Moms Say Campout Brought Peacefulness To Their Families

Carlyce Burns, a mom who attended the Great American Backyard Campout

On June 22, National Wildlife Federation is encouraging people to try camping as part of the Great American Backyard Campout. The idea is to keep things simple – to set up your tent just in the backyard and try sleeping under the stars – even if it is your first time.

We spoke to two moms who participated in previous Great American Backyard Campouts. They noticed that camping brought their families together.

Carlyce Burns and Ivy Simmons are both from Atlanta, Georgia. They both camped with two children under the age of six. Both moms had camped frequently when they were kids and were eager to share the experience with their children.

Carlyce’s Camping Experience

Carlyce’s family camped in the family’s yard. They made s’mores using a patio fireplace and caught fireflies:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHU75sBOadQ[/youtube]

“The best part was probably that we were all in one place, and it was like a quiet place – no TV, no music, no video games or nothing. We were all sort of in one place and supposed to be relaxing. It was nice. We were supposed to be going to sleep but we would be talking about something or telling a story about something, or talking about the day. It was just a nice way to – like, you know – wind down together, which we never do, hardly.”

Ivy’s Camping Experience

Ivy’s family chose to participate in the Great American Backyard Campout event at the Outdoor Activity Center in Atlanta. Volunteers from National Wildlife Federation and REI were on hand to teach new campers how to set up their tents and make s’mores.

Ivy has noticed over the years that time outside is a great parenting technique:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IlG2uybRjQ[/youtube]

Ivy Simmons, a mom who encourages her kids to play and camp outside“It’s so much control inside. You’re worried about something’s going to break, your inside voice, your outside voice, don’t climb on that. There’s a certain level of freedom. And a relaxing – you are more relaxed. You have to worry about maybe them going too far and being safe, but other than that? So it takes a lot stress out of parenting when you are outdoors and you are in a comfortable space that you know is safe. Then everyone is free to roam and to be and to shout and to lay down where they want to.”

Please share your camping stories!

Did your family find a peaceful moment while camping?

Or sometimes the stories that get passed on year after year the ones where something unexpected happened.

Inspire others to camp by sharing your stories in the comments below.

We hope you will take the opportunity to camp this June 22 at the Great American Backyard Campout.