Two children with brown hair, about 5 years old, a girl and a boy sitting on grass in front of a green tent.

The Kids Crew goes camping! From campfire safety to packing for the trail, we talk with experts from Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions and a meteorologist about how to enjoy the outdoors safely. Whether you’ve camped many times or never before, you’ll learn tips, tricks, and funny stories from real kids and experienced guides. Get inspired to explore nature—maybe even in your own backyard!

What’s it like to sleep outside, cook over a fire, and carry everything you need on your back? In this episode, our Kids Crew shares their own outdoor adventures and learns about how to stay safe and have fun while camping. We’re joined by experts from Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions and a meteorologist to answer questions and share tips about preparing for the wilderness.

A grey tent set up on a grassy area next to a pristine mountain lake with a deep azure sky.<br />

We meet Jordan Stone, the Executive Director of Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, and educator Naina Panthaki, who both lead youth camping and backpacking trips across the Southwest. They explain how to pick a campsite, what to pack, and how to protect yourself from bears, bugs, and even poison ivy!

Then, meteorologist Kerry Jones teaches us how to read the sky for signs of dangerous storms and what to do if lightning or flooding strike. The best strategy is to have a plan well in advance of any storm or bad weather.

Isaac and his brother stand with their mom at the edge of the Gila River, all are wearing backpacking backpacks, and the mom is pointing to something in the distance to the right, and Isaac looking where she is pointing.

Plus, the Kids Crew tells stories from their own hiking and backpacking experiences, and gives listeners advice on exploring the outdoors responsibly. We learn from Isaac about the first nationally protected public land in the United States, the Gila Wilderness, and his amazing experience backpacking the Gila River. Whether you’re heading into the mountains or your own backyard, this show will help you get ready to camp!

Finding a place to camp

The United States has many options for camping, from private campgrounds with groomed and level sites that have electricity and water, to public wilderness areas where dispersed camping, is permitted a certain distance from any roadway or official campground. Campgrounds are available at National Parks and reservations are recommended at Reservations.gov.

Many state parks have campgrounds too. Many apps online have collected camping options, with filters to find exactly what you are looking for. AllTrails is one.

A beautiful photo of a sandstone arch at Arches National Park

This episode was produced by Katie Stone, with help from Sarah Gabrielli, Thaniel Lentz, and Isaac Lacerda. Our guests were Jordan Stone and Naina Panthaki from Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, and meteorologist Kerry Jones. Many thanks to our Kids Crew: Melissa, Evan, Zen, Illuminata, Thaniel, Octavia, Amadeus, Imogene, Maya, Isaac, and Lucas.

The Children’s Hour is distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.

Please note: not all songs we play can be found in Spotify.

Playlist: Camping With Kids

title	artist	album
Campin'	The Okee Dokee Brothers	Songs for Singin'
Camping Trip	Tracey Singer	Sweets 'n' Treats
Teddy Bears' Picnic	The Persuasions	Love & Peace: Greatest Hits for Kids
Campfire	John McCutcheon	John McCutcheon's Four Seasons: Autumnsongs
Some More S'mores	Charity and the JAMband	Party Like a Twinkle Star
Unhurried Journey (feat. Elizabeth Mitchell)	Elena Moon Park	Unhurried Journey
Born To Be Wild	Chickenwolf	Barnyard Beat
Outside for a Better Inside	Kelley Hunt	Wildflowers
Thunder and Lightning	Recess Monkey	Hot Air
Pat's Waltz	Django Festival All Stars	Live at Birdland & More! (Live)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow	Israel Kamakawiwo'ole	Alone in IZ World