The Great Outdoors

Taking pictures rather than items will keep Mother Nature looking beautiful and they'll last longer, too!

There's an old camping motto that says, "Take only photographs, leave only footprints." In that spirit, try this scavenger hunt game that leaves nature intact and provides a lasting memory of your family camp-out.

Before your trip, ask your parents to create a scavenger hunt list. As you find each item on the list during your camp-out, take a picture and check it off. When you return home, develop the photos and use them to create a memory album.

Finding the perfect rock will give you the best chance of making the perfect skip.

Skipping stones may be more art than science, but Jerdone Coleman-McGhee, author of The Secrets of Stone Skipping, says these basics are necessary for any good toss. 1. Pick a stone of uniform thickness that is about the size of your palm and that weighs about as much as a tennis ball.

2. Hold the stone with your thumb on top, middle finger on bottom, and your index finger hooked along the edges. 3. Face the water at a slight angle. Use a forehand pitch to throw the stone. The lower your hand is at release, the better. 4. Throw out and down at the same time, releasing the stone with a quick, sharp wrist snap to give it some spin. The stone should hit the water parallel to the ground.

For a summer experience to remember, camp at one of America's many national parks, including:

• Acadia National Park, ME
• Everglades National Park, FL
• Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
• Glacier National Park, MT
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN and NC
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI
• Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
• Mount Ranier National Park, WA
• Shenandoah National Park, VA