I grew up traveling and camping. One year, we were so fortunate and got to visit several of the US National Parks. It was amazing. Badlands, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon stand out the most to me. We saw Mount Rushmore. We visited Wisconsin Dells. We drove close enough to see Great Salk Lake in Utah. So many amazing sights were seen, and I long to experience them with my kids.
I checked out this book from the library so that we could see the closest park to us, and learn more about the others. Scott and I ended up loving it so much that we bought our own copy so we can mark it up and stamp it as we travel through the years.
We have had a tent for several years, but haven’t camped since 2012! Another book we got from the library is this one. We live in IL, but there are options for just about every state.
I recently read At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider. They packed up their family, including their young children, and traveled the globe for a year. The book was phenomenal. While it certainly didn’t make me want to travel the globe with my children at this age, it did make me realize that we are too limiting. I grew up camping. I grew up camping in a tent. I don’t have emotional scars. I have incredible memories.
Some of the memories are amusing– camping next to incredibly intoxicated men who belched ALL. NIGHT. LONG. I believe those same people came close to running over our tent with us in it, which was scary. My younger sister and I would get bored (of course) and went and played Pooh Sticks on a bridge over water. We swam in cold streams. We walked and fed ducks. We played games, roasted marshmallows, and ate delicious food. We were always worn out from playing all day, and would sleep well if the neighbors weren’t loud.
Why are we so hesitant to do these things with children? Is it because the world seems more scary? Perhaps. Often, I think we just don’t want to deal with the “hassle” of it all. It’s a lot of work to pack what you need for a camping trip. Planning for meals and sleeping on the ground is a little stressful. But, the memories made are so incredible.
Summer vacation is coming, and I want to encourage you to plan some adventures. They don’t have to be huge– like trips to a National Park. Just camping in your backyard. Exploring your town on foot. Playing in a sprinkler. Whatever it is, get messy and make memories.
If you do have plans to visit national parks, and have a 4th grader, sign up at Every Kid in a Park. Your fourth grader, even homeschooled, can get your family free entrance into national parks for a whole year! Chloe is going into fourth grade next year, and I can’t wait to get our pass! You can also get a pass if you are the educator of a fourth grade class!