(no matter the age!)

To me, nothing says “summer” more than roasting marshmallows over a campfire, surrounded by family members, under a netting of stars. Some of my best memories growing up were of going camping each summer. As a kid, it felt fun and carefree, giving me the opportunity to play and discover the world!

As a grown up, camping tends to be a little less carefree, since I am partially responsible for the setup, meals, packing, washing dishes, etc. Even with the increased responsibilities though, I still thoroughly enjoy camping!

Adding Kids to the Camping Mix…

Camping with kids of your own creates a whole new experience: cringing at sweet little faces covered in a constant layer of dirt,  trying to distract fearless new walkers from heading straight towards the campfire, and listening to whining about things like being too hot or too cold, too uncomfortable, or getting bitten by bugs. The logistics of parenting young kids while camping are not always the most appealing… but, hang tight, because I still believe the benefits outweigh the difficulties.

When you camp with young kids, they get a chance to:

1. Experience Nature

What better way is there for the kids to learn about the world, than to immerse themselves in nature? On our recent camping trip, my kids had so much fun exploring the outdoors! They wandered in the forest, played in the water, investigated interesting bugs we had never seen before, searched for rocks, and found snakes and frogs by the lake. The simplest things brought huge smiles to their faces! My kids love playing outside, and I want to give them every opportunity to do so. With the ever-increasing pull of technology, I think it is important to embrace the appeal of nature.

2. Be Uncomfortable

This may not strike you as a positive thing, but let me explain! Everyone needs a certain level of uncomfortableness in order to grow. Being away from the setting we are familiar with and all the comforts of home for a few days, does us all some good! Not having running water, electricity, or our own beds to sleep in, increases our ability to adapt to uncomfortable environments. We learn to prepare beforehand by bringing our own water, games for entertainment, and something to sleep on that creates a barrier between you and the rock hard ground. We also learn to adjust some of our standards of cleanliness, comfort, or a “good night’s sleep”. Creating a flexible and adaptable attitude in our kids will help them in the future when things don’t go their way.

3. Learn Skills

Camping gives kids the opportunity to learn a variety of new skills. If you are near water of any type, this could include swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, or fishing. Wherever you are, I’d encourage you to involve your kids in the process of setting up camp. Teach them to help set up and take down the tents and their own sleeping bags. Show them how to roast marshmallows over the fire to make a perfect ooey-gooey s’more. 

4. Disconnect from Technology

One of the most beneficial aspects, in my opinion, is that we remove ourselves from the distraction of technology. No tv, no internet, just quality time with the ones you love! Kids have the chance to become “bored” and start exploring or getting creative with ways to entertain themselves. On our latest camping trip, one of the ways our kids found to entertain themselves, and us as well, was to tell “spooky stories” with their cousins. They shut themselves inside a tent for about an hour to think and practice, in secret, keeping us grown ups out of the loop. Then, later in the evening, they put on a spooky story show, where they took turns telling stories and acting it out. They were enthralled in their stories and put a lot of effort into the performance. Better than any show I’ve seen in a long time, for sure!

5. Create Memories to last a lifetime!

Time spent with family is never wasted. I don’t mean time merely in the same physical space, but time you take truly connecting with one another, talking, sharing interests, or playing together – even bonding over a common annoyance- like itchy bug bites! Camping gives us all this opportunity to step back from the busyness of our everyday lives and focus on the people around us. The kids won’t remember the hours you spent shopping and meal-planning in preparation. They won’t sigh over the tedious job of packing and unpacking, or look back in disgust over the 3 days you spent without a shower. They won’t yawn begrudgingly over the level of tiredness you felt after fighting over blankets all night. What they will remember is the time that they got to:

Play in the lake and explore the woods

Stay up past their bedtime to put on a “spooky story” show

See more stars in the sky than they ever thought was possible

Have hot cocoa at breakfast time just to stay warm

Catch tadpoles in a bucket to observe before setting them free

Spend 3 days straight with their cousins and grandparents

These are the things that will last in their memories for years to come. They will look back at this time fondly, and be thankful you decided to take them!

Camping Does Us All Some Good!

These are just a few of the benefits that I, personally, believe make camping with kids worth it! We recently with camping with 7 kids in tow (4 of them 2 years old and under). It was an adventure, to say the least! Yes, there are plenty of difficult aspects of camping and for this reason, it may not be something everyone chooses to do. If you’re on the fence, I’d encourage you to give it a try! Hey, worst case, you end up in a huge hail storm, flip over in your kayak, or find a snake in your tent? Then at least you’ll come home with a story to tell – making the trip will be all-the-more memorable!

Happy Camping!

Pssst…

if you are looking for a few helpful items for your camping trip, these are a few that were most beneficial to us:

Helpful Camping Accessories