10 Reasons to Take Your Family Camping This Summer
With June on the horizon the cool fall days that were once filled with new books, freshly sharpened pencils, and an excitement for a new school year seem a distant memory.
As the days grow longer we start to feel a desperate need for a change of scenery.
The warmer weather calls us out, beckoning us to embrace a more relaxed schedule filled with barbecues, sprinklers, late nights, and sleeping in, but the loudest cry of all is the call to adventure!
For ourfamily, one of the greatest joys of summer is to go camping together and we areblessed by the opportunities all around us to do so.
Here arejust a few of the benefits we have found camping as a family.
1) Getting Away
Summer breakfor homeschool families is unique in that it is not the only time of year weare home together, so we do not have to ‘re-acclimate’ to one another, nor do ourkids have the ‘newness’ of home thatthose sent away each day experience on break.
Camping allows us to get out of thehouse for a change of scenery, learning and growing together in a new way, in anew place.
We always make sure we go just beyond cell service where there are no screens,no phones and no to-do-lists; where neither the yard work nor the houseprojects are staring at us; a place where there is nothing but time: time to bein the moment with one another, time to explore, run, climb and play, time topick wildflower bouquets and make dirt tea, time to throw rocks and dig in thedirt.
Camping gets us away from the daily grind and the distractions that try to lureus into a life of doing rather than being.
2) Breeding Creativity
Many people believe that we need to give our childreneverything: the newest toys, planned out activities, and constantentertainment. They think that it is our job to ensure that our children arenever bored.
We believe one of the greatest things we can do for our kids is to send themoutside with nothing and watch their imaginations, their minds and theircreativity grow.
It is amazing what a child can create when you remove the conventional craftclosets and toy bins and replace them with a forest full natures greatest‘supplies’ to bring life to their ideas.
Worlds are created from tree falls, feasts prepared from foraged ingredients, creekgames invented and played with fervor. Ideas become realities, inventions andbeautiful creations.
3) CultivatingFlexibility-
“I forgot the ketchup.”
This short sentence uttered at camp has surely sent the family into a tailspin,complete with ‘how could you’ glares and all.
When there isn’t an endless supply of everything and the store is not down theroad, we must be flexible.
When our boots are wet and our tennis shoes are wetter, we must be flexible.
When we forgot to cover the food and the raccoon ate the last of the ribs, wemust be flexible.
Camping gives us many chances to cultivate flexibility, whether intentional ornot.
4) Providing a Greater Education than MoneyCould Buy -
While some of us can sit back and read a book in the sun all day, others can’tbe still for more than 5 minutes; and so begins the incredible education thathappens in the woods as daddy leads them down a road of adventure-filledlearning.
They engineer tree log bridges acrosscreeks, ponds for the fish they catch, shooting ranges and obstacle courses; theynavigate using maps, compasses, and all that surrounds them to discover wherethey have been and where they want to go.
They learn how to build fire, identify tracks, and classify plants.
This is where every school subject is covered in an hour of ‘play.’
5) Hearing the Sounds of the Most BeautifulOrchestra –
Out there we hear no dings, rings or bleeping reminders; instead, we hear thesound of the wind blowing, the water flowing, and the birds chirping; composed together with children’s laughter,fire crackling and trees creaking. There is no greater sound.
6) Giving an Opportunity to Work Together -
When the early morning comes, thechildren are sent out to build the first fire of the day, together. They work as a team finding the perfect firestarter, collecting the chopped wood and blowing the first spark. As the daygoes on, they work together building forts, carrying logs across creeks toexplore the other side and hauling buckets of water to build their ponds; allthings they couldn’t do on their own. They have a vision together, they havedreams together and they need one another to execute their plans.
7) Having Deep Talks Around the Campfire-
“Mommy? Who was daddy before hewas daddy?” We are asked around thecampfire.
We are reminded that the deep questions that are asked now, when they arelittle, become the deeper talks that will happen later, as they grow.
Something about poking atembers with a willow stick brings out the most profound conversations.
This is where, so often, the hearts of our children are poured out; around thecampfire.
8) Stopping Time -
When camping, time stands still.
No appointments. No clocking in or out.
The sun wakes you up and the stars lay you down. We eat when hungry and we play until we needa rest.
The original clock becomes our time keeper once again.
9)Having an Excuse for Junk Food –
Bedtime s’mores, hot coco each morning,and real chocolate chip cookies (not the one’s with spinach that mom makes athome) are some of our great camping traditions that will grow into greatcamping memories.
10) Remembering the Greatest Thing -
When we are under the stars, surrounded by nothing but creation, we arereminded of how vast and great our Creator is; The One who made all of this forus to enjoy. We see His glory and we praise His name.
So, from one homeschool family toanother: Congratulations! You made it through another school year.
Now it’s time to go on an adventure. Take that same passion for learning andcarry it into this new, warmer, greener season!
Pack up your tent and go!
Just don’t forget the bug spray!
