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6 Reasons Why I Love Camping with Kids | A Virtuous Woman #camping

6 Reasons Why I Love Camping with Kids

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6 Reasons Why I Love Camping with Kids | A Virtuous Woman #camping

Camping is one of my all-time favorite activities to do as a family. Here are a few reasons why:

  1. It brings the family together. When you set off into the wilderness (or the nearest campground) together, you don’t bring along the television or the internet or any other type of electronic device. Well, I suppose in this day and age if you have cell phone service where you’re camping, you just might have the internet, too. But, our family has a rule about leaving that stuff turned off.
  2. You can find God in nature. There is so much to discover out there! From bugs to pretty leaves or even shells by the lake—where ever you look outside there is something to be found that tells us a little more about the character of God. How He pays attention to the little details in every aspect of this world. How He protects His little creatures and even more so His children.
  3. Camping is a wholesome and healthy activity. Breathing the fresh air, taking hikes on the trail, or hauling wood for the fire are all things that make you healthier inside and out. These days, families are very often sedentary most of the time. Outdoor activities get you up and moving. Being out in the wilderness doesn’t pollute the mind. In fact, just the opposite – it clears the mind! You can breathe out there!
  4. Learning to survive in the wilderness builds confidence. When a child learns to build a fire with just one match or how to build a fire in the rain or how to pitch a tent – or make an emergency shelter even, they learn something they can be proud of.
  5. There’s something so meaningful about singing worship songs around a campfire. When our family goes camping we take along worship books and our Bibles. We enjoy worship in the mornings and again in the evenings. Worshiping together as a family solidifies a relationship with Jesus in your children’s hearts.
  6. Cooking over a campfire makes food taste so good! I love cooking over a campfire. Sometimes we use a camp stove, but still, cooking over a fire is my favorite way to prepare food when we are camping. Whether we’re eating pancakes and fried eggs, hash browns, campfire stew, or breakfast burritos, the food just tastes amazing. Not to mention roasting marshmallows! Plus, when you’re taking hikes, braving the cold, and gathering wood for the fire you really work up an appetite.

6 Reasons Why I Love Camping with Kids | A Virtuous Woman #camping

I have camped with kids of all ages. Camping with young children is different from camping with older kids, but it can be done. Younger children may not be able to take long hikes without needing mom or dad to carry them, so be prepared. If you have an infant, why not get a sturdy frame backpack to put the baby in?

Embrace Your Child's Natural Curiosity | A Virtuous Woman

My girls love to catch bugs and snakes. Embrace your child’s passion for God’s creation and you will give them the gift of curiosity (and a love of learning) for the rest of their life. Just be sure to explain the rules for safety before you go camping and remind them often.

Camping is not just a summer activity. In fact, our family prefers to camp in the spring, fall, and late fall—just as winter is coming in. We have braved freezing temperatures more than once! Remember that being uncomfortable is not the end of the world and builds character if you have a good attitude about it. And when it’s cold outside – that campfire is even more wonderful.

Last October, I took my four daughters on an all-girl, four day, twenty-four mile backpacking trip into the wilderness of the Cumberland Mountains. My nine year old carried thirteen pounds on her back and the twelve year old carried twenty. You should have seen them go! The rest of us carried twenty-five to thirty-five pounds on our backs based on age and weight.

It rained for three days, the temperatures dropped down to freezing at night, and we slept on a tarp – not in a tent. My oldest daughter turned eighteen right about that time and she had requested a good quality pocket knife for her birthday present. You should have seen her whittle away the wood when she was building a fire in the rain. My sixteen-year-old told me after we returned home, “Mom, I never thought I’d be able to do something like that.”

Now, mind you, we are regular girls—not wilderness pros. We had never done anything like that before. I never even went camping once when I was growing up. But we survived the freezing rain and bitter cold, we learned even more the importance of working together, and we have an amazing story to tell – plus, we had fun doing it! We’re already planning our next adventure.

Camping or backpacking is worth the effort. If you haven’t tried it, I want to encourage you to do so. You just might surprised! You don’t have to be a former girl scout – I wasn’t. I have learned a lot by reading books and articles and then practicing what I’ve learned when I get out there. It’s not as hard as you might think.

In fact, you may just find that, like I did, camping together is one of the best experiences your family ever has.

Do you like to camp? How do you making camping with kids a great experience?

6 Reasons Why I Love Camping with Kids | A Virtuous Woman #camping

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life

    June 10, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    Oh we love camping too. Some of our best memories are made while we camp. Totally unplugging. I love it.
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      June 10, 2013 at 4:28 pm

      Elaine, thanks for sharing! I hope more families will try unplugging and taking off on a camping or backpacking trip with their kids! So worth it!
      Reply
  2. Samantha

    June 30, 2014 at 12:08 am

    We only have a 9 month old now, and camping is still a great way to get out and spend time with just us three. No distractions, church responsibilities, work, city pollution, or anything. Camping was a huge part of my families summers growing up, and we plan to keep this a trend as our family grows too. I love the all-girls backpacking trip. Great idea to strengthen confidence!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      June 30, 2014 at 10:03 am

      Hi Samantha, I think it's great you camp with your little one! Such good memories you are creating!
      Reply
  3. Brittany

    April 14, 2015 at 1:59 pm

    We always go camping for Memorial Day weekend & what started out as 16 adults getting together and spending quality family time together has turned into those adults plus 8 children 5 years and under added to the mix. Most people that hear us planning this think we are crazy but none of us would trade a minute of any of the weekend once a year we get to celebrate our family and how much it has grown in just a few short years!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      April 14, 2015 at 10:19 pm

      Brittany, sounds like a PERFECT weekend to me! We went on a group family camp out this weekend with 12 kids of all ages and it was a blast!
      Reply
  4. Laura L Macklem

    July 5, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    We love camping so much, we bought a motorhome! Yes, I know, some say this isn't "camping," but we found ourselves cancelling tent camping trips because of rain or cold. AND, we can bring our dog and leave her in the air conditioning if we want to sight-see when we travel. We love sitting around the campfire and telling stories, and cooking creations in our pie irons. It's great family time!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      July 6, 2015 at 7:39 am

      Sounds like a lot of fun! I certainly wouldn't mind owning a motor home!
      Reply

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Freedom from perfection. 🪁
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Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
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Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth#proverbs31women #proverbs31life #10virtues #daughteroftheking #jesuslovesme #womenoffaith #faithquotes #proverbs31
We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #wearethehomemakers
❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #christmas #holidayplanning #planningaddict #plannercommunity #freeprintables #thanksgiving #christmastree  #plannerobsessed
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