Camping with a 9yr old - Things we have discovered!
When you’re out with your wee adventurer, it can be a chance to take stock of your own wellbeing. This could be the return to basics that you’ve been craving. It’s time in the outdoors, building a relationship with your kid and with the world around you. You get to guide them through a world that might influence them for the rest of their life, and you might both learn new skills! It can also be absolute carnage, so we thought we’d share some of the things our team have recently learned with their own little ones!
1. Food is key
Sometimes we don’t always fuel ourselves right, and we might get a bit grumpy, or feel a bit tired and under-motivated. Put this feeling into the body of a 9-year-old, and you will have a Tasmanian devil whose single purpose is to create as much destruction in their day as possible. We cannot overstate: TAKE. SNACKS.
2. Their sense of exploration is on point
One of the joys of kids is their ability to create anything, out of anything. Think you know this woodland like the back of your hand? Wrong. It is in fact a series of climbing frames, placed there exclusively for your entertainment. Never walk along that path because you’re not sure if it’s *worth* the effort, and it doesn’t lead anywhere in particular? Jokes on you, because it is in fact an unexplored territory, full of frogspawn, bogs, and deserted ruins that need to be conquered. This is also an opportunity for you to support the team, with snacks.
3. Expect to carry more than your fair share of equipment
Since you are a passenger in this wilderness journey, your role as sherpa must not be neglected. As the creative role is already a big enough burden for your child, you can expect to handle the food, first aid kit, tent, firepit, four hundred layers, waterproofs, chairs, sunscreen, and firewood. Don’t worry because the squad leader (your nine-year-old) will carry their plastic unicorn. You may also participate in part-time roles such as nurse, emotional support creature, GPS, and of course, a sacrificial “you go first” dummy. The dark places in those ruins aren’t going to check themselves. Bonus points for losing a shoe in a bog.
4. It’s the best bonding experience you could ask for
Routines can be really important for kids, because going off-piste and creating new experiences shine brighter in their memory. Being in the outdoors can bring you together to work as a team – in a way that perhaps everyday life doesn’t always have space for. Your kid gets a chance to learn an utterly new world, feeling safe and protected. Disconnecting from usual life also often involves a disconnect from screens, and it’s the perfect opportunity to chat and find out what’s going on in their life. The term “campfire conversations” is a cliché for a reason!
5. They are more resilient than you would think
It can be really easy to create a set of assumptions about what your kid can cope with. Cold, wet, hungry, scraped, bruised, are all things we generally try to avoid. Our kids have taught us that most of these things are a very cheap price to pay for having a chance to push themselves. A parental warning should be offered: you may see your child growing up in real time in the outdoors. They will start to deal with problems you normally solve for them, and ask how to do things for themselves. Offering them a safe place to explore and discover their connection to nature is one of the most important gifts we can give.
Feeling inspired?
Adventures aren’t a one-size-fits-all situation; big or small, your wee family will have an adventure preference that’s unique. One person’s backyard might be another person’s Everest; and we would absolutely recommend trying a campout in your backyard before heading out into the vast wilderness. The goal is to inspire your 9-year-old, not put them off for life!
At Beyond Adventure we do this kind of thing on a daily basis – with our clients and with our families. Please do get in touch for more tips, guidance, or just some inspiration about how to start camping with your little ones!
Related posts
CALL | EMAIL | SOCIAL | CONTACT
We are here to help make your experience an amazing memory to enjoy so, please get in touch for all the information you need.
CONNECT WITH US
