Credit: Kidsday illustration / Julia Walsh

Every year, my father’s side of my family goes on a camping trip. It’s a tradition we started about five years ago. There are two main places we go: Smith Point Beach in Shirley and Wildwood State Park in Wading River. Sometimes we take a vote to go somewhere new, but no matter where we go, my family has fun every year.

One of my favorite things to do every year is sneak out of our tents at midnight with my younger and older brothers and cousins and go to the playground to play games like tag or hide-and-seek. Only the seeker has a flashlight, while the others run around in the darkness trying to avoid him. Last year, our parents heard us sneak out, and they said if we did it again we wouldn’t be allowed to go camping next year. So of course we did it again, but they never found out.

Another thing I love that we do every year is my Aunt Sandy makes her special homemade mac and cheese, and we use the leftover sauce to make nachos. They taste so good. Everyone waits each year to eat them.

Other than fun games and delicious food, my favorite part about the camping trip is that I get to spend time with family that I do not get to see often. So every year we do our best to make each trip awesome.

Mary Ralph’s fifth-grade class, South Oceanside Elementary School, School #4

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