8 Reasons Why Camping with Kids is the Best

Top 8 Reasons why Camping with Kids is the Best! Think it’s too hard to take the kids camping – there’s a lot of reasons why its a great idea Reasons to take your kids camping… Since COVID, more and more Australian families have decided to hit the road and go camping! If you ask me, it’s a welcome side effect and distraction to the pandemic. Over the last few years, there have been a number of very large studies that have shown kids are spending less time outdoors, and are less connected to the natural world. A recent article: Natural Childhood (Stephen Moss, The Nation Trust UK) even coined a new term for this, “Nature Deficit Disorder”. Simply put, nature has a lot of competition these days – the image of children spending hours in front of TV’s, devices, and consoles are becoming all too commonplace.    While we could discuss the reasons and issues why this phenomenon has developed in our modern world, like traffic, “stranger danger”, and the resulting modern “helicopter parents,” who watch and direct their kid’s every move, denying them the freedom they enjoyed when they were themselves growing up. We’re going to focus on how regular camping trips away with the kids can be a great way to reconnect with nature, spend more quality time with the family, and help you raise more resilient adults, and create memories that will last a lifetime.  And with that – here’s Platinum Campers top 8 reasons why camping with the kids is the best! 1. It teaches them not all holidays don’t need to cost heaps You can grab a campsite for $20 bucks – try to find a hotel room for that amount! When first starting out in a tent, with just a small outlay of a couple $100 dollars you can be out in the bush, on the beach, or in the outback before you know it. Plus with the money you save on accommodation, you can do more activities at your destination!  2. Help develop their sense of Adventure! Camping, even if it’s just for one night is awesome! New environments, unfamiliar sights and sounds, other kids to meet and play with, a tent or camper trailer to help put up and sleeping under the stars all make for a fun-filled adventure.  Some say it’s in our genes, the Wanderlust gene (DRD4-7R), a sense of adventure ensures life remains open and full of possibilities; promoting the positive outlook that underpins great current, and future mental health. 3. You can see more stars and go Stargazing The night sky is full of stories, adventures, and curiosities. And when out camping, you usually are away from the bright lights of civilization and will be able to see literally 1000’s of more stars than at home. Let your eyes adjust to the night sky and start talking about stars, Earth and out place in the Universe. Not only is gazing into the night sky one of many ways to encourage your child’s natural love of learning, it’s also a step toward raising thoughtful, introspective, universe-conscious people.  4. Camping helps build resilience Too often today kids, remain in their comfort zones; and let’s be honest, we parents can sometimes fall into the same traps. We’re all spending more time indoors than ever before. This environment, for many, is predictable, secure, and closely monitored. While stability is good, being inside constantly stimulated won’t help a child to develop confidence & resilience. Helping to put up a tent, finding the campsite shop and being sent to pick up supplies, dealing with adversity (broken poles, forgotten tent pegs, bad weather), by comparison are all great ways of building resilience. When kids learn that they can deal with adversity, they become more robust and confident adults. 5. Camping gives kids the freedom to explore and be creative As a parent, I understand the worry of letting your kids play alone outside in 2021. The world in a sense has become a more dangerous place. But, having the freedom to play, explore and generally behave the way children should is one of the vital elements missing from modern life for many children. Family-friendly campsites are a safe, and secure environment for kids to play and explore in, giving them a sense of freedom. This freedom, along with the more natural environment is a great way to boost creativity. Being bored gives kids the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination to play games and entertain themselves; something they typically don’t need to do when they’re at home. 6. Get the kids moving and exercising (without forcing it) Camping with kids in a word, is an Adventure! It’s not just about sitting on camp chairs all day, sure some days, but not most of them! Depending on where you camp, when you get up in the morning there is a world of possibilities. Hiking, canoeing, playing beside the creek and swimming, collecting firewood, climbing trees, playing hide and seek, the list is literally endless. Brought bikes? Riding on the dirt and over bumps in a new environment is a lot of fun!  Obviously the sort of exercise your kid does will depend on age and your campsite, but the main point here is you are all moving and outside, and most importantly, hopefully having fun!  7. They make new friends – And so do you One of the best parts of camping is the new friends and people you meet along the way. And the same goes for your kids! Chances are there are other families camping nearby and the kids have the chance to explore together. I never worry about them getting bored because they always find someone to hang with and these kids are typically avid campers too, so they already have that in common. And of course – you will have a lot in common with the parents!  8. You’re creating lifelong memories Why do memories matter? Happy memories are not just