TRAVEL WORLD

you're just a small speck in the vast universe is a classic childhood moment. And there's no better place to contemplate that solitary notion than gazing up at an endless night sky.

"Looking up at all those stars just gives you a sense of wonder," said Lynn Brunelle, the Bainbridge Island author of "Camp Out! The Ultimate Kids' Guide" (Workman Publishing, $11.95).

"As we become increasingly urbanized, some kids never get out into the woods," Brunelle said. "They don't get that whiff of pine as they walk through the trees or make the same connections about nature and people and the ecosystem. Kids are so plugged in. That concerns me."

Targeted at ages 8 and up, "Camp Out!" is a how-to guide covering everything from starting a campfire to tying knots to creating a solar oven out of a pizza box. Other chapters highlight nature crafts, science activities, camp songs and old-fashioned games.

"I like the idea of doing art that you leave in the woods," she said, citing the example of a composition created from fallen seeds and stones. "It's the same idea as making a sand castle: It's just the experience of doing it."

Parents will also find helpful information, such as a packing checklist and sample menus.

"I didn't want it to be intimidating," she explained. "It's about getting out and having fun, not about being super-macho. Especially if you have little kids."

Brunelle, a former teacher and writer for the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" show, camps with her husband, Keith, and their two boys, Kai, 4, and Leo, 2. They've done the screaming-baby-in-the-middle-of-the-night routine. "You become very aware you're in a tent," she said. "Thankfully, if you shut the door of your car, it's mostly soundproof."

Sometimes they'll just pitch the tent in their backyard. "Kids are drawn to nature," she said. "I haven't found a kid yet who hasn't liked the idea of an adventure."

If things don't go well — and in the outdoors, things inevitably take a turn to the wet, muddy or uncooked — "then it just becomes a family legend," Brunelle said.

She tested the book's activities with neighbors and relatives. The fern smash — hitting a fern with a hammer to make a grass stain on a T-shirt or pillow case — was a big hit. "It's the coolest thing."
Researching s'more variations (example: strawberry slices and marshmallow between shortbread), she realized, "Wow, you can do a lot with a melted marshmallow.
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