Activity: Outdoor Camping

As a group, hold an overnight camping trip. (Depending on your resources and circumstances, you could camp for more than just one night.)

Before the activity, invite the youth to lead the planning—choosing a location, organizing meals, preparing activities, and so on. Include activities that are both fun and spiritual.

Be sure to follow established, safe policies during the activity. For more information, see section 20 in the General Handbook.

• Before the campout, help the youth prepare for the camping trip by teaching them basic camping skills, such as how to build a fire, how to set up and take down a tent, how to prepare and cook food outdoors, how to apply basic first aid, and how to care for the environment and wildlife.
• Have a friendly competition to help the youth practice their camping skills. For example, you could divide the youth into groups and see who can set up their tent the fastest, or you could have a campfire cooking competition.
• If you don’t have access to an outdoor area for camping, you can try camping at your ward’s meetinghouse or at the house of someone in the ward. Some parks and community areas also offer camping services.

Encourage youth to talk about how what they are learning can help them and others grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity and should last just a few minutes. You could ask questions like the following:

• What do you like about camping? Are there any other outdoor skills that you’d like to learn?
• Why have we been instructed to learn emergency preparedness skills?
• How can appreciating nature bring us closer to Heavenly Father?

• Learning to Cook Outdoors
• Understanding and Treating Altitude Sickness
• Exploring Plant and Animal Life
• Preserving and Protecting the Environment
• Aaronic Priesthood Encampments