5 Reasons Why I Love Camping

As a child, camping, well proper camping was never really on our family’s radar. Whilst we spent one summer holiday in a French camping site tent complete with all mod-cons, and the occasional tent set up in the garden for me to play in during the day, we were never ‘camping people’. And getting off your face and sleeping it off in a tent at a festival whilst passing revelers steal your camping chair doesn’t really count either. 

Which is why I find myself slightly baffled at my apparent new-found desire to experience proper camping now I have children. 

I’m not sure if it’s a desire to rebel against my largely ‘online’ job and life and spend a few days away from screens and other tech? Or whether I’m simply reminiscing the hours spent as a child reading Famous Five and Secret Seven books, and planning adventures using plastic play-food stuffed in my rucksack and building ‘dens’?

Either way, I’m keen for our family to get in the great outdoors as much as possible, and once baby is a little older I can’t wait for us all to do more camping. After all, study after study has shown that children’s mental health is vastly improved spending time outdoors, as is the quality of their health and sleep, so it makes sense to find ways to spend time doing this. Not to mention the benefits of spending time as a family once you’ve got over the domestic involving putting the tent up whilst the children roam around in mud. 

Here are 5 reasons why I LOVE camping:

1. Family Bonding

Without the distractions of screens and telly, you have to *shock horror* have proper conversations with each other, and camping is such a great way to really connect with each other once again. We bring board games, and outdoor sports games to play, plus there’s nothing as primal or satisfying as a man (or woman) teaching their child how to make a campfire! 

2. Explore the UK cheaply

Camping is such a fantastically cost-effective way of seeing the UK- you can choose from, and then book, any one of a crazy number of sites all around the country. We have a UK bucket list that we’d like to work our way through, and I suspect a great deal of it will be seen whilst on a family camping holiday. With (nearly) 3 children, it’s such a purse-friendly way of holidaying with a larger family. 

3. Improve YOUR mental health

I mentioned earlier on in this post about the mental health benefits of the great outdoors when it comes to children. However, the same can definitely be said of adults too. I know I always feel revived and just wonderful after a trip to the countryside, and ready to tackle anything. I guess my Londoner lungs and brain just need some fresh air!

4. The chance to develop a hobby that lasts a lifetime

And what a great hobby it is, for all the things I’ve mentioned above, plus like any dedicated hobbyist, you get the chance to build up a decent collection of gear! Trespass do some brilliantly warm sleeping bags, plus some ace tents too to get you started. 

5. Learning new skills

Aside from tent erection, there is a whole plethora of skills that can be learned by the whole family when it comes to camping- knot tying, cooking outdoors, star gazing… even small children can help with food preparation and water collection. Camping really does let everyone get involved and bonds the family together. 

So that’s what I love about camping- if you’re a camper, what do you love most about your time spent in a tent? 

I’d love to know!

*In collaboration

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.