7 Benefits of Camping for Children (in a Family Motorhome)

A few days into a family motorhome trip, something changes. The kids start noticing things you’d usually drive straight past. A line of trees or a bird sitting on a fence. They ask what things are called or why the water looks green, and it continues from there.

When you stop somewhere new, they’re straight out of the van. Barefoot, pockets full of stones, completely lost in whatever’s around them. You don’t have to tell them to go outside. They already are.

Nearly every parent who’s been camping with children says it. Their kids smile more and spend more time outside. Someone even ran a study, and here are the numbers to prove it.

Kids live on screens. It’s how it is now. You tell them five more minutes, and it turns into half an hour. You give up trying to keep track. You stop trying to keep track after a while. Out in the family motorhome, someone’s tablet dies, then a phone, and no one even notices. Nobody rushes to plug anything in. They just start staring out the window. Then one of them grabs their shoes and wanders off. 

Someone finds a stick, someone else starts a game you don’t understand. There’s noise again, the good kind. You find yourself checking your phone less and talking more to those around you.

Home has its routines. Then you get in a family motorhome and it all changes. People start helping without anyone saying a word. One kid stirs the eggs, someone else tries to read the map, and it just works somehow. Then, a few months later, you all look back and laugh at the time Dad burnt the pancakes and set the smoke alarm off.

When you go camping with children, they get to choose the playlists and educate their parents on who the coolest groups are right now, while you all enjoy a game of “I Spy” to pass the time.  They might invent new games that don't make sense but still make the whole family laugh, and that’s what it’s all about.

Living together in such a small space demands patience and teamwork (like arguing over who gets to clean their teeth first before bedtime). The good news is your children will come back from their trip with renewed confidence.

Kids end up making friends without even trying. There’s always another family parked nearby who are after an extra player for a game of football. By the end of the trip, they’ve made amazing friends and you’ve got on well with their parents.

Being outdoors in a motorhome is a chance for children to learn social skills that cannot be taught in a classroom.

No family trip ever runs perfectly. Something always happens. You miss a turn. The rain starts the moment you unpack lunch. Someone forgot the map. It’s chaos, but the good kind.

That’s when the kids get involved. They want to help. They grab the map or start pointing out signs you missed. Suddenly, it’s a team effort.

Little moments like that teach real skills:

• Staying calm when things go wrong

• How to think fast and make a plan

• How to laugh instead of panic

There’s just a different sort of tiredness that comes from spending a day outside. The kids are constantly on the move, kicking a football or splashing about in the lake where you decided to stay that night. After a day of activity, they usually fall asleep faster and sleep deeper (which means the adults might actually get a quiet evening to themselves).

The benefits of camping for children are not just physical. Being outside away from their screens (as discussed earlier) helps reduce stress and anxiety, making problems that the kids had at home less noticeable.

With a family camper van, you set the schedule. If someone sees something interesting at the side of the road, you can pull over and check it out without derailing your plans. These are the things you would miss if you were rushing from your flight and heading straight to the hotel. You get to experience things that most other people don’t.

It’s genuinely one of the most family-friendly ways to travel, as you are in charge. You get to decide how far to drive each day (or maybe not drive at all). By the end of the holiday, you will look back and realise how much easier it was than you initially thought and how many memories you all made

If all of the benefits of camping for children have got you excited, CamperDays can make it happen. On our website, you will find a list of family camper vans and motorhomes to rent all over the world. Use our handy filters to find a van that suits your needs. Booking is easy, and we work directly with van owners to find you the best deals.