Happy campers: fun-filled programs as management intervention in family camping

Parks & Recreation, Oct, 2003 by Stuart Cottrell, Richard Cottrell

Why do families choose to spend their vacations in family campgrounds? Is it because of an overpowering love and appreciation for the great outdoors? Is a primordial instinct still active that calls the human species back to its origins? The reasons are no doubt multifaceted and complex, but there may be a simple explanation. In 1998, we published an article in this magazine in which we gave our opinion of the state of outdoor recreation at that time. The passage of time hasn't dimmed our enthusiasm about a phenomenon--fun-filled programming in campgrounds--that we consider relatively simple, yet complex in its wide appeal and practice. We believe one crucial reason that families spend time in campgrounds is that they want to have fun.

Family camping allows outdoor recreation professionals the opportunity to interact with families. Managing campgrounds and outdoor recreation areas involve recognizing existing or anticipated leisure needs and desires, and devising specific steps to fulfill those needs. Moreover, public enjoyment of parks must be defined through understanding the visitor experience, which research suggests may sometimes be at odds with the viewpoint of park managers. The diversity of sites and services within park systems and the diversity of visitors further complicate this issue.

For the most part, activities and programs available in federal and state campgrounds are devoted to education about the natural environment. Visitor centers, interpretive displays, nature trails and guided nature walks farm the bulk of" the educational and interpretive services provided in many park settings. These types of activities and services fit well within the primary mission of agencies such as the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. But do campground recreationists want more?. If so, should that "more" be provided?

Family Campgrounds as Community Centers

An important but often overlooked social element is that many family campers come from an urban setting, where general knowledge and experience of ecology and nature may be limited. (In a 1990 Indiana State Park campground study that we repeated in 2001, more than 60 percent of the campers came from cities.) Because many of these campers from an urban setting are accustomed to an assortment of recreational activities, providing visitor opportunities mainly as interpretation may not be enough. Activities at the municipal level include such programs as arts, crafts, dance, drama, music, sports, games, social events and some environmental activities. Many community recreation programs enrich family unity by providing activities that encourage entire family participation. In essence, many of our campgrounds today resemble temporary communities, and participation in traditional interpretive programs offered in federal parks tends to be attended by those individuals with an interest in nature and conservation.

How can members of these "temporary communities" not interested in educational programs during their recreation time best be served? For the sake of continuity, public agencies might also tailor programs in family campgrounds with a recreational and interpretative program mix to encourage more participation among family members. Recreational programming can provide familiar activities in an unknown setting, a bridge or stepping stone over the fear of the unknown for those city-bred campers who feel out of place in a wooded environment.

Repeat participation is often bred by familiarity with an activity or activities in which prior participation produced positive rewards. People tend to seek known, safe, positive experiences. Participation in outdoor activities as a youth carries over into adult leisure-time activities. The greater the involvement in a specific type of activity daring adolescence, the more frequent the participation in the same type of activity at midlife. In support of this argument, the social psychologist Jack Kelly implies that leisure patterns of adults are augmented from childhood leisure-time activities and experiences. Recreational programs have been one means for managers to serve campground visitors to enhance the visitor experience to encourage repeat visitation while enhancing visitor knowledge about the outdoors and satisfaction with their camping experience.

In a 1996 study by Roper Starch Worldwide, the leading reason given by respondents for spending leisure time outdoors was to have fun (76 percent). This was followed by relaxation (71 percent), health and exercise (70 percent), family togetherness (68 percent), stress reduction (66 percent), teaching kids values (64 percent) and experiencing nature (64 percent). The to-have-fun statistic is further supported in a recent study of motivations among scuba divers; in that study, "to have fun" was given as the most important reason for diving among 28 motivational questions asked in that survey.

Fundamental Understanding of Human Nature (FUN)

So it appears we may have discovered a common element that creates a temporary bond in a diverse group--people respond to having tim as a socio-psychological phenomenon. Fun-filled environments generate laughter, which in turn reduces stress or serves as a means to release stress.