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The 2013 Great American Backyard Campout

Family & Parenting, Nature & Weather, Community, Charity & Cause

By Published: June 14 2013

LongIsland.com

Get the family outside for a night of stargazing, marshmallow roasting and all around fun.

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Join thousands of families across the nation gathering in their backyards, neighborhoods, communities, and parks on June 22nd, to enjoy a night of camping for the 9th Annual Great American Backyard Campout, organized by the National Wildlife Federation. 

Thanks to the introduction of the Internet, video games, television and other technological distractions, fewer and fewer kids are actually going outside to play these days. The NWF says that only about 25% of American children now spend any significant time outdoors on a daily basis. Just two decades ago that number was actually 75%. The organization feels that by getting children to go outside we not only improve their health, but also help them build a solid respect for nature and wildlife.

This event also serves as a fundraiser for the NWF, which encourages campers to register their campout and ask friends and family to sponsor their backyard adventure. Plus, when you register you'll get free, instant access to their Camping Guide, chock-full of fun activities, great recipes, camping tips and more! The organization promises that 80 cents out of every dollar earned goes directly to support their cause, which is to protect and preserve America's diverse wildlife populations.

Backyard campouts are great because they offer almost all of the fun of a wilderness camping trip without the hassle of travel and the fear that you are stuck in the woods if disaster strikes. Plus, you and your kids can enjoy family time and outdoor time without spending all of your time packing and unpacking and searching for a camp site.  For the more adventurous, check out our Long Island Camping guide.

People across the United Sates, will take part in the Great American Backyard Campout. They'll huddle around a campfire and tell tall tales while singing camping songs and making delicious s'mores. And when they're ready to call it an evening, they'll slip inside their tents, crawl in a comfy sleeping bag and drift off to sleep with the sounds of nature all about them. Perhaps in doing so, they will also begin to instill a bit of love for the outdoors in themselves and their children too.

Find out more about the Great American Backyard Campout by clicking here.

[Source: National Wildlife Foundation]