Need to get out of the house? Kids bouncing off the walls? Well, the weekend is here, and you can disconnect from work. Grab a fishing pole, tent, and make a picnic lunch. Today is a day to still enjoy nature while social distancing.
We are lucky enough to live near a little fishing hole. It is walk-able, but we prefer to drive just because it is a lot to carry two kids, poles, bait, and snacks that far. You don’t need a huge lake, just a little watering hole that lets you catch and release. If your kids are the same age as mine, and this is your first time you want to be somewhere that you can leave if it’s a bust. If your kids love fishing like mine do, you can get more adventurous. Once this pandemic ends, we plan to go a little farther out where it’s a huge lake with little sand beaches.
Tents
Anyways, back to today. We grabbed a tent from Bass Pro Shop, but you can find them at your local Walmart or Target. If you have some sleeping bags great, if not, you can make pallets from blankets. Set up the tent in your yard, and get it ready so that your kids start getting excited. Keeping it in your yard gives you the flexibility to come in and out for snacks, bathrooms, etc. later in the night. Also, it makes it a lot easier if the kids get scared in the middle of the night. Walking a few steps to your door is way easier than having to completely load up the campsite.
Picnic Lunch
Now that the hard part is done, pack a picnic lunch. It doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate. Just some sandwiches, chips, fruit, gummies, etc. Whatever you think will be sufficient for a few hours at the fishing hole. I also recommend taking more drinks than you think. Fishing isn’t strenuous, but sometimes can be a little warm. Put it all in a cooler, and grab a blanket or towel to sit on.
Poles and Bait
The last thing you have to grab is your fishing poles and bait. The kids love hunting worms. Luckily, I have huge garden beds so they are pretty easy to find. Plus, they are not grossed out by putting live worms on the hooks. Other options are the rubber worms from the store. My husband has more fancy plastic bait, but I’ll be honest I don’t know which bait best for which fish. Plus, this is suppose to be quick, cheap, and easy. So use what you have at home or nearby.
You are ready! Load up and go!
At the fishing pole:
Our pond has mostly bass, so as you can see they aren’t too hard to reel in if they aren’t too big. Bigger bass has some pull to them, so keep an eye out if your child needs help. B is old enough now to be able to fish alone. We are always nearby to help, but we no longer need to cast for him. We do not want to be right beside him because he would probably hook us!
L isn’t allowed to use a pole yet, but he still has a great time. The pond has a rock trail that we collect rocks, and make laps around. Also, there are always has a great number of animals swimming by like turtles, ducks, geese, and even two swans. He likes to have the swan eat out of his hand. Don’t try this unless you know the animals are friendly. The residents around “Turtle Pond” set out food for the birds so that are friendly towards humans. This is not always true of other waterfowl. Please not that waterfowl can not eat the same food as us. So don’t just throw your scraps in the water.
Activity:
So you thought you were only going fishing? No, make the most of your time! Collect different tree leaves or flowers on a walk. Save them in the cooler after lunch or in a ziplock bag. In the fall, you can pick leaves that are different colors. But today, pick ones of different sizes, different textures, or just different plants in general.
You can do a different types of activities with these.
- Gather leaves to create a leaf guide. I have a cheat sheet here. I have a landscape design degree so we collect all types of leaves and plants since it is easier for me to identify plants. Use what you know. If your strengths are flowers, do flowers. If plants are not your strong suit. Gather the leaves and then use it as a learning activity next week.
- Use the leaves to create an art project.
- Take a paper and cover the leaf. Use a crayon to color the paper over the leaf. It creates a pattern.
- Leaf Printing
If nothing else, create or take a scavenger hunt. This is a great time to get your littles looking around at all that nature has to offer. Plus, it is a great activity that you are able to do together.
Camping:
You’ve survived! Now you are home, and cleaned up. Put your pajamas on and take to the tent. If you have a firepit, light a fire and roast marshmallows, hotdogs, make some smores, or just stare at its beauty. It’s still got a chill at night here, so it’s just nice to sit by the fire for warmth. If you aren’t good at making up stories, bring some books and read the stories. Once it gets dark you can play flashlight tag, or flashlight hide and seek.
Now that all the energies out! It’s lights out!
