As a family, we want to inspire other families with children to take a sustainable and cheap summer vacation around Denmark. We want to show others that it doesn't have to be difficult or expensive to pack your backpack and take small children on a nature adventure.
The dream
We've always dreamed of experiencing the world, so when Tinna got pregnant, we thought that dream was over. At the beginning of our life together, Sebastian was very troubled by chronic pain. So it was often Tinna who took the children alone. As soon as Agnes could hold her own head, she joined us on short hikes in a back carrier, and during the Corona pandemic and lock-down, Tinna took her out into nature, every day to a new place. That way, we experienced little nature adventures every day, which Tinna wrote down for her in a little book. As Sebastian got better, we were able to share the little nature adventures more and more. Every time he joins us as a regular part of our now four-leaf clover, we are immensely grateful that we can share nature adventures together.
We believe it's important as parents to introduce children to the things where we as parents are most authentic. And then nature allows for a completely different calm, where there is space and time for slowness and presence. For us, nature and outdoor life are breathing spaces from the hamster wheel of everyday life. We both love being with our children and sharing our passion for nature and outdoor life with them.
Without giving it much thought, the kids are already well versed in the outdoors because we prioritize going "on a trip" almost every weekend. It can be to the beach, in the woods, on short hikes in nearby places. When we're away, we're usually in new places because we love the unknown, exploring and having new experiences. And we haven't seen everything in Denmark, yet!
It therefore seems natural that the next step is to go on a longer shelter trip during the summer vacation, where we drive around Denmark, experience nature, Denmark's sights and be close to each other.
Practical considerations
Finances have been tight for a while, as Tinna is on unemployment benefit. This has naturally limited our options. As parents of young children, you can have a tendency to overpack, but we have learned to make do with a little. We've discovered that we already have the most necessary equipment. It's about asking yourself the question: "What do you really need?" It's liberating to realize that you don't need much to have amazing experiences. Denmark has many exciting places to offer, and kids only need a stone to turn over to find exciting wildlife.
Balance and alignment are important. For example, Sebastian prefers a well-functioning toilet, while Tinna can make do with a dirt toilet or less. That's why we choose shelters that have good toilet facilities.
There's no right or wrong way to enjoy the outdoors; it's about creating a trip according to your ability. We travel from shelter to shelter by car to accommodate the needs of the children and Sebastian's pain. We want to show that it's ok to be perfectly imperfect, especially when traveling with children.
From screen to forest
We'll be traveling for about three weeks during the summer holidays with 7-8 stops with 2-3 nights per place. We take a good camera with us and document our experiences with 10 photos of the day's highlights on Instagram in the evening when the kids are asleep. On a previous vacation to Sweden, Tinna left her phone at home, which gave a completely different freedom and presence. We want to repeat that experience by keeping both phones at the bottom of the backpack.
Who are we?
Our little family consists of: Agnes, 6 years old, and Edith, 3 years old. They love nature and we love to experience it through their eyes. Tinna is 35 years old, a licensed psychologist and outdoor enthusiast who loves to communicate about mental health, nature and outdoor life.
Sebastian is 34 years old, an engineer in healthcare, also loves the outdoors and taking pictures.
We live in Odense in a small terraced house, and whenever we see the opportunity, we're out walking in nature, cooking on a campfire and investigating everything we come across of interesting things and small animals.
We hope our story can inspire you to discover the joy of nature and outdoor life in Denmark. Follow our journey on Instagram @psykologtinnamariager and let's find the best nature adventures for families with children together.
