We recently returned from our second camping trip this year. This, however, was our first camping trip in a tent this year.
When our little guy was a year old we took him on his first camping trip, and to our surprise it went so well. Now that he is older we are taking full advantage on going on all the adventures we can.
We say it often but our goal is to inspire families to take their children outdoors and enjoy life in the wilderness. Before having our son, that was a big passion of ours, and we want that to pass down to him so he can also enjoy the many benefits being outdoors gives you.
Not only is spending time outdoors for children so much fun for them, but did you know there are so many benefits for your children that are so incredible?
Here’s a list of some benefits children get from being in the outdoors.
- Boosts their physical health
- Improves their mental well-being
- Improves their attention behaviours, self-regulation, and working memory
- Encourages them to adapt, take risks and test their abilities
- Promotes cognitive and social development
- Reduced stress levels, better moods, and improved concentration
- More naturally-attuned sleep rhythms
We thought we would pick 3 off the list that we’ve seen really benefit our son Liam:
Reduced stress levels, better moods, and improved concentration – We have noticed that whenever we do not get an opportunity to head outdoors, Liam’s mood tends to be different. However, if we take him out for a walk, hike or just to get some fresh air his mood instantly changes for the rest of the day. He is overall better behaved and in a happier mood.
Encourages them to adapt, take risks and test their abilities – Although this one can be scary at times, we’ve seen how Liam loves to just try out new things in nature. From climbing rocks to hearing the different sounds things make when they hit the water; being outside has allowed him the time to really adapt to the area he is in and we’ve also learned to just let him explore his without interference.
More naturally-attuned sleep rhythms – Like every child Liam has days where he struggles to fall asleep. However, one thing we noticed is the more time we would spend outdoors the better Liam would sleep at night. We believe the fresh air has helped him a lot.
When he was a year, we decided to go on our first camping trip with him, our biggest concern was his sleep. But we did not want the fear of what could go wrong with his sleep to stop us from doing what we loved. To our surprise he not only slept the entire night, but he actually slept a lot better than he would at home.
Amazing right? We are all over these especially when it comes to our son, knowing he is benefiting from all of this makes us want to spend more time outdoors.
We hope this continues to encourage families to try new things outdoors and see all the great things that can come from it. Plus you’ll be happy to look back at all the memories you made with your little ones.
We are Maritza, Brandon, and Liam, and together we form The West Coast Family. We are from British Columbia, Canada. We love to camp, hike and spend every opportunity outdoors especially with our son. Our goal is to raise our son in the outdoors and prove that children shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love. We hope we can inspire other families to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Follow us along on Instagram to see more of our great adventures @thewestcoastfam.