Happy campers: Families learn how tocamp - and kids can't wait to go again

The Minter family, including (from left) Tessa, 8, Ron, Isaac, 6, and Kelly, practice setting up a tent at their home in

Kansas City, Missouri, June 9, 2015. The Minters participated earlier this month in Learn2 Camp at Weston Bend State

Park. The program, sponsored by Missouri State Parks, teaches the basics of family camping. Allison Long/Kansas City

Star/TNS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri State Parks has a new program called Learn2 Camp. The

Minter family joined the program. They spent a day in Weston Bend State Park.

Tessa Minter, 8, and her brother Isaac, 6, did fun things. Now they are begging to go back.

Singing Around The Campfire

They want to hunt for bugs again. They want to roast marshmallows one more time. They

want to sing around a campfire again.

Missouri State Parks would be happy to hear them.

Not so many people buy passes to camp in Missouri’s parks nowadays. Fewer people are

spending the night in national parks.

Jeffrey Olson is with the National Park Service. He said some visitors sleep in motels near

parks. Then they get up and go camping after breakfast, Olson said.

By Kansas City Star, adapted by Newsela staff on 07.09.15

Word Count 289

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Learn2 Camp helps families who have never camped before. It brings them to a park for a

weekend. They learn about the outdoors. They learn to use camping gear.

Teaching Dad About Tents

Families are given lessons. They are shown how to set up a tent. They are taught how to

cook over a campfire. Families may find the lessons useful. It could help them to camp on

their own someday.

The program was exactly what Kelly Minter wanted.

Park workers showed her husband Ron Minter how to put up a large tent. He learned to

use sticks to start a fire. Tessa and Isaac learned to pick out different trees and bugs. They

learned to spot animal tracks.

“I think we might be camping more,” Kelly Minter said.

Missouri park officials want children to start camping when they are young. It could start a

new family tradition. Maybe they can teach their own kids to camp someday.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

Quiz

1 In the section "Teaching Dad About Tents," which paragraph tells why teaching families to

camp is helpful?

2 Which paragraph from the article BEST explains why Missouri State Parks started the Learn2

Camp program?

(A) Learn2 Camp helps families who have never camped before. It brings them

to a park for a weekend. They learn about the outdoors. They learn to use

camping gear.

(B) Missouri park officials want children to start camping when they are young. It

could start a new family tradition. Maybe they can teach their own kids to

camp someday.

(C) Jeffrey Olson is with the National Park Service. He said some visitors sleep

in motels near parks. Then they get up and go camping after breakfast,

Olson said.

(D) Park workers showed her husband Ron Minter how to put up a large tent. He

learned to use sticks to start a fire. Tessa and Isaac learned to pick out

different trees and bugs. They learned to spot animal tracks.

3 Which of these details should be included in a summary of what families learn in the camping

program?

(A) how to build a shelter

(B) how to start a campfire

(C) how to find fresh water

(D) how to pick a camping spot

4 Which sentence BEST describes the article's central idea?

(A) Families enjoy learning how to go camping in Missouri State Parks.

(B) Not as many people go camping in state parks now as in the past.

(C) Camping activities like roasting marshmallows and hunting for bugs are fun.

(D) Park officials hope teaching families how to camp will help more people go

camping.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3

Answer Key

1 In the section "Teaching Dad About Tents," which paragraph tells why teaching families to

camp is helpful?

Paragraph 7:

Families are given lessons. They are shown how to set up a tent. They are

taught how to cook over a campfire. Families may find the lessons useful. It

could help them to camp on their own someday.

2 Which paragraph from the article BEST explains why Missouri State Parks started the Learn2

Camp program?

(A) Learn2 Camp helps families who have never camped before. It brings them

to a park for a weekend. They learn about the outdoors. They learn to use

camping gear.

(B) Missouri park officials want children to start camping when they are

young. It could start a new family tradition. Maybe they can teach their

own kids to camp someday.

(C) Jeffrey Olson is with the National Park Service. He said some visitors sleep

in motels near parks. Then they get up and go camping after breakfast,

Olson said.

(D) Park workers showed her husband Ron Minter how to put up a large tent. He

learned to use sticks to start a fire. Tessa and Isaac learned to pick out

different trees and bugs. They learned to spot animal tracks.

3 Which of these details should be included in a summary of what families learn in the camping

program?

(A) how to build a shelter

(B) how to start a campfire

(C) how to find fresh water

(D) how to pick a camping spot

4 Which sentence BEST describes the article's central idea?

(A) Families enjoy learning how to go camping in Missouri State Parks.

(B) Not as many people go camping in state parks now as in the past.

(C) Camping activities like roasting marshmallows and hunting for bugs are fun.

(D) Park officials hope teaching families how to camp will help more people

go camping.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4