As an Occupational Therapist, I see firsthand how outdoor play and activities like camping, can provide incredible developmental benefits for children and teens. Outdoor experiences offer a fun and engaging way to build essential Occupational Therapy skills that contribute to physical, social, and emotional well-being. From building coordination and teamwork to boosting mental health, camping and outdoor play creates opportunities for kids and teens to grow in ways that structured indoor activities may not provide.
What Occupational Therapy Skills Does My Child Develop Through Camping? An Occupational Therapist’s Perspective
Camping is an enriching activity that supports development across multiple areas, including:
• Gross motor skills
• Fine motor skills
• Sensory processing skills
• Cognitive and problem-solving skills
• Social-emotional skills
Gross Motor Skills: Building Strength and Coordination
Camping naturally encourages movement and physical activity. Activities such as hiking, collecting firewood, balancing on logs or setting up a tent require coordination, balance, core strength, motor planning and endurance, all of which are key gross motor skills frequently targeted in therapy.
If your child has difficulty with gross motor skills, encourage them to help set up the campsite. Tasks like pitching a tent support upper limb strength, proprioception (awareness of body position), and bilateral coordination, all of which are crucial for activities of daily living.
If camping isn’t for you or your family, alternative outdoor activities like climbing on playground equipment, balancing when playing hopscotch, or playing beach cricket can also support the development of gross motor skills.
Fine Motor Skills: Strengthening Dexterity Through Outdoor Play
Camping offers many opportunities to develop fine motor skills. From the grasp required to hold camping pegs, the hand eye coordination involved in threading and hammering the pegs, to the fastening of zippers and the tying of knots all practice fine motor skills in a functional and fun way!
These skills and others such as manual dexterity, finger isolation and fine motor strength can also be used when cooking, collecting sticks, playing card games, and turning torches on and off.
If you prefer local outdoor activities, options like climbing trees, gardening, or drawing with chalk on the foot path also support fine motor development.
Cognitive and Problem-Solving Skills: Enhancing Executive Functioning
Camping often involves problem-solving, which can be done independently, one-on-one or as a group. Examples include reading instructions for setting up a tent, planning a meal without electricity, or navigating with a map. All these experiences provide excellent opportunities for children to develop executive functioning skills like attention, memory, planning, following instructions, task monitoring and organisation. Activities that require a map, also support the development of spatial awareness, directional language, and attention.
Before your trip, involve your child in packing by encouraging them to plan for different weather conditions and campsite safety. Ask them what they may need to pack for different situations (e.g. sunscreen, towels, appropriate shoes, first aid kit). Discuss potential hazards, such as fire safety, dangerous animals, and first aid, to promote forward-thinking, decision-making, and confidence.
Whilst exploring a new environment is fun, you can also provide opportunities to develop these skills in your backyard. Challenging your child to develop an obstacle course or follow clues of a scavenger hunt, can provide enriching moments that encourage creativity, planning, problem solving, teamwork and flexibility.
Social and Emotional Growth: Developing Communication and Resilience
Camping and outdoor play provide openings for children to foster relationships, communicate with different age groups, and collaborate with others. Experiences such as engaging in group games like charades or ring toss, helping set up the campsite, and working together to solve problems in a new environment, can improve social skills such as active listening, turn taking, empathy, and communication.
For children who experience anxiety about sleeping in a new environment, having a supportive discussion before the trip about what to expect, identifying coping strategies that can be used when they feel scared, and establishing who they can turn to for support, can help them feel reassured and prepared.
Spending time in nature can have a calming effect on people of all ages. Fresh air, peaveful surroundings, and a connection with the natural world can help reduce anxiety, improve focus, and enhance emotional regulation and resilience. Outdoor activities also foster independence and self-confidence.
Sensory Processing: Engaging with the Environment
The natural world provides a variety of sensory experiences, from the feeling of dirt underfoot to the smell of flowers and the sound of leaves crunching or birds singing. These sensory inputs can help children to connect, process and respond to sensory information.
For children who have difficulty discriminating auditory information, try lying on a picnic blanket and helping them to focus and identify specific sounds, such as a river running, birds chirping, a fire crackling, children laughing, or sticks breaking.
If tactile sensations overwhelm your child, you could use this as an opportunity to gradually explore different textures like the feeling of sand, leaves, grass, flowers, and water.
Hammocks can offer also provide calming vestibular and proprioceptive input, supporting self-regulation during the trip.
Final Thoughts
With gentle guidance, co-regulatory supports, and consideration of your child’s age, interests, and needs, you can create camping experiences and outdoor play opportunities that will promote skill-building, foster independence, and provide a sense of accomplishment that can empower children to try new things. So, pack up your gear, head outdoors, and let nature be a powerful tool in supporting your child’s growth.
Learn More or Book with an OT
At Beam Health, our Occupational Therapy teams in Warners Bay, Cessnock, Tuggerah and Kedron provide support for children and youth to develop motor, sensory, and problem-solving skills through play-based therapy. If you’d like tailored strategies for your child, contact us today!
