Take Your Kids Camping This Summer!
By Melissa Lang
Why spend summer inside or at the movies when you can take your kids camping and enjoy the outdoors? Not only will camping be a great way for you all to get out of the city, but your kids will benefit from the experience too!
1. Teach your kids about nature
When it comes to technology, your kids are probably way more advanced than you already. This summer put the iPads down and spend some quality time with your children learning about the great outdoors.
The longer you spend on a camping trip the more comfortable your kids will become with nature. Let them know that they are safe in a family environment – try to teach them about the animals that are living in their surrounding and the plants growing beneath their feet.
Take your kids camping and let them discover the natural world sans electronics, TVs, and the distractions of the digital age.
2. Teach camping skills
You are never done teaching your kids new skills. Knowing how to and where to camp is a skill in itself.
Camping is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone, reassure your kids that the more they camp the easier it becomes. Last year in a study of campers, on average people planned to take three camping trips each year.
If you teach your kids how to camp properly, you will teach them skills they can pass on. And they will they will learn they can do a lot with just a little bit of time or resources.
How often do your kids ask what they are getting for dinner, expecting pizza or fries from your freezer? We can all take for granted what we have waiting for us at home. Make a one-pot dish by the fireside to show your kids that not everyone eats food packaged in a box.
3. Get active!
Whether you go swimming in a nearby lake or take a hike, taking kids camping is a great way to help them stay active! Kids are staying inside more than ever. In fact, a study carried out recently showed that three-quarters of children are now spending less time outdoors than inmates of prisons. But you can change that statistic by taking your kids camping!
4. Travel affordably
Traveling doesn’t always have to be expensive. Camping is an affordable way to travel with your whole family while exploring the outdoors. (i.e tents, sleeping bags, etc.)
You’ll need to rent or buy the basics (tent and sleeping bags), but once you do camping is much cheaper than staying in a hotel. And a car ride will no doubt be cheaper than an airplane ticket. Buying camping equipment now will pay off when you are still having great family trips in years to come. When starting out, go for a max of two or three nights to get your kids used to sleeping outside.
5. Meet new people
Meeting other families can be one of the best parts about taking your kids camping. The kids can socialize with others from different backgrounds and make new friends along the way.
Want to get to know other families better? Invite them to your campsite in the evening for hot chocolate, s’mores, a campfire, and if your kids are brave enough…scary stories!
6. Take time out from city life
Spending time with your kids away from work is one of the most important reasons to take a camping trip. Ditch the 9 to 5 life for a few days and make memories they will always remember. By exploring new surroundings, you and your kids can learn things together and will be a great experience for all of you!
