2012 has been a year of firsts for me. My first time hiking a trail – which I learned the hard way should not be done in flip-flops and a sundress. My first time camping – in a tent, at a campground so remote I didn’t even have cell service. Even my first time staying at a place with a word like “lodge” in the title.   
 

During this weekend at Trout Lodge it doesn't matter when you were born, because it's everyone's birthday!

Play traditional birthday party games like "Pin the Tail on the Trout," "Apples to Apples," "Simon Says" and "Duck, Duck, Goose." And everyone will get a chance to decorate his or her very own birthday cupcake. Everyone will also have the chance to participate in favorite Trout Lodge activities like archery, mini-golf, arts and crafts, horseback riding, and climbing towers.

Trout Lodge at the YMCA of the Ozarks hosts its Family Fun and Fitness weekend offering favorites like archery, riflery, pirate pontoons and rocket-building, or get your blood pumping with fitness-related special activities, including:

Family Challenge Obstacle Course
5K Family Run
Rope Swing Splash Contest
Fitness Test
...and more!

I recently read that kids spend around eight hours a day on electronic media. Yikes! That doesn’t leave much time for playing outside. I admit that between work, school, extracurricular activities, homework and making dinner it’s hard to enjoy the great outdoors on a daily basis. But kids can reap many physical and mental benefits just by playing in the backyard. Besides keeping kids healthy, outdoor time also enhances creativity and attention span, decreases aggression and boosts classroom performance.

Here is an easy, cheap and fun way to pry your family off the computer and into the great outdoors. Saturday, June 26 is the sixth annual Great American Backyard Campout. They are encouraging everyone to spend the night under the stars and enjoy nature in the comfort of their own backyard. Collect fireflies, make s’more and tell ghost stories all while being feet away from indoor plumbing. Now this is the kind of camping trip I can get behind!

Kids ages 7 and up can learn different methods of cooking food over a campfire. We'll teach you how to use a Dutch oven, backpack stove, and a stick of course! After learning these skills, they'll be ready to make meals afer a morning of hunting or backpacking. All food will be provided. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free. Rockwoods Reservation, 2751 Glencoe Road, Wildwood.

For reservations call 636-458-2236. More information: www.mdc.mo.gov