Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what are some things you could do to keep an almost five year old entertained. This will be my seventh trip, my wife's sixth and my son's first. We are going to stay mostly at a lodge, but I'm planning on at least one night in the BW. We will be staying within forty- five minutes or so from the lodge.

My son is very into fishing right now. We watch a lot of wilderness videos on YouTube, and he asks to watch Joe (Robinet) whenever he wants to put off bedtime a little bit. I'm sure he'll have some fun. I'm just worried about filling the free time with fun activities.

I don't think you'll have to worry about him finding things to do. This may require that you sometimes participate in the new 'adventure' game he begins playing. I find that my boys quickly think of something to do or explore when outdoors. A great place to play, instead of inside. Is he old enough for a sling shot? That can be a cheap, fun pastime.

Slingshot, I love that idea. I was thinking maybe bb gun, but didn't want a bunch of copper bb's laying around. I know I'd be the first one to complain about people leaving a mess for someone else to clean up. I already ruled that out. But a slingshot is clever. Figured we'd make some swords or a bow and arrow or something.

Five might be a little young, be he might be able to help you start fire with a bow drill.

Probably get some mileage out of a crayfish trap also.

my boys' trips all started when they were 5 yrs old. I remember these things keeping them pretty well occupied all day:
a hammock
sticks and rocks
water shoes and a small minnow net
their own hot chocolate cup

Good idea. I'll have to look into DNR regs on crayfish.

I think instead of trapping crayfish, you might be able to keep them entertained longer by having them fish for the crayfish instead. Create a rudimentary fishing pole with a stick and couple feet of line and tie some meat to the end as bait. Drop it down in front of the crayfish and pull them up once they grab on.

Lol. Sticks and rocks will probably be the winner.

My kids can pretty much play in the hammock from sunrise to sunset and not get bored!

I think my daughter was around 5 when we first got the hammocks going on trips.

I Always tried to find a campsite that had some trails. Some of your island sites have them. I know the first island site on lake one has one that goes all the way around the island.

Don't overthink it, less is more in this case. I have been letting my boys pack in a small toy tractor or farm toys and couldn't even begin to guess how many hours they've spent playing in the loose dirt around the fire grates.

When the ducklings were that little it was one small stuffed animal, uno, and something to draw/color w/for in the tent,cabin, or under the tarp during rain. Other than that there was an endless supply of entertainment that nature could give them.

If it's just one night I don't think you're going to have any issues with him being bored. Kids that age (or at least mine) can entertain themselves outside for hours if there's no other distraction. As mentioned above, sticks and rocks are big winners! One day when we were wind-bound my wife made a scavenger hunt for our boys to do together. They had to find pine cones, a rock that looks like an animal, a stick taller than them, a weird-colored leaf, etc... The kids love it, and you also get a bit of down time while they run around looking for stuff. One other big hit was for an August trip we brought in cheap blow up tubes to float in. They weigh about 8oz each and provided hours of swimming fun.

My 10 yo is headed for her 3rd trip this July. Totally agree with earlier posts...they keep themselves busy with the things around them. Mine is always tickled when we see wildlife, turtles, fish, crayfish, etc. She's looking forward to her first moose sighting.

This year, we're working on camp skills: fire starting/safety, cutlery safety, knots, maps/orientation, etc.

Agree with others - my kids spend time catching crayfish with their hands, getting sticks and putting them in the fire, making up games with the objects and setting at hand. Just being in a new place gets them going.

I am sure you, your wife and he will all have fun.

Don't forget a book and/or cards or some such thing if you get stuck in the tent on a rainy day...

When I say just one night, I mean overnight at a campsite. We'll be at a lodge for a week. Even though there are amenities at the lodge we won't allow any electronics. I'm hoping to keep him entertained all week without Paw Patrol or some such nonsense. He is really imaginative and will probably be most entertained with rocks and sticks. I was hoping to get some ideas that stood out and really made the trip special for him. You guys have given me plenty and I am glad I asked. Thank you everyone.

When my kids were little we bought a plastic cup and a cheap metal spoon. They would play with these 2 things for hours making forts, collecting nature stuff, the list went on and on. I got the idea from a book called backing packing with small children.

Topher: "We watch a lot of wilderness videos on YouTube, and he asks to watch Joe (Robinet) whenever he wants to put off bedtime a little bit."

If your son likes watching Joe on youtube, might I suggest some Zak Fowler (also stared on Alone). I find him more entertaining, innovative, and he's a big slingshot enthusiast.
As far as keeping your kid entertained, I'd recommend a pail, small net and shovel, and a slingshot. A boy that age can keep himself entertained all day without much other than what the great outdoors has to offer. It's the age of discovery and there's plenty to see and investigate in the woods and on the shoreline.