There’s a reason why so many parents sign their kids up for scouts or send them off to summer camp: you can learn a lot after spending a couple of days in the great outdoors. Family camping trips are also great opportunities to share these life lessons. In addition to learning basic survival skills like lighting a fire, you can pass on the importance of quality time, trying new things, and other characteristics that will benefit your kids throughout their entire lives. The next time you decide where to go on your family vacation, keep in mind this list of all the incredible things your children can learn from camping.

An Appreciation of Nature

From listening to the birds sing in the morning to spending a night under the stars, camping trips are full of special moments with nature. When you take your kids camping, you expose them to more of this amazing world. There will always be some new animal or environment to marvel at, even if you’re just spending the night in your own backyard. When your kids have a chance to step back and truly appreciate nature, they’re more likely to create environmentally responsible habits as they grow older.

A Love of Exploration

Camping takes you to new places and experiences. From the tree frog hopping up the side of your tent to the Rocky Mountains stretching across the horizon, the world is full of natural wonders to share with your children. One of the things your children can learn from camping is how to explore new places and try new things. You can further instill this love of exploration with longer trips or even a life of full-time RVing. Your kids follow in your own footsteps, which means experiences like these will teach them how to stay flexible and adventurous throughout their lives.

The Joy of Quality Time

Between work, school, and every activity in between, life gets pretty hectic. Like any good family vacation, camping allows you to leave everything else behind and spend time together. It’s important for your kids to have the chance to forget everything else and focus on family time for a little while. This is also a great opportunity to help your kids unplug from their games, phones, and other technology so that they can focus on the most important things around them.