#starstoryThe Wypers: Outdoor Education

As a family, we consider nature is the greatest teacher

The 10,000 hour concept is something that we talk a lot about to our kids. It’s based on the idea that to achieve true expertise in any skill we need to practice for 10,000 hours.

We often have discussions about the concept that you can do anything you want to do, you just gotta put in the hours.

We are always reminding our kids that life can slip through your fingers. If you spend it sitting on a screen you won’t experience life. They’ve taken that on a bit.

One of our favorite ways of living our ethos, is doing road trips as a family in a campervan. They are learning that the journey is just as important as the destination.

We take control of our days, go off the beaten track and roam, with everything we need onboard. Our kids are learning to be spontaneous, but also to slow down and enjoy their destination.

It’s cool how they just naturally discover something and then they learn about it. A natural curiosity turns into education. Things like, making lures for fishing in a river, building things, making dams, making damper on a stick and cooking it over a fire. They are simple things - but we are creating memories that last long after the roadtrip has finished.

There are always things to learn as you travel. We encourage our kids to explore, to ask questions. Mother Nature is a great teacher.

Our kids will go into the world as people who can sustain and do great things because their inner person is happy. That’s what we think anyway!