Camping ranks among baseball and road tripping as one of America’s great pastimes. In 2011, 42.5 million Americans went camping, and about 25% of camping participants were aged 17 and younger, likely because camping is a great family activity.

Indeed, camping with the little ones can have a serious impact on their growth and development, especially in this day and age of devices and social media. Get the kids away for a while and spend some quality time with the family. After all, fathers are the most likely person to take someone camping for the first time. Check out these ideas of things to do with the kids while camping:

Gather, Sort, and Build
No matter if your children are camping for the first time, or are seasoned scouts, there is still so much to learn from the great outdoors. Tactile experiences and activities like gathering, sorting, moving, and classifying can help your child grasp the wonder of life, the environment, and the importance of biodiversity. Make sure to bring a book about the fauna and flora of the region in which you are camping, and don’t be afraid to encourage lots of questions and explorations.

Visit Nearby Attractions
Why not check out the area’s attractions? Whether it’s a waterfall on the other side of the park, an interesting museum in town, or rides at a county fair nearby, there’s usually something interesting nearby. Talk to other hikers to find out about some of the more interesting natural attractions that you might be able to see along trails near your campsite.

Water Time
Of course, nothing is as deeply satisfying and rewarding as water activities, sports, and games. If your family campground has a swimming area, take full advantage of it and don’t forget to swim as much as you possibly can. Spending lots of time in the water is a surefire way to have fun family vacations.

Whether you’re camping in tents or cabins at your family campsite, you are sure to have an amazing time bonding with your family this summer.