Gadgets are great. They educate. They entertain. They keep us connected. But, for too many families, gadgets are also attention hogs. They can easily suck kids into endless hours of videos, games and social media.
Parents are rightly worried about the effect screen dependence can have on their children. But, there’s hope! Outdoor activities like camping offer an engaging and immersive experience that outshines anything the digital world can provide.
Open-ended exploration
While shows and games claim to take kids to far-off places, in reality, they are still stuck on the couch with their heads down covered in blue light.
Camping makes kids stand up, stretch out, move around and explore the real world. You’ll see their delight as they head down a nature trail and discover uniquely-shaped boulders, hidden ponds and inspiring views.
Memories of these adventures will outlast the fleeting content on their screens, and it will motivate them to continue exploring for the rest of their lives.
Creativity without limits
Screens are consumption devices. Even the most interactive apps require users to react to content someone designed in an office many miles away.
Camping drops the walls around creativity and allows kids’ imagination to roam freely. Rather than being locked into a controlled, digital environment, kids can invent their own stories based on anything they see around them.
Maybe there are sasquatches camping at the next site or perhaps a dragon lives behind the tall mountain on the horizon. Kids are natural dreamers, and fresh air and blue skies inspire originality like nothing else.
Real, live interactions
Devices are mediators. They put glass, plastic, circuits and antennas between people as they communicate and play.
Camping strips all these barriers away and lets families and friends interact face-to-face. Sit around the campfire, sing songs and tell each other ghost stories. You’ll love seeing the emotion on people’s faces and hearing their laughter ring out loud all around you.
Because screens are becoming so intertwined with our lives, it can seem like a challenge to break free of them, even for a day or two. But any camper will tell you, if you shut off the power, stow them away and head outside, you’re likely to forget they even exist.
Are you interested in learning about the RV lifestyle? Download our free Why RV? ebook today!