Leaving on Friday to go into Lake 1 and paddle towards Insula. My 12 year old son is coming with my dad and I for the first time. We have been a dozen or so times before. I am trying to come up with fun things that will keep him occupied and hopefully engaged. I want to put together a scavenger hunt for him to work on. I was thinking for on the way up and during our camping. Who has some great ideas on things we can put on this list? We are driving from Indiana if that helps with the on the way there ideas.

FishGeek,

I envy you and wish you a wonderful and safe trip with you dad and son.

I do not know your son's outdoor experiences or interests but some ideas that come to mine for camp activities : ( sorry i can't think of much for scavenger hunt)

Skipping Stones across the water - that may take up hours!

Fire building and starting with striker rod. Whittling fuzz sticks

Make a sling shot ( take some heavy duty rubber bands and leather scraps)
get to hunt for just the right Y piece of wood, whittle it, assemble, and shoot!
(But Not at birds and chipmunks - if you kill it, you eat it!)

Mask and snorkel for seeing what's under the water

Make up a camp game - toss a ring of rope on a stubby branch or over a paddle shaft or Pine cones tossed in circle of rocks,
each time you make it take a step back

pancake flipping contest

sing camp songs

using dead and down wood lash together a camp table or stool ( take apart and leave as firewood for next users)

Take a hammock for lounging if you aren't already hammock camping

On the way up have him practice navigation with road map. Stop at state welcome centers and pick up new map for each state ( that can become a collecting hobby itself)

On the water let him navigate across a lake.

Take lots of pictures - You will want them in a few years.

May the wind be always at your back and the portages easy.

Blue Skies!
cc

On the drive....Find sealed packets of:
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayo
Tabasco or any hot sauce
Pickle relish
Tartar sauce
Wet wipes
Salt
Pepper
BBQ sauce
Mints
Fruit flavored candy
Find free maps of each state you pass thru(Hint: State rest stops)

Bald Eagle
Something someone left behind (EEK)
Blueberries
Fishing Spider
Crayfish
Tree laying in the water
Turtle sunning on a log/rock etc
Another kid in the bwca (that you pass paddling or portaging)
Something you've never seen before or something odd
Rapids, or waterfall

MiniMN helped me brainstorm. I'll add if we think of some more ideas.

Thank you everyone for the great ideas. I am so excited to have him along for the first time. We sat together and finished getting our fishing gear ready to go last night, I can tell he is very excited!!!!

When I brought my 12 year old, I failed to bring an extra rod.
I broke mine at a portage on the 3rd day and couldn't fix it.
I know my boy was disappointed we did not fish together more.
Don't forget to bring an extra rod.

Find and identify various kinds of scat. Bear’s, moose, raccoon, otter, etc.
it sounds funny, but it’s a great skill to have. Get an id book. Looking for poop is right up a young boys ally.

When I was 12 all I needed was a fishing rod/ reel and baits I would have been fishing from daylight to dark.

Makes me wonder way you waited to take him until he was 12.