Cooking, Camping, and Games Scheduled at REI's Family Adventure Program

will launch its third annual Family Adventure Program with a party at Hidden Pond at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham on Sunday afternoon.

The annual event will include many free family activities, animals from local museums, games and prizes for children, a raffle for adults, and tips on camping.

With the Family Adventure Program on Sunday,  REI, a sports and recreation store at the Derby Street Shoppes, wants to give families of the South Shore the complete outdoor experience.

REI Outreach Specialist Dane Tullock said the event was created  to encourage families to get outdoors and be active this summer.

“It was started originally to provide gateway access to the outdoors for families,” said Tullock.

 According to Tullock the event will provide kids with a guide of games and activities that they can play outside this summer. There will also be local bike trails and hiking trails provided to families.

Derby Street Shoppes Marketing & Social Media Coordinator Niamh O'Maille said she expects around 200 people at the event.

"The entire day is geared around families," O'Maille said.

O’Maille said the most popular event at the Family Adventure Program is the Camp Cooking Challenge featuring the best chef’s from Derby Street.  In this year’s second annual cooking challenge, chefs from , and a team from will prepare recipes highlighting one summer time ‘secret ingredient’ provided by .  The chefs will have to prepare all their dishes using outdoor camp cooking gear provided by REI.

 “The whole purpose of that contest, is to show people that you can have more than granola at the camp site," Tullock said. " You can actually have some really tasty and creative meals.” 

 In addition to the REI Camp Cooking Challenge, there is a whole day of family-friendly programming, including a free food sampling and a Car Camping Clinic presented by REI. 

There will  be nature presentations by the South Shore Natural Science Museum.  Children will be able to meet Hedwig the Owl and small aquatic animals such as turtles which will be presented by the museum.  In addition to live animals, the New England Wildlife Center will teach children about Wildlife Rescue.

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.at Hidden Pond on Derby Street behind the . For more information, visit http://www.rei.com/family-adventure .