After attending a private preschool program, before kindergarten, I made it a point to plan as many family camping trips as possible before I sent my “baby” off into the big world by himself. Yes, I am one of those mamas who enjoyed every minute of both of my sons’ early childhood years. So, when it came time to let them spread their little wings and go off to elementary school, I had a hard time.
I was just as happy as my sons were when it came time for school breaks during Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring, and especially summer vacation. We would do a lot of learning outside the books and head into the great outdoors to explore. We specifically loved camping as a family!
Since both of my sons and I have ADHD, camping has been exceptionally good for us! Not only is there always something to do when you are camping to keep you busy, but being in the fresh air, swimming, hiking, biking, the sights and smells of a campfire, or sitting in nature provides the natural treatment people like us desperately need.
According to ADDitude, “While many children with ADHD benefit from treatment aids — meditation, therapy, drug intervention — these largely require finding doctors and jumping through insurance hoops. With one notable exception: a universally accessible treatment that’s proven to help ADHD, even when used for just 30 minutes after school or over a lunch break. That therapy? Nature.
However you do it — a walk, a hike, summer camping trips, run-around time in the yard, or a garden — incorporating green time into your life will benefit your ADHD brain. More than others, we need the benefits that nature promises: quiet, peace, attention and mood boost, improved motivation and perseverance. Nature is not an alternative to medication. But it will probably help it work better. In end, you’ve got nothing to lose — other than your preconceptions and assumptions about alternative therapies for ADHD,”.
Below are some of my favorite State and National Parks in Pure Michigan to camp at:
- Huron Manistee forest in Oscoda, on the Au Sable River
- Manistee National Forest, Manistee, footsteps from Lake Michigan
- Ludington State Park
- Lakeport State Park
- Proud Lake State Park, on the Huron River (close to home)
- Seven Lakes State Park (close to home for Halloween camping)
- Algonac State Park
- Burt Lake State Park
- Mears State Park (we’re going again this August!)
- Elberta Beach, Lake Michigan, in Frankfort
- Orchard Beach State Park
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park
*Note: All content within this article is meant for informational purposes only and is in no way a replacement for professional medical or psychological advice or support. Seek immediate and appropriate care from a healthcare professional should you or a trusted loved one deem it necessary.
Family camping in Michigan
When my oldest was just a few months old, my ex-husband and I took him camping with my cousin, her husband, and two kids for the first time to Up North Michigan. We had our large cabin tent, an inflatable mattress, and the pack-and-play for him to sleep in.
We also had mosquito netting that went over his stroller as we sat by the campfire at night. Fresh air does wonders for children and adults alike! He would sleep by the campfire while we stayed up with our cousins, enjoying the night together. People would often ask if it was difficult camping with a baby. It’s actually really easy and a lot of fun!
We used to camp with a bunch of my cousins and have a rip-roaring adult-beverage kind of time. But once we all started having kids and raising our families, our camping style changed from the big, rowdy party to a more family-friendly, focused atmosphere with a lot of child-appropriate activities. We still tent camped and did the primitive style on occasion, but started going to State Parks and family-friendly campgrounds more often.
However, when my youngest was about six months old, my uncle needed a spot to store his camper, and as long as he was willing to let us use it, we stored it for free. Overnight, we upgraded from tents to an actual travel trailer.
We had many amazing adventures and made a lot of great memories in that camper for about nine years. After which, I decided it was time for us to buy our own camper and give my uncle his camper back.
Finally, we had a camper that had everything in working order (my uncle’s was basically just a shell and got us off the ground). We had running water, a fully functioning bathroom, a stove and refrigerator that worked, and an awning that wasn’t hanging on by a thread.
A few years later, when my son’s dad and I got divorced, we had a lot of snow that winter, and my camper was damaged. The following spring, I went into the camper to find that mold had grown, and it was no longer usable.
The last couple of summers, I rented a camper and rented a vacation home to take my sons Up North to be in the wilderness and outdoors in nature. Since that was very expensive, I am currently looking to purchase a pop-up camper that I can tow with my crossover and comfortably manage as a single woman.
I am too old for tent camping, but still young enough to enjoy camping adventures in my home state of Michigan!
Best camping lessons
Some of the best lessons I have learned throughout my life as a camper include the following, but are not limited to:
- Fire safety
- Fire building
- Basic survival skills
- Conservation
- Care for nature
- Planning
- Preparation
- Outdoor cooking
- How to hike
- Biking in the woods
- Improvising
- Dealing with weather changes while living outdoors
- Resourcefulness!
- Navigation and map reading
- Wildlife awareness and animal safety
- Leave No Trace principles (Take only pictures; leave only footprints)
- Water sourcing and purification
- First aid and emergency response
The camping experts at Coleman share the following lessons learned while camping:
- “You don’t need a lot of ‘stuff’ in life
- A new respect for nature
- Hard work pays off
- Take more time to unplug from life
- Not all problems are solvable
- Teamwork
- Learning to get out of your comfort zone
- Life is beautiful,”.
Oh yes, one of our golden rules when we were camping – no TV and no devices! We simply enjoyed time together out in nature.
Is camping good for ADHD?
In conclusion, camping is good for ADHD, depression, anxiety, addiction, and anything else the loud, busy, fast-paced society throws our way. Now get outside!
Yours truly –
A Happy Camper