When Tablets Stay Packed: A Week of Real Play When Camping

I've just returned from a half-term camping trip with the kids. As a family living in the city, these trips are more than just a holiday — they're a much-needed breath of fresh air. For us, camping is about giving the children a chance to spend whole days outside, under wide open skies, slowing down and feeling free to roam. But achieving that idyllic simplicity isn't always easy — especially with modern, city-raised kids.

Our group included my own children, aged 9 and 5, and other families with kids aged 3, 7, and 8. We all agreed to camping screen-free with no tablets. That simple rule helped us sidestep one of the biggest sources of tension when camping with others: differing screen policies.

It took a solid three days for the kids to “detox.” Despite knowing the rule, they were aware that the adults had tablets stashed away. There were frequent claims like, “So-and-so’s parents are letting them have tablet time after dinner,” and constant sneaky efforts to find the hidden devices. Even on day four, during a peaceful woodland walk, one child was caught playing a game hidden in the camera’s settings — yes, even children's cameras come with games (why do manufacturers do this?)!

Another noticeable behaviour — and one that surprised me — was the constant chorus of “That’s so boring!” It didn’t matter if we were setting up tents, going on a walk, or lighting the fire — boredom was regularly declared, the moment there wasn’t structured entertainment or something big and impressive that occurred. Even adding special funky colours to the fire pit for a little Harry Potter magic created a mediocre response of, 'is that it?'.

As city kids, my own children live full lives. School activities, birthday parties, after-school clubs, playdates — even when we try to simplify, their calendars seem ‘overbooked’. Camping, for us, is a way for us as a family to intentionally hit pause. To be un-busy. To appreciate what fun can come when life slows down, the enjoyment of being together with low-demand, and when stimulation isn’t just handed to you.

But this adjustment was a challenge for all the children. In the same way they had to detox from screens, they also had to unlearn the constant need and expectation to do something, and not crave that dopamine hit that seems a constant in their lives.

It took a few days for them to rediscover the joy of just being, and letting go of asking 'what are we doing today?" — making up games, telling stories around the fire, and getting lost in imaginary worlds built from the nature around them.

What stood out most was just how hard, and how long it took for the kids to adjust, and the importance of this downtime and screen-free week. Research shows that children exposed to more than two hours of screen time daily (TV, computers, phones & games) are more likely to develop screen-related addiction. Watching the children struggle to play and connect without screen-based play and their obsession with seeking it out, was noticeable.

Slowly, the shift happened. Imaginative games emerged. The asking for tablets and sneaky behaviours stopped. And best of all — the kids began to enjoy their freedom of the outdoors, being un-busy, and enjoying unstructured play that camping outdoors offers them.

Nature as your playground