Family Adventures — Plinking
We plan family adventure outings on the calendar. It creates a sense of expectancy and anticipation for both parents and children alike. This month’s adventure: firearm safety and target shooting, also known to the Van Loo Nation as Plinking!
This is part of our Family Adventures Series that I’m doing this year about creating expectation and bonding experiences that will bind our family together with loving memories to cherish for the rest of our lives.
Mostly because mom just wants us all to love each other more deeply. Appreciate one another genuinely. Just get along better already, right?! Uh-hem.
Since this year our teenager is getting her Hunter’s Safety card, it seemed fitting that Man Cub also train our two younger girls on the proper handling and firing of weapons.
Man Cub is a proud veteran of the US Marine Corps, Eagle Scout, and devoted (and excellent!) hunter/gatherer, of which his lovely bride is grateful! He loves this country, the principles and freedoms upon which it was founded, and our Second Amendment to the US Constitution:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
Therefore, as any responsible Marine, he is adamant his children be taught the understanding of their constitutional right and the proper way to care for and respect the handling and usage of a weapon.
So we loaded the family up and headed to Man Cub’s childhood buddy, cohort in adolescent crime, and all-around, life-long friend who lives in Tillamook and has acres on which to explore, learn, and enjoy. Here’s how the day went, complete with a class lecture and target practice, ending the day with a warm bowl of soup, breaking bread with loved ones …
Range Rules
- Treat every weapon as if it was loaded
- Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
- Keep the safety on until ready to fire
- Do not touch the trigger until ready to fire
Plinking — setting up the range
Man cub and the girls set up a range of 25 yards. They set up against a hillside ensuring the backstop was sufficient for target shooting. On a 2×4 frame, they applied paper targets, with bullseyes and squirrels for fun.
Cow wrestler (as we affectionately know him by from all the shenanigans he’s been through on his land) parked his old pickup uprange so we could use the bed for lying down when shooting at the targets.
Video Family Adventures — Plinking
Safety First
We are a homeschooling family, so most things tend to end up in some sort of learning lesson or experience. This was a perfect way to teach the girls:
- how to be respectful of life
- be aware of danger
- pay attention to detail
- practice hand-eye coordination, and
- simply enjoy nature and the fresh air.
Tillamook ice cream
What’s a trip to Tillamook if you don’t stop in at the Tillamook Cheese Factory?! They recently remodeled their entire facility this past year. Since we hadn’t seen the new building, we decided to “go check it out”. But really, we all knew that we just wanted some ice cream. As in, we didn’t even tour the new facility! Guess we’ll have to do that another time.
If you don’t live close, here’s a little tour so you can see what it’s all about.
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What are some of your family adventures?
I hope that this series inspires you to create adventures for your family to look forward to throughout the year. What are some things your family likes to do together? Let’s share with each other in the comments below and glean some more ideas!