I had an email recently from someone called Stutch, telling me about microadventures with their children. I asked Stutch to share a few tips for other parents wanting to take children on microadventures.
If you have any other suggestions please leave them in the comments section below.
1. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
2. It does not have to be an epic to be epic: scale is everything. A 300 ft hill is a mountain if you are 5, and falling in a stream makes it an epic if you are 7. Kids do everything quicker than you: that includes getting tired, cold and bored. Tired, cold and wet kids are no fun.
3. If you call it an adventure and it involves food, getting wet, muddy, fire or breaking the rules the kids will love it.
4. Little boys and girls love kit just as much as big boys and girls. Stoves, maps, bothy bags, tents are cool no mater what your age.
5. Sweets are a great morale booster- always have a treat of some form handy for emergencies.
6. Involve the kids in the planning and talk to them when you are doing it. Point out things, even if you might take them for granted. Show them what’s safe and what’s not: they take in more than you think. Have a Plan A and a Plan B.
7.What’s the worst that could happen? Plan accordingly. Pack a change of clothes, a towel or even just a fleece blanket. Take wipes/hankies: adventures are messy. Always bring some plasters, wipes and eye wash. Trips, grazes are part of the territory: war wounds give boasting rights!
8. You don’t have to go far to have an adventure… How many places had you been when you were 5?
9. Have a bags to take litter/treasure home. Stones, shells, cones, feathers and random bits of wood are interesting when you are small.
10. Adventures can be incorporated into all sorts of things. A trip to the city shopping can be an adventure if you pack a picnic and go to a new park or square to eat it.
11. Be spontaneous! If you/ they fancy a paddle and it’s March, so what? Go for it!
12. Any fool can be cold and wet.
Remember, you do not have to pay to have fun with your kids!
13. Bring Band-Aids.
Aha, that’s what “plasters” means! And I should read more carefully Never mind. (Nice blog entry.)