Our little ones are too young for Harry Potter, but just like the thousands of people lining up, they enjoy the same thing–a good story! Camping is a super time for stories. And stories are great to help kids with all kinds of readiness for kindergarten.
Reading is a language-based activity so lots of language experiences help for later learning to read. Not just vocabulary, but connecting with meaning, following a story-line, language patterns, how small differences can make big changes, careful listening and more. Stories stretch imagination and make listeners create pictures in their own mind instead of just looking at books. There’s lots of shared ideas in books that help us connect with traditions and with others. Harry Potter is connecting people all over the world! Stories are 
for more than just kindergarten readiness.
Now, ghost stories are a tradition for camping but dark nights are already scary. Parents can tell stories about forest animals, plants, and kids having adventures. Kids love stories about other family members. Telling a story is good exercise for grown-ups’ imaginations, too. Once upon a time, when we were camping…