Summer is upon us once more. Have you started on your traveling plans? Summer is not complete without camping. Do you know that this outdoor activity offers benefits beyond the fun? A recent study by the Institute of Education at Plymouth University and the Camping and Caravanning Club suggests that children who engage in camping activities at least once a year are healthier, smarter, and happier than their peers who don’t experience the great outdoors. For adults, spending time with nature is an effective stress buster. A study by the University of Michigan found that even a few minutes outdoors can reduce depressive symptoms especially among those exposed to the stressors of city living.
This year, go beach camping with family and friends. You might want to experience a different kind of nightlife in Boracay, or try these 7 night activities while beach camping.
Walk under the moonlight
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“Walking is an inexpensive, low risk and accessible form of exercise and it turns out that combined with nature and group settings, it may be a very powerful, under-utilized stress buster,” University of Michigan Medical School’s Sara Warber said. Grab a flashlight and explore the seashore at night. Listen to the sounds of the waves. You can also use the moonlight as your guiding light.
No-props fun
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Night activities in beach camping is your opportunity to disconnect from the overwhelming world of social media. Create a bonfire, just make sure you seek permission from beach keepers, and share stories the old-fashioned way. If building a bonfire is not possible, you can improvise by using flashlights. Aside from sharing stories, you can also play games that don’t require props such as charades and a quiz bee.
Battle against a Norse god
The best beach camping activities don’t require an Internet connection. Turn off your smartphone and have good ol’ fun with your fellow backpackers. Board games are making a grand comeback. Here are three of the top-rated tabletop games that you can play in your beach tent:
Scythe is a strategy game set in Eastern Europe in the 1920s. You can play this with five other people and battle against each other in completing the tasks. These fun, challenging missions include building a mine to connect territories and occupying a nearby Soviet territory.
Mombasa will test your tactical skills. This board game can accommodate up to four players, who shall act as colonial business investors. The players shall compete for business opportunities in Africa including trading goods and engaging in resource-hunting expeditions.
Thunder and Lightning focuses on Norse mythology. This top-rated game is played by two people acting as Norse gods Thor and Loki. You shall summon monsters and warriors using fighting cards with stats. This is an easy-to-learn game, but you need to use a lot of wit and strategy to win.
Go weightless
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One of most important benefits of beach activities in night time is avoiding the hazards of too much sun exposure. Sunlight, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., is believed to cause skin cancer. We’d also heavily advise reading up on wind meters. These analyse the wind and provide you with real-time information on what the weather conditions are like. This is imperative, especially if you’re at the beach with no real way of getting out quickly. Me personally, I won’t go camping anywhere without my wind meter on me.
What outdoor activity can you enjoy during beach camping? Float. A long line of studies suggests that floating on water can effectively reduce stress, boost creativity, and help in sleep problems. Floatation is actually being used as a primary intervention for hypertension, headaches, insomnia, and rheumatoid arthritis. Night swimming also gives you the silence you need. Clear your mind, gaze at the dazzling evening sky, and enjoy the weightlessness on water.
Find Andromeda
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Beach camping is a great opportunity for families to bond. Our busy schedule is keeping us from spending quality time with our partners and children. Schedule a camping getaway at the beach. Stargazing is one of the well-loved beach activities in the earlier days. However, technology is taking away the interest from astronomical wonders. Ask your children to turn off their electronic gadgets for the night and join you observe heavenly bodies. You can have a game where the first person to identify the most constellations gets a prize.
Have a beach concerto
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Bring out your guitar and play on. Being in the great outdoors can draw out creative inspirations. For your beach camping, ask your companions to bring a musical instrument they can play. A ukulele or a harmonica would do. You can have an impromptu concert by the beach with the waves as your grand audience. Who knows, maybe the next hit song is about to be composed.
Music and fine drinks
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Can’t play any musical instrument? No problem. You can bring a music player and enjoy your summer playlist instead. Are you into jazz, classical music or grunge? You and your friends can share fun facts about music genre, artists and songs. Challenge each other on how well you know the universal language. Pour fine red wine or open chilled beer and indulge in an intelligent discussion about music all night long.
Treasure the silence around you
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Taking time off from the daily grind is the most important benefit of a vacation. You don’t need to travel with a company if you think going alone would serve you better. After all, you’d need to isolate yourself from the world once in a while. Embrace the silence of the beach at night. Turn off your electronic gadgets and just let your body feel the sea breeze. Do you know that silence and solitude can improve your memory, stimulate brain growth, and fight insomnia? Spending even a few minutes a day in silence can also relieve stress and heighten sensitivity.
Spending a few days on the beach is a perfect way to decompress. “Increased views of blue space is significantly associated with lower levels of psychological stress,” said Michigan State University health geographer Amber L. Pearson. Beach camping is an activity you can do alone or with your family and friends. This outdoor activity is a chance for you to get a break from the Internet and just focus on the beauty of your surroundings. Mark your calendar for your upcoming beach getaway!
