite way to explore our surroundings while trying not to get spotted.
As evening approached, we gathered around the dinner table for something especially meaningful: a meal made up of foods from our families and cultures. Everyone brought an idea to share, giving us the chance to try new foods, hear the stories behind them, and learn a little more about one another. There is something pretty special about sharing a meal around a camp table, especially when that meal represents so many different families and traditions.
After dinner, we gathered around the campfire for s’mores. Some of our participants helped start the fire, making their first one-match fire. And we enjoyed trying different flavored s’mores. It wouldn’t be a Cottonwood camping trip without them!
Before turning in for the night, we headed out on a short night hike. We turned off our lights and let our eyes adjust to the darkness, listening to the sounds around us and experiencing the trail in a completely different way than we had during the day. Some campers then settled into the teepee for the night, while others headed to their tents and cabins for a well-earned night of sleep.
The next morning, we packed up camp and headed to the reservoir for one last adventure. We spent the morning enjoying the beach and doing a little fishing. After a full weekend of games, camping, cooking, exploring, and getting to know each other, it was the perfect way to wrap up our time outside together.
It was a joy to see how much this group has grown. They started by learning how to set up tents, cook meals, and feel comfortable camping. Then they turned around and taught those skills to younger kids. And finally, they brought their families into the experience and created a space where everyone could learn, play, share, and enjoy being outside together.
What started as a camping trip became something much bigger: young people stepping into leadership, families spending time together outdoors, and a community coming together around food, games, stories, and a little bit of adventure.
And that feels like a pretty great way to wrap up this adventure.
We want to thank our funders that helped make this program possible, including Boulder County Housing Authority, Colorado Health Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, Nature Kids Longmont, Ronald and Carol Moore Family Foundation, and Thorne Nature Experience!
If you are inspired by this family camping program and want to help make it possible again next summer, consider making a donation to Cottonwood Institute today!
