How RV Owners Can Foster A Love Of Nature

Many families who take vacations with an RV head to National Parks, National Forests or National Monuments. Many cite their love of nature as being fostered in early childhood when their parents took them on RV trips. Because it's so easy to pack gear in an RV, motor home or fifth wheel, it's easy to take a fishing pole, a bike, a kayak or more. Unfortunately kids today spend so much time in front of a computer, or playing video games, it's almost as if they aren't aware nature even exists. Unfortunately with the technology age upon us, obesity is also a major concern for many families. Playing outdoors helps build self-esteem, gives kids much needed exercise and helps them figure out how to survive on their own. Nature has so much to teach us. Here are a few ways to encourage a love of nature in kids and adults:

* Start young. A love of nature and the outdoors can be encouraged at a young age. Taking family trips to scenic areas is one way to start. Whether or not kids complain of aching feet, being tired, or wanting to play with their friends, starting young sets the groundwork for a sense of belonging, respect and interest in nature that may not fully develop for many years.

* Take vacations that don't break the bank. No matter how great a vacation was, if people feel like they have overspent, it can often dampen the experience. Not to mention, it's a lot cheaper to drive down a dirt road and camp under the stars then paying money to stay in a hotel, or even some campgrounds.

* Enjoy nature and show kids how to incorporate it into their own lives. Not everyone lives in the mountains or can incorporate nature into everyday lives, but one thing you can do is take pictures of flowers and plants, or bring home a few rocks and then do a little research on the internet about them. This is a great way for families to spend time together. Where does a certain plant grow, when does it flower, does it have medicinal purposes? Another way to make nature fun is to have treasure hunts for certain items, like the first one to collect a flower, a rock, see a deer or a squirrel gets a prize.

* Find a way to share. One way to keep children interested in the outdoors is to let them share what they've seen with friends. This can be done through a camera, camera phone, blog, video camera or Facebook page. Let kids get creative. Maybe they could put together a movie for family and friends from footage taken, or they could create a Photo book with pictures taken on their adventures.

* Leave kids alone. There is such a fear of something happening to kids that they are rarely unsupervised. The consequence of this is kids don't learn how to be unsupervised. They don't learn to have a sense of self without parents or other kids around. It's important for kids to be able to climb trees, build dams or get dirty without a parent standing over them. To keep kids safe, have a check-in time and place and teach them how to be safe in nature (what to avoid, how to cope with situations and strangers).

Technology is creating a world we could hardly have imagined fifty years ago, or even ten years ago. However incredible technology is, we need to remember the beauty and inspiration that comes from nature. Airplanes were designed from watching birds, dams from watching beavers. Every child should be given the chance to experience nature on his or her own terms. They will have a lifetime of sitting in front of a computer, or being attached to a cell phone.

Learn more about RVs and motorhomes. Stop by Beaudry RV where you can find out all about new and used RVs and what they can do for you.