Raise Them Outdoors

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  • What Are the Most Common Family Camping Mistakes (And How Do You Avoid Them)?

    What Are the Most Common Family Camping Mistakes (And How Do You Avoid Them)?

    A quick note: Raise Them Outdoors is published by Refresh Sports, and some of the toys recommended in this article are ours.

    The most common family camping mistakes are predictable, avoidable, and surprisingly consistent across first-timers: wrong sleeping bag temperatures, single fire-starting method, food storage failures, and no plan for when kids get bored. Knowing these in advance saves the trip. A 2020 Skin Cancer Foundation review reports that experiencing 5 or more blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 raises melanoma risk by roughly 80%.

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  • How Do You Start Camping With Young Kids? A Beginner Mom’s Real Guide

    How Do You Start Camping With Young Kids? A Beginner Mom’s Real Guide

    A quick note: Raise Them Outdoors is published by Refresh Sports, and some of the toys recommended in this article are ours.

    Starting camping with young kids ages 5-10 is genuinely manageable — the key is treating the first trip as a practice run, not a wilderness adventure. Pick a campground with bathrooms, pack more food than you think you need, and bring two or three lightweight outdoor toys for the inevitable “I’m bored” gap between activities. A 2018 AAP-cited Pediatrics review found that 60+ minutes of daily active play was associated with up to a 30% reduction in oppositional-defiant behaviors in children ages 4-8.

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  • Why Is Just Hanging Out Outside With Your Kids the Best Thing You Can Do?

    Why Is Just Hanging Out Outside With Your Kids the Best Thing You Can Do?

    A quick note: Raise Them Outdoors is published by Refresh Sports, and some of the toys recommended in this article are ours.

    Simply being outside with your kids — no agenda, no organized activity — is one of the most developmentally valuable things you can offer. Outdoor time with kids builds independence, creativity, and social skills through unstructured play in a natural setting, with a present adult nearby. A 2022 CDC analysis found only 24% of children ages 6-17 meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

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  • What Are the Best Outdoor Games and Harmless Pranks to Play With Your Kids This Spring?

    What Are the Best Outdoor Games and Harmless Pranks to Play With Your Kids This Spring?

    A quick note: Raise Them Outdoors is published by Refresh Sports, and some of the toys recommended in this article are ours.

    The best spring outdoor games for kids combine active play with surprise — freeze tag variants, boomerang relays, water balloon tosses, and harmless pranks that get kids outside and laughing. For kids ages 3-12, the winners require no setup, reward speed and creativity, and work across mixed ages. A 2022 CDC analysis found only 24% of children ages 6-17 meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

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