Lessons We Learned From Camping

Camping isn’t just about setting up a tent, getting a fire going and sleeping in the great outdoors. In fact, it can be a great asset to kids, helping them develop a love for the outdoors, enhancing their self-confidence and building invaluable hands-on skills.

Find Joy in the Simple Things

Sometimes, all it takes to clear your head is a good meal and a full night’s sleep. The hustle and bustle of everyday life can often be overwhelming, but being in the outdoors sleeping under the stars with your closest friends and family can easily melt that unwanted stress away. Doing something to treat yourself and allow yourself to relax isn’t always the easiest to fit into your schedule, but sometimes that little treat is exactly what you need.

Self Reliance

For many people, kids included, today’s world is one filled with technology and screens. There are fewer chances to build hands-on skills such as getting a fire going and cooking food over it. Watch your kids’ jaws drop as they realize they don’t even need a can opener to open a can.

These skills, as well as others, such as being able to identify edible plants and using a compass, show children that the world exists outside of all that technology. Here is a place where they can live a slower pace of life and learn to rely on themselves. Here is a place where they can challenge themselves creatively and physically. They also build their character and confidence in doing so.

A Love for the Outdoors

Speaking of the advent of technology, it seems that the outdoors are not as appreciated now as they used to be. Camping can change all that. Hiking, kayaking and fishing are just a few of the many fun activities you can introduce your children to. Plus, a love for the outdoors helps them become well-rounded people. They won’t be the same after smelling that fresh pine, after seeing the thousands of stars glimmering in the sky or after hearing the rush of a waterfall.

Appreciation for Family and Community

When you camp, you get to see family members in new ways. Perhaps the father who is busy with work a lot is suddenly accessible 24/7, and so is your mother. That annoying sister turns into a great storyteller around the campfire. The whole family pitches in together to set up tents, cook food and even entertain each other. Silly sides of your parents emerge amid the great outdoors, where birds chirp and squirrels frolic. Camping “forces” families, friends and groups to unplug and bond in a way that builds lifelong memories.

Respect for Luxuries

There’s nothing like a rain-soaked hike to make you appreciate how good you have it at home. That comfortable bed, the air conditioning, the deluxe shower are things you should never take for granted.

Of course, children are children, and they don’t always immediately appreciate the universal lessons that camping provides. When they’re adults, though, and you watch them charge forth with tremendous self-confidence and respect for their world, you know that you have done well.

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