School and camping

We try to schedule camping around school, but sometimes a day here or there to have a four day weekend instead of three makes it much nicer.

It's a moot point with me now since we're now empty nesters. Back when the kids were in school, I never took the kids out of school for camping trips. At what point would the kids figure that since Mom & Dad feel school is not important enough to interfer with camping trips, why should I feel school is important.

FunnyCamper wrote:
How many pull their kids from school for a few camping trips during the school schedule? Do you pull them out for alot of days? Or do you only try to work around school holidays etc.?

I have often done it for extended weekend trips but nothing more than a day or two.

In some states, school attendance has gotten stricter. Doctor's notes are required on any illness over 1 day or they can't make up work.

If there are 5 days of Unexcused, you have meet with school administration. After 10 days of Excused, you will still need to meet with the school.

We used to take our kids out early on Friday afternoon - just after lunch, so they would be counted for the day. Once we had all 6 pulled out before school ended to move across country. Another time, we pulled 5 of them out 2-days before the end of school so we could go to Disney World.

doxiemom11 wrote:
Some schools only allow a child to be gone a certain # of days for a family function with permission and homework assigned. The higher the grade in school, the less time they want the child to be out of school. We did it once and had to get permission and a signed agreement from each teacher (jr. high). If we didn't do this, any absence longer than the 3 days allowed would have started dropping his grades. It's generally not a good idea to take your child from school for any length of time - they miss too much and have to catch up. Vacations can be planned around school schedules. School and education should be #1 on the list of priorities.

Not sure I completely agree with this. I'm a new parent, so I haven't had to start dealing with this yet, but are you really that concerned with your kids grades in Jr. High, as long as they perform well? You had to get "permission" to take your kids out? I would think it would go down more like "Our family is going out of town for a week and we need to get the homework / reading assigments...". More of a statement then a question to the school, remember, they work for you.

I agree with a few other people on here that there is more to learn then can be taught in a classroom. Books can't teach everything, experience means a lot.

Tothill, I sure agree that adventures/education can be sought while on trips :)


I have an 8 yr old. She is starting 3rd grade. I do take her out. I usually add days onto a school holiday so I can get a lengthy stay. I also fill out a paper stating it is an education reason she is being absent. (and yes I make sure something is learned)

I know thru all the school years to come she will be pulled from some school for trips.

This past spring, I went camping for a 5 day weekend in the State Park closest to my house (about 15 minutes). Daughter wanted to go but school hadn't let out yet. I let her and her girlfriend come with me and ran them to school each morning and went and picked them up each afternoon. Was only 3 days of two trips (10 minutes each way) and they really enjoyed it. Homework done first, then camping activities. Just a thought if you have somewhere very close to camp.

When my kids were in elementary school I would often take them out of school for up to 3 weeks at a time. I generally planned it for times (such as the month of June) when very little educating occurs.

Not all of a child's education occurs within the 4 walls of a classroom.

We took the youngest two to England 10 years ago. 10 day trip where they missed well over a week of school. They learned more in that 10 days than they would have in school.

Low Tide Day in June. You would be amazed at what you can find at the seashore on the lowest tides of the year. The tides do not accommodate the school schedule.

Next year ds graduates and he will not be able to take time out of school. He has a very heavy workload. I am glad we did the overseas trips and low tide days when he was younger.

Some schools only allow a child to be gone a certain # of days for a family function with permission and homework assigned. The higher the grade in school, the less time they want the child to be out of school. We did it once and had to get permission and a signed agreement from each teacher (jr. high). If we didn't do this, any absence longer than the 3 days allowed would have started dropping his grades. It's generally not a good idea to take your child from school for any length of time - they miss too much and have to catch up. Vacations can be planned around school schedules. School and education should be #1 on the list of priorities.

Camp during the summer. Let the kids go to school when it is in session.