All of my favorite summer moments happen outside -- and when it comes to packing in the memorable moments, nothing beats a night spent camping. Staring up at the trees from the comfort of a hammock, listening to birds just outside my tent at dawn and unzipping the tent door to the sight of the bright green forest are experiences that make a lasting impression.

Even better is sharing the outdoors with kids -- watching my niece tend the coals where our dinner of roasted root vegetables and corn on the cob is cooking and tempting my nephew with sugary treats that grow on trees rather than come in boxes.

This Saturday is the National Wildlife Federation's 6th annual Great American Backyard Campout and the 2nd annual campout hosted by the NWF Great Lakes Regional Center at the Leslie Science and Nature Center. Night hikes, early morning birdwatching walks, story-telling around the campfire, and a special program on native bats are all planned for Ann Arbor campout. The response to the campout has been huge, with 45 families signing up quickly for this weekend's event, which is now full.

The excitement about this weekend's Great American Backyard Campout event in Ann Arbor shows just how eager local families are to spend time outside. They must know that not only is being outside fun, outdoor time is great for kids and that in fact, time outside has been shown to help children grow lean and strong, enhance imaginations and attention spans, decrease aggression and boost classroom performance.

Take advantage of the Great American Backyard Campout to take the plunge and camp in your backyard or at a local park. You can get ideas for backyard campout activities, find nearby places to camp, and share your campout photos and stories at www.nwf.org/campout.

Jennifer Janssen is a contributor from the Great Lakes Regional Center of the National Wildlife Federation. She writes about connecting with nature, supporting solutions to climate change and protecting the Great Lakes. She can be reached at janssenj@nwf.org.