8 Reasons to go Camping with Young Kids and Why It’s Beneficial

Camping with young kids (especially if they're your own!) is a great activity to help the family bond together and connect with nature. There are so many camping activities for kids, and being outdoors can teach them so many things that can then be applied in other aspects of their lives. Here are our top 8 reasons to get outdoors and go camping with young children, and why it's so educational and beneficial for them!

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Camping with the kids is usually an activity that will be done outdoors, and anything outdoors will help them appreciate nature. Just walking outside, and using their senses will help with their mindfulness. Smelling the flowers, the trees, and grass. Stepping on fresh dew, and crunchy leaves. Seeing the different shades of green, blue skies, and twinkling stars. Touching the rough bark of a tree and peeling its skin off to reveal the silky smooth inside. Hearing the birds call out to each other, and tasting the soft rain that falls.

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Just watching the adults create a fire for food or warmth will get kids to understand that we need the basic tools to survive in the outdoors. At home, things will be taken for granted; lights, heating, power, cooked food. But when you’re outdoors, you learn which plants are poisonous or spiky, how to keep safe and warm in the woods, how important it is to be hydrated, and other basic skills that we don’t usually think about or need. 

Teach Your Kids some Basic Knots for Camping!

Being outdoors gives us a sense of respect for everything, from the tiniest little bug, to the largest and oldest trees. Taking kids on a camping trip teaches them to respect these things, and realise that nature is bigger than all of us. Teach them to not litter, and to always take rubbish back with you, even if it’s gross! Kids (and adults) will always want to touch things, but make sure they realize that everything should be placed back where it was found, whether it was that beautiful shiny seashell, or that cute little ladybird. We always use the mantra of ‘Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints’ which is easy for the kids to remember!

Connecting with nature, instead of connecting online all the time is great for the kids and for the adults. So often as adults, we are using our computers, tablets, phones, for work and for relaxation. And this even translates to kids. Being online is a necessary and sometimes wonderful pastime, but once in a while, it’s good to switch off. Camping with kids and being outdoors is a good excuse to turn those phones off (or at least on silent), and have a few hours, and even days, where no one is checking their social media!

In this busy world, we always want everything now, and with the least amount of effort. Getting the kids to help you put up the tent is always a mission, but it teaches them that doing it properly will have the biggest payout (and somewhere to sleep!). Finding hiking trails while camping is also a great part of the outdoor adventure. Putting that one foot forward, and then the other, helps kids learn endurance, even when they don’t want to!

When sleeping away from the comforts of their bedroom, kids learn to gain confidence without night lights and without all of their stuffed toys. If they need the bathroom at night, of course mom and dad will be there to hold their hand, and make the journey more of an adventure. We find that kids who are used to the outdoors feel more confidence and are less afraid of new challenges, and sometimes they even have better sleeps outdoors!

Even if you’re not planning on hiking or climbing much, just being outdoors means that you and the kids will be moving more. Exercising isn’t always fun, but being outdoors disguises the exercise as just everyday activities, such as putting up and pulling down the tent, swimming in a waterfall, hiking to that ridge for that viewpoint, gathering firewood, etc.

Getting outdoors, and camping with the family is not something that we can do every weekend, but when you do, it makes a difference. It’s a time for dad and mom to switch off, and talk to their kids. It’s the time when kids can learn to appreciate and respect nature, and stimulate all of their senses. It helps them learn to use their time wisely, enjoy the journey, and reap a reward. It’s also just a great exercise tool, and something that will create memories for the whole family to enjoy.

There you have it!

There are many more excuses to take your kids camping or hiking outdoors this season. But these are some great reasons to motivate you to get out THIS weekend and do something fun in nature with your kids!