Any campers out there? Raise your hand if you do not like camping with kids? Well, I’m going to do my best to change your mind about camping with kids. 🙂 But first let me tell you a little story.

Growing up we went camping a lot with my family. We did a lot of lake camping. Two amazing things rolled up in one pretty little package. Ha, at least it was for us kids. Boating and camping. Camping and boating. Two loves of mine.

One time when we were camping at Strawberry Reservoir we had a tent incident. Strawberry Reservoir can get pretty windy at times. It was sometime in the middle of the night when all of a sudden our tent started to BLOW and  FALL DOWN!! So what does my dad do? He runs out of the tent to hold it up, it’s the logical thing to do. In his UNDERWEAR!!! Bahaha! For some reason it has always made me laugh and gave me such fond memories of camping. Don’t ask me to tell you anything else about that particular trip, because I can’t.

But this leads me to my first reason why camping with kids is awesome…

Memories

Who doesn’t want their kids growing up with some great memories? I for sure do. We have spent countless hours talking and reminiscing with our families about when we were little. We have had so many laughs. Hubby and I talk a lot about the things we loved when we were little and how we want to make some of those things traditions for our kids.

My kiddos also love to hear stories about when Hubby or I were little. They can retell many of those stories. It has also helped me to think more about my childhood. I have been able to recall more stories that I had forgotten about.  Memories are something we can take with us. We may not always have our cherished stuffed animal or toy but our memories about them, we will have. Some of my greatest memories have been time spent with my family and camping is sure one of them.

When we were on a camping trip this summer I had the chance to have a few moments of alone time. Ahhhhh! I had just laid Miss N down for a nap in the tent. Most everyone else went for a walk. A few others were in their campers. I decided to sit by the fire. I gazed around me at the almost magical scenery. It was breathtaking! The evergreen trees were beautifully tall and strong as they swayed in the breeze. If the rocks and stumps could talk they would have wonderful stories to share. The few wild flowers had their bursts of color in this world of green and brown. The breeze was fresh and cool as my hair blew in the wind.

I couldn’t help it but get overwhelmed at the beauty that was surrounding me. Our world is amazing! Many times I think that the most beautiful things around the world are far from me. But in my “backyard”, not more then 40 minutes from my house is such an amazing scene.

The second reason why camping with kids is totally worth it is…

Being in Nature

Nature is amazing! We could all stand to get outside a bit more. Especially in the cooler mountains! Being in nature can help calm you. It can get you to slow down. You can get some vitamin D. Even going for a walk can do wonders on your soul. But sleeping in nature, it just takes it to a whole new level of awesomeness. The stars, the quiet, the smell, the wildlife. At times it feels as if the world is standing still while you get to hang out in nature. I seem to care less about germs and not worry about them as much. My kids get to a whole new level of dirty and we just don’t care too much. Of course we are washing our hands and not rolling in mud. But I’m sure the rolling in mud would be a lot of fun for them. It is so much fun to be able to see the world in a different view and perspective. Being out in nature sure gives you this.

Who has heard this way too many times?? “Can I watch a show?” My littles ask a lot, way more then I’d care to hear. Sometimes they can and sometimes they can’t. As of now they need to finish their Daily Routines before they can watch a show. They sure try to get our phones but it’s not something we let our kids play with. Nor do we let them play on the computer. It seems that kids feel they need to be connected to technology or they might DIE! 😉

So one way to solve that problem is to take them camping and they (and you) can…

Unplug From Technology

I’m not dissing technology. I use it way too much at times. It can make life easier. And it also makes life foggy. It is great to be able to take time away from technology. And camping is one great reason. After all it is kind of hard to pack a TV and computer. 😉 If there are no technology options available then it will be less likely that your darling kiddos will be asking to play on them. Taking a break from technology can help put things into perspective. It is so nice to not have to check your social media accounts or see what your friends are doing. They will be there when you get back, I promise. Once our eyes are off the screens then we will be able to create wonderful memories, absorb all that the beautiful nature has to offer, and engage with others more.

Growing up my grandparents lived on a couple acres of land. They had a ditch running through their property, sometimes it was on and other times it was off. There were little bridges, lots of trees, and places to explore. It was a BLAST to play there with my sisters and cousins. We would get huge leaves to be fish and grab a branch to be our fishing pole. Pooh Sticks anyone? We would play hide and go seek in my grandpa’s garden when the corn was high enough. We would make houses in the denseness of the trees and bushes. It was amazing! We played different there then we did at home or other places.

Sometimes kids need to break away from their regular play and have a…

Different Kind of Play

We make a point to not bring our everyday, regular toys when we go camping. We have a camping kid tub that has some toys and art stuff. When I say toys it has a football, a doll, and games. Plus we bring the kids bikes. But other then that we leave the house without toys. There are a few reasons why: 1) I don’t want to keep track of their toys to make sure we get them back home. 2) I don’t want to have to wash the toys when we get home. And 3) being in nature kiddos get to use their imagination, explore, and play in a different way.

It is so important to set out of the norm and do something different. I love watching my kids get creative with their cousins while we are camping. They turn into explorers as they run around the camp spot. They find rocks to paint and create with. They ride their bikes around. Going for walks or hiking is always a must when we go camping. Have I mentioned how much I love to play games? Have I mentioned how much I want to pass that love of games onto my children? Growing up we would play a lot of card games when we camped.  Mr. E and Miss L are getting old enough to start learning more games. We have been having fun playing games together. We often times go on nature walks or scavenger hunts looking for specific nature things. It is a great time to get creative and let their imaginations flow.

Hanging out in the tent with my cousins. Eating yummy food. Going for hikes and bike rides. Playing games by the light of the camp lantern. Sitting and talking by the firelight at the camp fire. Roasting marshmallows. All of these things are enjoyable and loads of fun. But, what makes it the best is doing all of those things with my family.

Camping helps to promote…

Great Family Time

Trips in general give you lots of great family time. But shove all of you in a tent and BAM! You get to also have some great close proximity time. 🙂 Mix in the no technology and you really get some great undivided attention with your loved ones. Take advantage of this time to make some memories with each other. Ones that your children will love to share with their little ones down the road.

I can’t wait to hear about any camping trips you have planned. What are some reasons you either love or hate camping with kids? Would you like to know what is in my kid camping tote? And would it be helpful to make a camping list printable?

Xoxo

Stephanie