1 . Wanting to spend some time camping this summer? But you’ re afraid it’s going to be a disaster? You needn’t worry.     1     . With a little preparation and a little help from a camp planner, you can have the camping experience of your dreams.

Discuss Camping with Your Children

A little preparation goes a long way. If your children have never camped, they may be scared or resistant to the idea. Talk with them about what camping will be like and what they will experience. Highlight the fun things but don’t avoid things that they may be afraid of or unsure about.     2     .

Pack in-Case-of-Rain Activities

No one likes rain when they are trying to enjoy the outdoors, but sometimes even if you check your local forecast, rain happens.     3     , like playing cards and a chess set to wait out the rain. Rainy afternoons are also a perfect time for naps and storytelling. Some favorite family memories can be made waiting for the rain to pass.

Pack Special Snacks

    4     . Cookies and roasted marshmallows are some good foods and you can find some more fun treats to share on your camping adventure like walking tacos and campfire chili. Camp food can become long-lasting traditions in your family.

Use a Camping Planner

Let’s face it — planning a camping trip can be a lot.     5     . You can use a camping planner to help you get organized and make sure you have a truly memorable camping experience. The Camping Planner includes a comprehensive packing checklist, a camp meal planner and grocery shopping lists, along with lists of your favorite camping spots and places to try in the future and so much more.

2 . Tips for First-Time Campers

Nature provides for us in a variety of ways, whether we recognize these gifts or not. But nature isn’t just there for us to explore.     1    

While the saying “always be prepared” is a noble enough guideline for activities like hiking and camping, sometimes, less is more. But depending on the area where you’re staying, the weather can be unpredictable,     2    . Having a simple repair kit and a first-aid kit may save you from minor headaches and injuries, as will doing your homework when planning where to go and what to take camping.

If you’re hiking, be sure to bring plenty of clean water along, as well as nutritious foods to keep you going. For coffee, cheap instant coffee packets can lessen the mess. You may also be able to use running water or river stones to keep items cooler longer (or simply use a thermos).

Become familiar with different trees and what they offer. Some trees provide wood that’s good for whittling and making walking sticks and canes. Some wood is good for starting fires, while other wood is good for keeping them going.     3    . You can use pine needles in tea or rub them on your skin if you’re trying to be stealthy while hunting deer. If you spot elm trees near a creek or river, you may be able to find the famous morel mushroom nearby — just make sure you can positively identify the mushroom or are with someone who can!

    4    . Some places charge a small fee to park or camp or they require conservation fees to keep the area clean. Depending on where you live, you may want to invest in a metal detector or a boat for a bit of additional fun. You can also purchase a fishing license, which helps keep areas clean and lakes and rivers stocked with fish.

I don’t like to hunt or party; I enjoy simply sitting on a sand bar at dawn, watching the mist rise from the water. I see and hear all kinds of wildlife, such as deer, owls, bats, birds, squirrels, and beavers. I listen for the beavers making splashes at night with their wide, flat tails. I hear coyotes howling at night too. I’ve seen cottonmouth snakes and even panther tracks! I love the serenity and the small thrills, the kinds of experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

3 . Over a period of intervention of creative activities, the mean appetite score increased from 49 to 60 in the poorly developed children and was associated with increased food consumption. Specifically, both egg and milk consumption increased.     1    

Creative activities like baking, knitting, paper folding or building blocks contribute to an overall sense of well-being. There’s a stress relief that people get from having some kind of an outlet and a way to express themselves.     2     Children become more involved and stay energetic and focused.

    3     It often relies on very exact measurements. You have to add ingredients in the correct order or your profiteroles(泡芙) won’t rise, or your cookies will be unpleasantly wet and soft. Having complete focus on a recipe and not allowing yourself to be distracted by your thoughts can have a calm and relaxing effect.

In other words, most of the decisions have already been made for you.     4     It keeps your mind away from the stressors and anxieties of your life outside the kitchen.

Basically, baking is a minor achievement that you can use to visualize a happy moment in the future, when the cookies, bread, or cake is finished, delicious, and being shared with family or friends.     5     You feel like you’ve done something good for the world, which perhaps increases your meaning in life and connection with other people.

There are endless fresh and creative activities for kids like baking. They take wisdom to develop and employ.

4 . Have you always wanted to learn to play tennis, but you’ve been unsure of where to start? Do you love watching Rafael Nadal or Serena Williams dominate the courts, and hope to be just like them?    1    It’s also a great way to spend time with your family or your friends. Here are some tips on getting started.

Find a place to play.

You can play tennis at your local park, a gym, or tennis club. Search online or ask friends where the best local courts are. Most parks let you play for free, but you’ll probably need to pay membership fees to play anywhere else.

You can practise basic serving techniques in any large, open space.    2    You’ll learn the layout of the court faster, and minimize the risk of breaking anything with your racquet (球拍) or a ball!

Buy tennis supplies.

    3    But every beginner will need to have a few things to get started. Some gyms or tennis clubs provide basic supplies for their members. But if that isn’t the case, you’ll need to go shopping.

    4    

Before you buy tennis clothes, ask your gym or club if they have any clothing requirements. If not, any loose, comfortable athletic clothes will be fine.

Find an opponent.

Once you learn the basics, you’ll need an opponent to practise tennis with. Ask anyone you see playing at your local court if they’d be interested in helping you learn.    5    

5 . When you think about camping, you always associate camping with tent setup and campfire, which is only one part of a larger picture.     1     Whether you are planning an overnight trip outdoors, a weekend getaway or just a day trip, you can look at the following popular types of camping to make appropriate arrangements.

Adventure camping

This is the type of camping which focuses mostly on adventures, such as competing in a race or mountain biking. Camping happens at night in a basic and minimalist manner.

Dry camping

In short, dry camping refers to camping in a location with no access to natural water, e.g. a desert.     2     Then dry camping is a good option. Please note that dry campers must prepare their water carefully in advance.

Backpacking

Backpacking allows you to live deep in the wilderness and is suitable for the experienced traveler. There’s also super light backpacking.     3     Whatever it is, backpacking requires much more strength and efforts than an overnight camping trip.

Vehicle camping

Vehicle camping refers to the involvement of a certain type of vehicles on your camping trip.     4     Some people prefer to bring their vehicles along for more mobility, but at the same time, it results in heavier luggage and extra weight.

Themed camping

    5     There is glam-ping, which means attractive and wealthy camping, festival camping, where a lot of people gather to camp and celebrate an event, and reenactment camping, where people can choose to live in a certain historic period by dressing and acting and role-playing according to the era.

6 . How to Care for a Pet Fish

Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility, so you should make sure you learn all about your pet before bringing it home.    1     That's because fish can give them a good idea of whether or not they'll be able to take care of a more complicated (复杂的) pet later on.

First, choose what types of fish.     2     They are easier to raise and give you enough experience to take care of fish and their tanks (水箱). Some kinds of fish do not get along with others, so you'll need to choose what kinds to buy.

Next, make sure you have all of the necessary supplies. Fish need a fish tank. Make sure it is big enough for the number of fish. Fish tanks need a light and some machines to keep the water clean and at a comfortable temperature.    3    

Now you can set up your aquarium (水族馆). Wash sand and decorations (装饰物) clean and fill the bottom of the tank with them.     4     Follow the instructions on the heater to heat up the water to the temperature your fish will need. Make sure your light is ready to go, too!

    5     The pet store keeper can teach you how to make your fish get comfortable before you put them into your aquarium. Once the fish are in the tank, you have to watch them closely to make sure they don't get sick. Feed them in small amounts a few times a day. You will have to change some of the water at least once a week.

7 . The door opens and you are amazed at seeing people jumping and flying around like superheroes. Calm down, you are not in a Marvel film, just a trampoline (蹦床) park.

In recent years trampolining has become a new craze among Chinese youths. Short videos are regularly uploaded to social media showing people’s excitement about jumping back and forth on the colorful trampolines. Most videos feature teenagers.    1    .

Ms Shi, a 28-year-old from Beijing, goes to trampoline parks almost every weekend. She said “When I was a child, I loved bouncing up and down on the trampolines, though they were just small and simple ones. They made me feel free and happy.     2    .”

It’s true that today’s trampoline parks are bigger, more professional and more creative.     3    . you can obviously jump, play in the inflatables (充气垫), or shoot basketballs like an NBA superstar. Also, if you're brave enough, you can learn to walk on the wall.

“Trampolining is so much fun. It doesn't feel like exercising at all.” Ms Shi said.

    4    . According to Robert Smith, a British sports therapist, “The trampoline pad is bouncy and absorbs a large amount of the impact of your landing, so your bones and joints are protected and strengthened at the same time.”

Unlike playing soccer, basketball, tennis or any other competitive sports, the risk of injury while trampolining is relatively low.     5    . “You must do warm-up exercises before playing. And you can't lose concentration during the movements,” Peter Cheng, a die-hard trampoline fan, who also owns a trampoline park, warned.

While outdoor activities are largely up to the weather, the indoor trampoline parks are really good places to go whenever you are seeking a fun cardio workout (有氧运动).