Take your kids camping. It brings them out of their familiar surroundings and perceived safety of home and gives them a chance to grow. I learn from my kids that they are stronger, smarter, and more resilient than I sometimes give them credit for. By taking them out of their rooms and outside, it helps them to realize for themselves that they have those qualities too. By facing the natural apprehension of the dark, night time can become not about monsters in the closet, but about hikes by moonlight and stargazing. By feeling cold and wet, the warmth of a fire and hot chocolate can be appreciated. Without the distraction of technology and toys, games are made up and each project around the campsite a chance for learning.
I know from my own experience growing up, which I’m sure I’ll talk about more, that rising up to meet the challenges of the outdoors can give kids confidence that extends out into other areas of their lives. By taking kids camping, the experiences and activities can be matched to their skills and interests so that each camping trip is a new challenge, a new adventure, and a new accomplishment.
When H was three I took him camping in the back yard for the first time. We lived in the city at the time, and despite our yard actually being quite large for in the city, that first night that we camped, it was with cars and people walking past our picket fence, and anyone on the balconies on the apartment building next door looking down on us. We had rain and lightning. I thought for sure that H would hate it, but he slept the whole night through. His mother would say that it is because he loves his daddy. While I’m not sure that was just it, he has always loved the chance to sleep with me, especially in a tent.
From that night, he’s been my camping buddy. The next summer, after camping in the back yard a couple more times, we camped at the State Park 20 minutes up the road from our house. It was an easy choice since if anything got tough, we could just pack it back into the car and head back home if need be. We didn’t need to. We were fortunate enough to have a “walk-in” site. While the campsite was maybe only 500 feet from the parking lot where we left our car, to H it could have been miles. On that trip we started our camping tradition of night hikes. Night hikes are now a requirement of any camping trip with my boys.
Just this week H asked me if maybe next year we could go camping in the fall. The sense of time of a six year old is funny that way. I thought about it, and I don’t think that I’ve ever gone camping in the fall. When I was doing most of my camping, it was during the years that I was in school, so the fall always just seemed like it was a time for other things. Fall would be a great time of year to go camping. Alas, the rest of the weekends this fall are nearly all filled with weddings, work travel, and visiting family. On the other hand, maybe I should let my kids take me camping.
Ben