Boost your child’s wellbeing: 5 benefits of camping with your kids this summer
Category: Outdoors, Adventure, Family
Author: Franki Clemens
July 25, 2024
When I asked my almost-five-year-old son what his favourite thing about camping is, he answered without any doubts: marshmallows, warming up around the fire, playing, and being able to sleep in a tent. As a family we’ve taken our two kids – Wilfred who is four and Faye who is one - camping on several occasions and each time it’s brought out the very best in our children and in us as parents.
When you dig a little deeper, it makes a lot of sense why camping as a family brings out the best in us. Camping connects us to the way we used to live as humans, bringing us closer to nature, guiding us to live more communally, and offering boundless freedom (particularly for our children). Let’s explore some of the top reasons for choosing camping as your next family holiday this summer.
1. Boosts mental health and wellbeing
In Japan it’s common to practise ‘forest bathing’, known locally as shinrin yoku, which is the process of being calm and quiet among trees, observing nature and breathing deeply. It’s said to destress and boost the wellbeing of both children and adults. Studies have shown that nature and being outside are particularly beneficial to our mental health. Encouraging our children to actively connect with, observe and appreciate nature can promote calmness and reduce anxiety. Camping naturally brings us much closer to nature for an extended period of time. We’re also more physically active whilst camping - having to set up tents, building fires, playing games and walking to and from the kitchen/ bathroom facilities – all this physicality is excellent for our mental health.
My son (on the right) with his cousin and uncle, enjoying some campsite reading.
I’ve found that during our camping trips, my children are calmer, more content, and more adventurous. It also has a positive effect on my wellbeing as a mum, which in turn has a positive effect on my children. It really is a win-win.
2. Budget-friendly family getaway
Booking family trips away during the school holidays can notoriously break the budget and leave parents feeling far more stressed out than relaxed. The costs of flights, accommodation, excursions, and restaurants can very quickly reach eye-watering levels, particularly over school-holiday peak seasons. Camping offers the ideal solution for a wholesome and adventurous family holiday at a fraction of the price. You’ll need to invest in basic camping equipment, like tents, but many camping items can be bought for reasonable prices from websites like Galaxus or Decathlon. Once you’ve made this initial investment, booking a camping pitch for a week or more comes at a much more palatable price.
3. Offers freedom and fuels creativity
I live in a big city with busy streets, which means that when I’m out and about with the kids I’m constantly having to be vigilant and keep my kids out of harm’s way. My anxiety levels instantly kick into action when I’m near busy streets with my kids. I can always feel my body relax the minute we step into a park or forest where the kids can roam freely. Camping takes this to the next level – a family-friendly campsite should offer ample space for the kids to explore freely and safely. This means that with clear ground rules, you can allow your older children to play more unsupervised, which is good for their social development and boosting their confidence. Campsites are also social spaces where kids can make friends with more ease and discover new ways of playing.
My daughter’s first camping trip, she loved all the new sights and experiences.
Another benefit of camping is how it can fuel our children’s creative thinking. With a new campsite comes a new perspective and connectivity to the outdoors, both ideal ingredients for creative thinking. In a study cited by Science Direct, research shows that being outdoors has the ability to evoke creative thinking by making us more curious, able to come up with new ideas, and be more flexible in our way of thinking. These are huge benefits we can offer our children by going on a simple camping trip.
4. Builds reslience in children
Dutch children are inspiringly resilient. In Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison’s The Happiest Kids in the World: Bringing Up Children the Dutch Way, they talk about how from an early age Dutch children cycle to school no matter the weather. Come rain, snow or sunshine, they’re on their bikes cycling away! It’s believed to teach kids grit and resilience and that life is not always a walk in the park. Interestingly, in the book it’s cited that people who are more resilient are more likely to report high life satisfaction and better control over emotions.
Camping is another way of teaching your children grit and resilience. You may be faced with rain, wind, muddy terrain or scorching sunshine whilst camping and your kids may not be at their most comfortable. However, this will teach them many valuable life skills, like having to adapt and be helpful, and you’ll probably be surprised by how much they’ll come to the party when they need to.
5. Promotes family bonding
One of the most special things of camping is how it brings families together. The mental health benefits of being outdoors in a camping environment sets a good foundation for children and parents to connect with one another. Even the simplest of tasks of making a meal, building a fire or setting up a tent become great shared adventures and offer kids a clear opportunity to contribute to the tasks at hand.
Celebrating a special birthday with family in the campsite.
Time also seems to slow down when we go camping and we learn to appreciate one another and simple things like warming up around a fire. On our last camping trip, I walked my son to the bathroom before bedtime across a big field. We walked hand in hand admiring the glorious full moon shining down on us. The simple act of walking to the bathroom turned into a beautiful memory etched in my mind.
With all these fantastic benefits on offer, make the most of this summer and book that camping trip with the kids. Whether you opt for an exotic faraway campsite or one that’s down the road from home, you’ll enjoy the same benefits and be sure to return home feeling recharged.
"Make the most of the summer and book that camping trip with the kids"
Top Tips for family camping trips
Keep meals simple
When we go camping, we don’t have fancy cooking utensils and equipment, so we always try to keep meals as simple as possible. A simple sauce with pasta for dinner or granola and yoghurt for breakfast will do the trick. And don’t forget to pack plenty of snacks for the kids.
- Be more flexible with schedules
Napping and sleeping routines tend to go a bit haywire when camping, so make peace with this before you book a camping trip! Excitement levels are usually at a record high for the kids, especially on the first day or two, so we let them stay up later than usual. They play and explore new things right up until bedtime, which usually means that they sleep well. After a few days they do tend to settle into more of a regular sleep routine.
- Pre-pack key items
We often go camping with my sister-in-law and her family and they are enviably organised campers. One of their tricks is to always have a big plastic box pre-packed with camping essentials like a gas stove, cloths and bin bags, so that it’s always ready to go.
- Get creative
·Whilst kids tend to entertain themselves for the most part (particularly when they can play with other kids), it’s a good idea to have a few simple ‘forest school’ activities up your sleeve. Take along some string, masking tape, coloring pens, and scissors, so that the kids can draw on stones and make nature-inspired objects like leaf mobiles and magic wands.
BBQs are a great way to cook while camping (this is my husband preparing sausages).
Quote from a camping mum:
Lucy Eborall, a London-based mum of three, says:
“We love the freedom camping gives to the children. Living in a city, it feels like the kids lack the ability to roam. Ideally, we pick a campsite that’s secure so that they can wander - they adore it. We also love the sense of adventure it offers our kids – it’s their favourite place to be. On the downside, it’s nearly impossible to travel light as a parent, so packing and unpacking can be laborious. Kids waking early with the sun is a risk, but I highly recommend investing in a tent with black-out lining – it’s a game changer.”
If you’d like to experience the benefits of camping, but in luxurious comfort, check out our article on glamping in the mountains in Canton Valais.
About Franki
Franki is a mum of two, originally from South Africa, she now lives in London with her young family.
Image credits: Franki Clemens and family
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