Camping with Kids: Four Life Lessons
We’ve been writing about camping with kids this week, but we’ve left the biggest question for last: why do it? After all, roughing it can be, well, rough. Kids can learn a lot when they’re camping, though. Today we’re sharing four life lessons your whole family can learn while spending time in the great outdoors.
Four Life Lessons Kids Learn When Camping
1. The Joy of Unplugging
Compared to when we were kids, our children are exposed to a lot of media thanks to smart phones and tablets. “Screen time” no longer refers to only the TV or computer. Many parents find themselves spending a lot of time looking at screens, as well, now email, text messages and social media follow us around wherever we go. When you’re camping, though, you’re forced to unplug. Spending quiet time in nature away from all the screens that fill our daily lives is an amazing opportunity. Sure, kids may complain a little at first, but in no time at all they’ll find other ways to entertain themselves.
2. An Appreciation for Nature
The natural world is a truly amazing place, and spending time immersed in the great outdoors is the best way to enjoy it. As your kids spend time hiking, swimming, playing and exploring the campsite, they’re getting up close and personal with the natural world. Camping can help cultivate a life-long appreciation for the natural world. Many adult environmentalists talk about how time spent camping helped them understand just how important it is to take care of nature. Wouldn’t it be great if more children had that experience?
3. The Fun of Family Togetherness
When we all put our screens away, we suddenly find ourselves interacting more. The same holds true for escaping from work and school and extracurricular activities. When you’re camping with your kids this translates to more time spent bonding as a family. Meals aren’t rushed affairs as you get ready to head to dance and baseball and the PAC meeting. You’re even spending more time together at night, as you all share a tent or RV, with much less space than you have at home.
4. Gratitude
Our modern lives are pretty cushy. Time spent camping can help cultivate gratitude about all of the little luxuries we enjoy every day. Your kids might not be able to conceive of a world without electricity and running water and ice cream in the freezer. When you’re camping they can see just how much they really have. You might be reminded yourself, as well. And just think of how amazing that first shower back home will feel after your camping trip.
What life lessons have your children learned while camping?
