Reasons I Like Tent Camping

When kids are this age

1. Leaving home for several days reminds us that our life on earth is transient.

2. Committing a few days to surviving in the elements puts domestic worries into perspective.

3. I quickly discover how necessary or unnecessary certain material possessions are.

4. Any electronics that may have been snuck into the kids’ bags will eventually run out of power.

   

5. Spending hours sitting around the campfire, prompts me to ask, “What do I want to be doing with my time?”

6. The natural world and the power of God in the sky, ocean, mountains, plants, and animals becomes far more impressive and awe-inspiring.

7. Dirt doesn’t matter as much. You just expect everyone and everything to get dirty and it’s no big deal.

8. The kids come up with new ideas of how to spend their time.

   

   

   

9. Food tastes better when camping.

10. Food becomes simpler. Hot dogs, cheese and salami, cereal, baked potatoes and a can of baked beans.

11. The more you eat the less you have to pack up to take home.

12. Cooking over an open fire smells delicious, builds anticipation, and doesn’t stink up the whole house.

13. The kids go to sleep quickly once they crawl into their sleeping bags. They run around all day, biking, hiking, chasing other kids, and generally exhausting themselves.

14. The mornings are so quiet and still.

15. There’s no need to rush.

16. Someone else cleans the bathrooms.

17. The other kids in the campground provide playmates and lessons on interacting with others.

18. My kids push their limits physically, socially, and spiritually. Lee climbed a mountain on his own. Benny learned to ride his big brother’s bike. Rose climbed trees. All the kids tried out our neighbors’ electric scooters.

    

    

19. Beds become a sacred space of privacy and rest.

20. When I return home, I have a greater appreciation for my bedroom with its ample number of blankets and regulated air temperature.