My 10-year-old daughter is away on a trip with her grandparents. When each grandkid turns 10 they get a trip. This is such an amazing opportunity. She will get out from under her parents and be able to “stretch her wings” a bit, she will get to know her grandparents better and she will remember this trip long after the numerous Christmas and Birthday presents have faded and been forgotten.
Trips like this are becoming much more common. We provide sled dog trips for several of these each year. Some are 3 generation, spending time together in the woods with the dogs. Others are single grandparent/grandkid; many come back for several years in a row.
The great thing about doing a trip like our dogsledding trips is the participants have to work together to get somewhere, this is not just a go and look at a museum, this combines the northwoods with winter and the sled dogs. The kids are doing, they are harnessing, they are driving a dog team, and they are feeding the dogs.
This weekend I was listening to the radio and on NPR’s Ted Radio Hour they were talking with Gever Tulley who started the Tinkering School. He too is worried that kids are not doing enough building, climbing and exploring and has stared this summer camp to give them the opportunity.
That is what grandparents are doing as well when they bring their grandkids on one of our trips.
You can listen to the Ted radio hour that features Gever Tulley HERE
