Camping with kids: How to build family connections outdoors
April 16
As the school year comes to an end, consider planning a family reset trip. No busy schedules or routines, just fresh air and time together.
For our family, our favorite type of reset trip is camping. Because we have young children, we enjoy a camping experience that’s easy like renting a cabin. Camping allows us to slow down as a family and just enjoy time being together. Some of our favorite family memories come from our camping trips, spending quality time that feels hard to find at home or during a busy school year.
Here are five ways to unplug and enjoy camping as a family:
1. Enjoy the outdoors. Being at a campground just makes being outdoors a given. Our children rarely come inside, and they spend hours and hours socializing with other campers, riding bikes and playing sports. Some campgrounds provide a fun-filled schedule with activities for all age groups too.
2. Cook as a family. There are no rushed schedules when camping, so spend quality time cooking simple meals outdoors. That also means no worries about cleaning up a messy kitchen!
3. Campfire time. Spend your nights around a campfire sharing stories or merely having conversations you otherwise wouldn’t have time for at home. Bring out a deck of cards or other games to play too.
4. Take family walks. Especially if you are camping somewhere with nice weather, take advantage of it, and go on multiple walks as a family. My favorite times during camping are when the kids, dogs and I explore the surrounding area at sunrise. An added bonus is getting exercise without it feeling like a workout.
5. Guilt-free rest. Unplug and reset by enjoying naps on a hammock or by reading on a camp chair. Take in these slow moments that would otherwise not be available to you at home.
What are ways you and your family have enjoyed camping or otherwise spending time together? Share your thoughts and ideas with us on the Arizona PBS Kids Facebook page!
About the author
Marissa Will is the mother of two, Olivia (8) and Logan (7). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent over 10 years educating third graders, with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.
