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Before we go into the why, we should first discuss what exactly an “adventure” truly is. There are a slough of activities that can be labeled as such. The most common in our days are “micro-adventures,” or little bits and pieces of adventure that can be found in areas as common as in our home or backyard. I love these micro-adventures because they make an adventure with your kids attainable.
This can be as simple as sledding the big hills, exploring the woods, and climbing trees. You could expand this to include adventurous activities around town, such as hiking, skiing, exploring new places/shops, exploring new parks, and finding new and creative things to do. Simply put, if it feels like an adventure, then it is.
Then there are the big adventures. The ones that cannot be mistaken for anything else. These look more like long camping trips, big hikes, travelling, and road trips. For us, it was also moving 4,000 miles away from everyone we know and love with nothing but our savings and sense of adventure. If you want to read about why that was an amazing decision for us, you can on my 5 Reasons Moving to Alaska Was the Best Decision. It can be as grand or as humble as you wish, so long as you remember that it is an adventure.
Other Adventure Articles:
- The 10 Best Expert Family Camping Hacks
- How To Choose the Perfect Hiking Distance for Your Kids
- Planning the Ultimate Family Hiking Trip
- How to Have Adventure Days with Kids
6 Inspiring Reasons to Adventure With Your Kids
1. Adventure with your kids because the days are long, but the years are short.
It seriously feels like everyday lasts about 100 hours. Though I wouldn’t trade that time for the world, it doesn’t change the fact that mothering can be challenging. Between diaper changes, bouncing crying babies, making meals and snacks, chauffeuring everyone through town to activities, grocery shopping, cleaning, and everything in between, it seems almost impossible to make time for anything else. It all makes an adventure with your kids seem quite impossible.
I feel you mama! These years go by so fast. It seems like yesterday my oldest was an infant, and now she’s halfway through childhood (10). When I look back on our lives together, I don’t remember the day to day memories as well as I do the ones that stand out. The adventures we went on together. Every night that we slept under the stars, every trail that we hiked, even if we ended it soaked in rain. This is why I believe it is so important to adventure with your kids.
Our First Real Adventure Story
I remember our first real camping trip on the Appalachian Trail when Madee was not quite yet two years old. We only hiked about a mile or two past the trail head and set up camp for the day before a massive storm went through the area and we were stuck in the tent for two days.
That evening, Madee started to act like she had a stomach bug and needless to say, it was a rough evening. We debated on hiking back to the car in the pouring rain, but decided against it with a little one. Once she felt better, we had the best sleep of our lives and then a nice hike back to the car once the rain let up the next day.
Though they seem insignificant, I can always remember these little bouts of adventure with my children, and I hope they do as well.
2. It offers a break from the monotony of the day.
There is only so much time that I can spend under one roof. Even if it’s just going outside for a few minutes alone while everyone is occupied indoors. That breath of fresh air is invigorating. Once we’ve gone through the routines of the day, it can get a little boring.
Going on an adventure with your kids offers relief. Any homeschooling family will tell you that this is a must, even on the micro level. Break away from the books to go outside and climb a tree. Better yet, take the book into the tree. Let the world inspire you and give you a fresh perspective for your day. We are creatures of habit, but also lovers of new and interesting things.
3. Micro adventures offer new experiences and places.
Kids naturally thrive in novelty. From a baby’s perspective, everything is entirely new. This is why children are natural learners, because they are seeing and experiencing the world for the first time. I don’t think this is something that we outgrow at any point. I have never heard anyone say that they don’t like to travel.
Our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors were travelers, seasonally following the migrations of herds over the landscape. Once we were able to circumnavigate the globe and see new places, we never stopped. Travel and vacations are a huge industry because people love to have novel experiences.
You don’t have to travel farther than the town you live in to experience new places. There is almost always something or somewhere new to see, even if it’s just a new creek bed to play in. I have always lived in smaller towns but have never been disappointed with exploring and finding something new. New restaurants, museums (even hole in the wall locations), stores, coffee shops, parks, river or lake spots, the opportunities could be endless and just right around the corner. Go ahead, find those places and adventure with your kids.
4. Adventure with your kids because every one is a learning opportunity.
I have had the realization that there is learning in all that we do. From reading the signs for museum exhibits to counting the birds we see on a trail, there are many opportunities for formal education while adventuring. When you adventure with your kids, you are making new discoveries.
In the “real world,” there is more to learn than just reading, writing, and math. Leadership skills, punctuality, responsibility, resiliency, and creativity are all important skills to know, but are not necessarily learned through a curriculum. Real world experiences teach these skills much faster than a book can. Even if the lessons are harsh, there is learning.
Harsh Lessons Learned
I think back to a time when our oldest was barely two years old and we went back to Blood Mountain along the Appalachian Trail. On our drive north, we stopped at a truck stop that sold souvenirs. I immediately fell in love with the leather moccasins on display.
This was when I was starting my journey into more holistic living, including movement. I had the “brilliant” idea to wear our new moccasin shoes on the trail instead of the superior soled hiking boots that we initially invested in. I had forgotten the rocky terrain that the trail turns into about 3 miles in.
My husband will never let me live that miserable hike down. By the time we made it back to the car, our poor feet were bruised and swollen from attempting a basically barefoot mountain hike. Only our daughter was saved because she stayed in the hiking carrier. Though the lesson was harsh, we definitely learned a valuable lesson on proper footwear in the mountains.
5. Adventure with your kids because they will remember experiences and not things.
Looking back on my own childhood, there are a few significant toys I was given that I can still recall, but not many. I do remember my set of Lincoln Logs, a power wheels four wheeler, and my Lego set. They brought me so much joy at the time.
What I remember most are the unique experiences that felt very adventurous as a child. Riding horses, ATV’s, and trucks back through our property and getting stuck, having to walk home and noticing every little detail for the first time.
I remember beach trips with my mother and exploring new beach shops and restaurants. Exploring the rocks at the beach to find sand-dollars, hermit crabs, and shells.
My dad would take us fishing, hunting, and for “hikes,” though they were only through our neck of the woods and were really just a short walk. I couldn’t help but feel as if we were embarking on some grand adventure at the time.
I hope that some day, my own children will look back at our memories exploring with a fond recollection. They rarely remember what they were gifted for Christmas last year, but they do remember camping at the beach, eating the most delicious homemade sandwiches, and playing until they dropped like flies at the end of the day in exhaustion.
6. Adventure with your kids from an early age to reap a lifetime of reward.
There is nothing more unmotivating than having to put snow gear on four kids and yourself while a baby is crying and a very anxious dog is whining in your ear to go outside. My older two can put most of it on by themselves, but they have days where they just want mama to do it.
We all desperately love the outdoors and the adventures that await us out there, but getting ready for it? Not so much. Once on the trail, it can be hit or miss with the youngest ones. There will inevitably be tears and snack hungry toddlers who cannot take another step.
But in all of this difficulty, there is not a time that I regret getting out the door and going. Watching the endless curiosity and resiliency grow in my children when we are out exploring is warmth to a mother’s heart. The older they are, the easier it will be if you start early. All of my children have endured my sense of adventure from infancy, often being placed in a baby carrier and along for the ride. If you can start to adventure with your kids from an early age, you’ll unlock their natural sense of adventure.
Quick Growing Resiliency
When we first moved to Alaska, I was surprised to see them so resilient to the negative temperatures. The excitement for them was stronger than the cold. Once that excitement wore off, however, it was back to the usual complaints about getting out in the cold. Repetition and routine has given them the peace of knowing what to expect, and they have grown to love it as much as I do.
Conclusion on an Adventure With Your Kids
I feel that starting all of them early with adventuring has fostered a sense of adventure in their own hearts, taught them the skills and resiliency needed to go on the more difficult explorations, and overall will give them skills they will need as adults. Kids who are able to face a literal storm now will grow into adults who can face the metaphorical storms later in life.
The size of the adventure does not matter. There isn’t a need for anything costly or fancy, just a sense of fun and exploration. Nothing brings people together like an experience. If you gain nothing else, you are able to spend quality time with your children and build a strong bond with them. Whatever adventure awaits you today, heed the call.
[…] It was very important to us that our children be able to have endless opportunities for the outdoors. When choosing where to put down roots, this was something that was at the forefront of our decision. We had always had an eye on Alaska as an adventurous family. There is so much to experience and it is important to our family culture to adventure as much as possible. There are so many benefits to including kids, like bonding and learning together, and much more. You can learn more of the benefits in the 6 Inspiring Reasons to Adventure with Your Kids. […]
[…] We are very keen to take the concept of free play out on our many adventures. For us, adventuring offers a fresh perspective on playing. The new sights and sensory experiences are unique to the activity we are doing. Whether we are hiking and exploring the woods or visiting the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, every adventure is an opportunity to develop our learning skills through play. If you need more convincing you should check out my 6 Inspiring Reasons to Adventure with Your Kids. […]
[…] 6. Go on an adventure and explore a new natural place in your area by Borealis Mom. […]