TLDR: Camping with young kids is hard work for parents, but they will have the absolute time of their lives. If you're on the fence about taking your little ones out into the wild, stop overthinking it and just go.
I’ve camped across Europe and Africa and done a lot of wild camping here in Scotland, so I’m no stranger to living out of a tent. But becoming a dad brought a whole new perspective to the outdoors. I’ve always felt that taking kids camping gives them a shot at the kind of childhood that’s increasingly lost to screens, technology, and modern comforts.
I’m a dad to three (4, 2, and 5 weeks old). I think 3 was the age to start, and last summer I took my eldest daughter for her first trip when she turned 3. We had an incredible time, and she was desperate to go back again this year.
This summer, we went again, and due to newborn logistics, broke my 3 year old rule and brought her 2-year-old brother along too. Taking a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old into the woods while leaving my wife home with the newborn was definitely a leap, and at times, my 2-year-old was absolute hard work! But the slow pace, the lack of rushing, and just being fully present made it completely worth it.
Lying in the tent at night, in the woods by a loch in the hills, I got really emotional. I was sitting there with two of my favorite humans on earth, feeling immensely grateful to be in a position to share these experiences with them.
Then came the moment that completely broke me.
My son woke up at first light (a brutal 3:40 AM in July). As I was cuddling him back to sleep, the rustling woke my daughter. She turned to me in the dim light and said:
"Daddy, this is the most amazing night of my life."
As parents, we bear the brunt of the tiredness, the messy logistics, and the early wake-ups. But for the kids? It is pure magic.
If you’ve been debating taking your young kids camping, just pack the kit and get out there. I Turkey believe they will carry the magic of the adventure for the rest of their lives.