The Walton family’s Instagram account is full of adventures, from epic family hikes to trips around the world. However, a recent post focuses on the importance of getting outdoors with a kid for a quick trip.
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In the video, Mike Walton takes one of his daughters on the trip. He explains step-by-step the process from “find a good camping spot” to “set up your tent.” The two work together for each step, and he ends with, “if you do these things, you’ll create some lasting memories.”
The video is a reminder to get outdoors for fun no matter how old your kids are. The post addresses worries about creating memories “too soon” and waiting to do activities like camping until kids are older.
Mike Walton posted the video and wrote, “Even though your kid might not remember the specific details of a family trip or outing with Dad, they will carry the emotional content of those adventures through life.”
More importantly, no matter when you get your kids outdoors, the science is there to argue it’s the right idea. According to a Harvard Medical School post, kids find many benefits in being out in nature.
Here are just some of the benefits:
- A healthy amount of sunshine provides vitamin D and other immune system benefits.
- Exercise that you simply cannot replicate indoors.
- Unstructured time to help with executive functions, which are skills that include planning and troubleshooting and dealing with life’s challenges.
- Being outdoors also provides a safe way for kids to take risks, a healthy part of development.
- Being outdoors, in general, also helps with socialization. While team sports and school help with this, studies show outside environments allow kids to do so in an unstructured way.
- Finally, developing an appreciation of nature can only happen by spending time outdoors. Studies show that nature time helps with anxiety.
The push to get kids outside has extended to some schools that keep kids outdoors all day. Nature-based preschools, for instance, have been on the rise in the past decade.
The time spent outdoors doesn’t always need to be epic. Mike Walton finishes with his post saying, “And remember, there are lots of ways to create memories with your kids. I like camping and backpacking, so that’s just one of the things we do. Do whatever works for your family and enjoy the journey.”
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