Just about any camping expedition, with the exploring, camp set up, outdoor cooking and general interaction, is an excellent venue for family bonding. Everybody benefits from human relationships and bonding is at a higher level as it includes trust, love and fulfillment - and this is even more important between parents and their children. The special relationships between fathers and sons and mothers and daughter is based on the level and quality of the bonding between them. This is a basic structure that makes for healthy, or in unfortunate cases, unhealthy development. Our children's development will reflect the quality of their relationships within the family and specifically with their parents and siblings.

The family structure provides father role models for the sons as mothers o for their daughters.

One of the best and natural scenarios that promote bonding is camping trips. The hands on experiences make it the ideal occasion for sharing, interacting, teaching and just plain goofing off. 1

A camping expedition is open to anyone and covering a large part of all age groups. From children, teens, parents and more. Each trip will have its own unique moments and experiences and this just highlights the bonding opportunities as well as the potential learning and teaching moments.

At times the last camping trip seems to be lost back in time and this could mean that camping ideas are not so easy to find. For these cases here are five ideas for types of camping trips you can plan.

1. Hiking seems to be very popular and with good reason. You can have short half day hiking trips, even shorter if you are out of practice or the members of your team fin it difficult. The good news here is that apart from the experience of nature, there are a large number of places you can go to and most have a difficulty grading system. These are safe and equally important, enjoyable days out. You will be surprised on your children's stamina.

2. Fishing Trips. There are a great many opportunities for fishing, both fresh water or sea fishing. As it is one of the great hobbies for Americans the number of opportunities and alternatives are really large.

3. RV Camping Trips. One of the advantages of an RV camping trip is that the range of camping sites is larger simply because you can cover longer distances. You can also stop at various camping sites as part of the whole trip. Other advantages is that you combine both home amenities with contact with nature - days out and outdoor cooking go hand in hand. Bonding is not exactly forced on you, but it is hard not to. The actual experience of these trips together with the memories that many times are also safe guarded by photographs provide great memories.

4. Backpacking Expeditions. In the family bonding type of trip, it is better when the children are no longer toddlers, maybe 8 upwards (depending on your child). This simply because there will be times you may have to help them along and there is the risk that the long looked forward to trip turns into a nightmare. Having said that, there is something about this type of trips that builds up confidence, create great and long lasting memories and are always an educational experience. Apart from all that they are fun.

5. Tents. The bottom line is that when you think about camping you always imagine a tent, a sleeping bag, the fire and a little cooking outside. For children these become moments they treasure and in the future will probably repeat with their own children. It is rare for a child to dislike camping out and there are so many places and locations you can go to, with the appropriate safeguards that it is really a waste not to take advantage of this. Family bonding comes so naturally when camping out that it can easily become a family moment to be repeated at least once a season.