adventuring with kids

CLIMB, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, TEENS
All You Need to Know About Indoor Rock Climbing For Kids
- September 10, 2022
If you’ve got adventurous kids that love a good physical challenge, give indoor rock climbing a try! There are so many amazing benefits of rock climbing for kids, including improved coordination, physical strength, problem-solving, gross motor skills, and communication. And it’s easier to get started than you might think! There’s very little required gear, and you can learn everything you need to get started rock climbing at your local rock climbing gym. Today, Michelle Garrett, California mom and founder of Wonder Club Explorers, is here sharing her recent climbing experience and what they learned. Climb on!

When the kids are climbing the walls

Stop me if this scenario sounds all too familiar…it’s the middle of the day. The kids are tired of their usual play. They are starting to argue and fuss about being bored. There’s nothing to do at home. They’re full of energy. They are climbing the walls!

Well, the next time you find yourself searching for fun alternatives to climbing the walls, why not just let them climb the walls with indoor rock climbing?

Checking out our local climbing gym

We recently had the opportunity to visit Sender One, an indoor rock-climbing gym in Los Angeles, California. From the moment we entered, we were welcomed into a supportive environment full of indoor climbing walls and friendly faces. This was such a great place to get started and learn the ropes from experienced instructors on a wide variety of climbing structures. There was even a special room full of rock walls and climbing structures just for kids. During our visit, we talked to indoor rock-climbing enthusiasts, experienced staff members, and instructors, all of which shared their best tips for indoor rock climbing with kids, which we’re passing on to you today!

Benefits of indoor rock climbing for kids

The benefits of indoor rock climbing for kids are huge! In just one session at Sender One, my son’s climbing confidence skyrocketed. By the end of the session, he asked not only to return again but to attempt bouldering (climbing without ropes) as well.

Coordination, especially awareness of hand-eye-foot movements, is put to the test when indoor rock climbing. As kids reach for holds, place feet, and maneuver up and down climbing walls, it forces them to pay attention to their body awareness and focus on the task at hand. This focus helps to build problem-solving skills so they can navigate routes and figure their own way out when stuck.

Of course, indoor rock-climbing gyms are supportive environments, so young children also learn how to communicate and listen, especially when given instructions from their climbing partner.

Kids get quite the workout while rock climbing. They use a variety of muscle groups, build strength, and engage in physical fitness when climbing. Kids might not immediately recognize the physicality of rock climbing, but after a few climbs up and down an indoor climbing wall, they might be slightly out of breath and in need of water! While group sports are not for everyone, rest assured that indoor rock climbing is considered a sport- an Olympic sport!

Bouldering vs. rope climbing

We quickly learned that there are two main types of indoor rock climbing. There’s bouldering, which is free climbing without the assistance of a rope belay or harness. In a bouldering session, participants climb indoor climbing walls or bouldering walls with color-coded grips and footholds of all shapes and sizes. Using their own strength, climbers ascend or descend a wall using their grip and muscles to maneuver around the climbing wall.

Similarly, rope climbing has color-coded rock grips and footholds on an indoor climbing wall. Unlike bouldering, climbers benefit from the assistance of a harness, a rope belay system, and a climbing partner to facilitate the belay action from the ground. The harness and rope belay allows the climber to climb higher with a sense of security from their climbing partner operating the belay. Some climbing gyms have auto-belay climbing routes. This means there is a mechanical rope and pulley system to provide tension so one can climb without the assistance of a partner.

When it comes to indoor rock climbing for kids, both bouldering and rope climbing are equally fun. Each type of climb offers its own unique benefits and challenges that will appeal to kids in different ways. During our first time visit to Sender One, we tried both bouldering and rope climbing. No surprise here, but the kids loved both!

When to start indoor rock climbing for kids

Let’s start by saying that kids are natural-born climbers! We know this, right? Here’s where you get to indulge in a Hollywood-style montage of kid memories playing through your head. Kids climbing out of the crib, climbing onto the couch, climbing into/out of the high chair, climbing into the bathtub, climbing up the kitchen counter, and, my favorite, scaling the refrigerator doors to the highest of heights to get to the good snacks. Need I say more?

Kids of all ages will love rock climbing. Indoor rock climbing for kids can start as early as 4-5 years old. Around that time, kids have refined their gross motor skills and problem-solving skills, and have the ability to follow directions so they can obey the gym rules. Each of these is an important consideration for the safety of your child. Not to mention, they go a long way in ensuring a positive experience in an indoor rock climbing studio.

Skills and abilities needed for rocking climbing

To climb, kids need bodily awareness so that they can use their muscles and body parts for strength, stability, and coordination. While harnessed and on a climbing wall, kids need to troubleshoot their way out of a situation where they feel “stuck” or unable to figure out their next move. And finally, kids need to be able to follow directions from their climbing partner/rope belay operator to remain as calm as possible when climbing a rock wall. Older kids will probably pick up on these things very quickly, but young children might surprise you with how quick and agile they are on the climbing walls.

Some people will start their kids climbing sooner than age 5. You’ve probably encouraged your kids to climb boulders at the park or on a trail. Naturally, you might think they’re ready for an indoor climbing experience. You should consult an indoor climbing studio or gym and confirm their minimum age requirements for indoor rock climbing for kids.

Indoor rock climbing equipment

Depending upon whether you’re bouldering or rope climbing, the equipment needs will be slightly different. For bouldering, a pair of climbing shoes is helpful, although not necessary, until your child shows a real interest in the sport. Climbing shoes have rubber soles for extra grip. Some gyms offer a shoe rental option until you’re ready to buy them.

For rope climbing, in addition to climbing shoes, you’ll need a helmet and harness. A helmet should be properly fitted and rest level on a climber’s head, with little to no slack on the chin strap, and the “Y” of the strap resting below the climber’s ear. A properly fitted harness has snug leg loops, a snug waistband that sits above the hip bones, all buckles double-backed, and shoulder straps snug against the shoulders. Kids over 48 inches can get by with a waist harness, but kids shorter than 48 inches may be required to wear a full-body harness.

What you need to know to rock climb

Rope climbers will need carabiner clips and knowledge of tying knots. In an intro to climbing session, your instructor will help with the very important work of tying your knots. In our session, we had someone to help us tie a Figure 8 for the main knot and a double fisherman knot for added safety. When auto-belaying, it’s important to attach the carabiner clip to your harness correctly. It’s also a good idea to check and recheck that your carabiner is secure before starting a climb.

Tackling indoor rock wall climbing routes

When your littles are ready to tackle indoor climbing walls, here are a few pointers to help get you on your way. Many gyms have colorful climbing walls filled with colored grips and footholds. Those colors mean something- they differentiate routes along the wall, oftentimes by the level of difficulty. Beginner climbers typically follow one color up and down the wall.

As your climber acclimates and their skill level increases, they can attempt “rainbow climbing” which simply means they mix colors along their route. At Sender One, the color-coded routes had fun and fanciful names like Fairy Tears, Newt’s Eyes, the Tortoise, and the English Open. Indoor rock climbing for kids becomes that much more fun with names like these!

Rock climbing walls at indoor gyms are fun to look at. Not only are they colorful, but they have a variety of shapes to simulate the diversity of rock surfaces one might find in nature. These grips, or “holds,” as they are called, have descriptive names like seats, bubbles, lightning bolts, etc. The most common holds kids will use are called “jugs,” but holds like “slopes” are helpful for kids to palm, and “pinchers” can be gripped from the top and bottom.

Pro tip from a Sender One instructor: Get your feet nice and high! It’s not a new climber’s first instinct to move their feet to help them find a handhold to continue their climb. By moving your feet around and getting them nice and high, it opens more holds for them to reach.

Indoor climbing walls & kid safety

Indoor rock climbing for kids has risks, but when you exercise caution and good judgment, it can be a very safe sport. A few safety tips to keep in mind have everything to do with knowing how to land and fall.
- To fall on your back, stay relaxed, bend your knees and arms, tuck your arms in, and roll back.
- To fall on your side, look at your landing zone, bend your knees and arms, tuck your arms in, and fall, letting the pads do the work.
- Similar to learning how to fall from a bike, never use your hands to break your fall.
- Like in gymnastics, when you stick a landing, bend your knees but don’t lock them.
Be aware of your surroundings and always follow directions! When indoor rope climbing, it’s important to know how to descend safely. Once your little one climbs as far as they feel comfortable, encourage them to sit back like they’re in a chair and relax as they make their way back to the ground. To keep them from twisting their rope on the way down, instruct them to stay focused on the wall until their two feet are safely touching the floor.

Climbing gyms

Climbing gyms are a perfect place to get started when your child is first interested in learning how to rock climb. For one, climbing gyms provide a supportive environment filled with instructors and experienced climbers that are willing to help with advice and tips. They also offer gear rentals which makes it a low-cost commitment to try out while you decide if this is something you’d like to continue before investing in gear. If you love rock climbing, a gym membership would be a great gift for your child.

Check out the Indoor Climbing website to find a climbing gym close to you. Many indoor climbing gyms offer youth programs and classes specifically for kids, with professional adult supervision. There may even be youth discounts for young climbers. They may also offer day camps, summer camps, birthday parties, open gym time, kids’ activities, games, private lessons, school programs, themed day events, competitive youth teams, group events, and other ways to make climbing fun and social for kids.

Earn a merit patch for indoor rock climbing

Are you excited to try indoor rock climbing with your kids? Want to earn a fun merit patch for trying this fun new sport?

Wonder Club Explorers is an independent scouting program for kids and features 18 patches in 9 different fields of learning. During our indoor rock-climbing adventure, my son earned his Wonder Club Explorer Obstacle Ninja and Maze Master Merit Patches. Indoor rock climbing, in and of itself, was a vertical obstacle challenge, but maneuvering around the holds was a three-dimensional maze to be solved. This activity proved to be a two-for-one as rock climbing satisfied both patches in one outing.

Check out our website to learn more about Wonder Club Explorers.

Indoor rock climbing basics for kids

Indoor rock climbing for kids is an absolute blast! My son had so much fun and I loved watching him gain confidence as he learned a new skill. Before we sign off, we want to make sure you’ve got the lingo of a real climber. As you initiate the climb, your climbing partner will say “On Belay” to which you respond, “Belay On.” “Climb on,” says your partner, and off you go! Whether you’re climbing the walls at a gym or scaling your own climbing wall at home, we hope you have fun! Until next time!

Special thanks to Sender One for showing us the ropes of indoor rock climbing!

Additional resources

If you’re interested in learning more about rock climbing and other related activities, be sure to check out a few more of these great posts:
About the author

Michelle spends her days working on projects to improve the quality of life for the citizens of her community and her nights reading books to her 6-year-old about every kind of dinosaur there ever was (there are 900 validated species, in case you’re wondering). Together with her son, Michelle created Wonder Club Explorers, a company to inspire wonder and curiosity in kids. She carves out time for herself on the weekends as an early morning exerciser and metalsmith of fine jewelry. Michelle is also the co-host of the Run Wild My Child podcast. She resides in Altadena with her husband and son amongst California oak trees and a stone’s throw from the San Gabriel Mountains.

You can find Michelle online in the following locations:
Instagram: @wonderclubexplorers
Website: http://www.wonderclubexplorers.co
RWMC posts: Michelle Garrett
FALL, GOOD FOR NATURE, HIKE, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SPRING, SUMMER, WINTER
How to Have Adventure Days with Kids
- October 1, 2021
Connecting with our children isn’t always easy. Finding the time for special adventure outings can be even more of a challenge. Life is busy and, as we all know, life with children is even busier. But, what if we told you that elaborate adventures aren’t necessary? Getting outside with your kids doesn’t have to be a challenge. You just need some simple ideas and an adventurous mindset! Today, Angie Mahlke, photographer and Minnesota mom of three, shares all about how to begin and plan simple, connection-building adventure days with kids. Get ready to turn your simple outings into big adventures!

Adventure days with kids

When I became a professional stay-at-home-mom over a decade ago, I didn’t realize the job position really translated to Chief Entertainment Coordinator. We’ve all heard the dreaded “I’m bored” whine enough times to evoke a Pavlovian response to the statement. Over the years I’ve created tricks out of necessity to survive the long days. One of them is to take a seemingly mundane activity and wrap it up in a pretty package presented as an Adventure Day. Today, I am going to share this mom hack with you to get you outside adventuring with your children.

How our adventure days started

What sprouted out of COVID restrictions turned into a new beloved tradition. Because things were canceled or changed to accommodate safety concerns, my daughter and I found ourselves bored at home. A lot. There was no more storytime at the library or mommy and me classes at the school. No more dressing up in leotards and tutus for dance class. No museums to explore, shopping trips, or indoor activities.

What we did have was the great outdoors.

We decided to embrace it. I started by making a comprehensive list on my phone of all the free or relatively inexpensive outdoor things to do in our area. Some were big, some were small. Some were locations and others were activities. I included places nearby and a few that were a bit farther out. Lots and lots of opens.

I decided we would cycle through them to entertain ourselves. Each day that we needed an activity, we’d pick one from the list. I called them Adventure Days.

(I also instituted Adventure Days this summer when all my children were home from school. Summer days have the potential to feel long and tedious without new and fun things to explore.)

Creating adventure days with kids

The activities themselves are rarely anything overly special or glamorous. But by simply giving it a special title of “Adventure Days,” the outing suddenly seems more exciting. My kids may not get all that excited about going on a hike. But, tell them we’re going on a grand ADVENTURE and they’re all in!

Plus, the label is also a cue to me that I should be fully present. On Adventure Days, I put the phone away. Work gets paused. They get my attention. I truly exist in the moment with my children, which means more to them than I ever expected.

If I had to wager a bet, I’d say the Adventure Days with my kids became more special because of the undivided attention that was given to them, not so much the activity we are doing together. Kids crave attention from their parents and being fully present for our adventures made them ten times as special for all of us.

Simple and intentional activities

So what do these outings look like? Simple. They look simple.

We often think our adventures must be grand affairs. I know I’m guilty of this. An outing doesn’t have to be EPIC to be an adventure. It is something I’ve had to train my brain to relearn. We worry our children will be bored unless it’s expensive and extensive. But that’s so not true. I promise.

Small things can make a big impact. Especially when they’re done with love and intention. The whole “less is more” mindset is accurate when planning daily or weekly activities with your children. A lot of it lies in the presentation and the delivery.

If you’re attentive and enjoying the experience, your child will follow your lead. (Did you hear that…YOU have to be having fun.) I know it’s a taller order than that. We’re busy and distracted as we juggle all the things. I’m right there with you.

I can say, though, I am grateful for those few hours during our Adventure Days when I sign off and truly tune into the present moment. It takes some practice. Give yourself grace for the times you’re distracted. Children innately know how to have fun. Adults need to relearn it sometimes.

Adventure day activities

Here are some simple ideas to illustrate the simplicity and connection building of Adventure Days with kids:
- Bike rides into town to buy a treat at the gas station and play at the nearby playground.
- Throwing rocks into the river.
- Filling a bucket with nature treasures (rocks, leaves, flowers, pinecones, etc.).
- Hiking a new trail.
- Exploring a new park or playground and creating a park tour guidebook together.
- Riding bikes or walking to a dinner or lunch date.
- Enjoying warm tea or hot chocolate and a book while on a hike.
- Taking the dog to the dog park.
- Ice cream dates.
- Picking wildflowers.
- Finding a tree to climb.
Low maintenance, low-cost activities mean a lot

Your adventures don’t have to cost a lot of money (or any money), don’t need a lot of planning, and don’t require any fancy gear. Some of our favorite Adventure Days are the ones that came up naturally when I said YES to adventure and exploration.

An Adventure Day that sticks out in my mind is a scooter ride along a Mississippi bike path one spring day. We discovered puddles along the way and stopped often for my daughter to splash with her new rain boots. She also befriended many dogs that day.

The outing cost zero dollars. The bike path was close to home. It was convenient and free and simple. But, it was so much fun! It just took both of us saying yes to adventure and making the time to get outside.

How to have successful adventure days

Your Adventure Days will be more successful if you typically keep them small and simple. They’re easier to manage and less stressful. This often means staying close to home and choosing free activities.

It’s important to keep realistic expectations. Oftentimes we are disappointed when plans don’t go as anticipated. We all know children are infamous for throwing wrenches in plans. Keep an open mind and be ready to veer when necessary.

A lot of factors can determine the day’s outcome: weather, moods, temperaments, hunger, health, etc. Prepare for as many scenarios as possible to keep the day on track. Here are a couple of ideas that may help your Adventure Day be successful:
- Bring snacks. Lots and lots of snacks.
- Wear appropriate clothing.
- Dressing in layers is always a good idea.
- Bring extra clothing if your activity is messy or maybe always have spare clothing since children enjoy full sensory exploration.
- Plan the outing for a time of day where your children are ready to play versus when they’re hungry and tired.
- Put your phone down/away.
- Say yes to things you maybe usually don’t say yet to on Adventure Days (e.g. puddle jumping, getting dirty, ice cream, etc.).
How to prepare for adventure

Another tip I’ve learned over the years is to prep as much as you can the night before. Set out clothes. Pack up snacks. Get water bottles ready. Also, don’t forget to talk to your children about your plans. I find things run smoother when my kids know what to expect. Then remind them again in the car or on the walk to your destination.

Most importantly: let it be fun!

This seems so simple, yet it’s the hardest one for me. When the whining and bickering set in, an alarm in my brain automatically blares at me to jump ship. We can’t control every scenario in every situation. Kids are hard-wired to react to unpleasantries (hunger, irritability, bugs, weather, etc.). Sometimes all it takes is a moment to hit the hypothetical reset button to reframe the activity in a way that everyone can enjoy.

And sometimes things will go wrong. You’ll get lost, you’ll forget something, you’ll get somewhere only to find it closed. Don’t worry about it! Sometimes, those misadventures are the ones that make the best stories and memories! Try to turn it into a positive experience and you’ll be laughing about it for years!

When to spice things up

I’ve been preaching simple, but some days can be grand! Throw in a more elaborate one from time to time. Mixing in some extraordinary with the ordinary can spice it up every so often.

Travel a little further from home once a month, once a season, or however often you feel is manageable. Research nearby cities for free or cheap things to do. Explore new parks, find nature centers, check out orchards or new hikes.

We give these Adventure Days a special title of Field Trip. They are typically educational in nature, so the title is appropriate.

The small zoo near us is a favorite. It’s an hour away (but, as a bonus, it’s free!). The drive adds a level of anticipation that makes it feel bigger than it truly is.

Occasionally, changing your scenery is key. A playground 45 minutes away is more exciting than the playground two blocks from your house that you frequent regularly. The hiking trail you visit sporadically is bound to entertain your children longer than the one you walk often. A new (to them) creek may provide hours of entertainment as they explore.

How to get started with adventure days

Now that you’ve heard the benefits of Adventure Days, how can you get started?
- Create a running list of possible things to do in your area. Continue to jot ideas down as you discover or think of them. Make sure there’s a little bit of something for everyone and a wide variety of big and small, near and far.
- Scour your area for things to do near you. Facebook community groups are a great resource. Your local library may have programs or information on area activities. Don’t discount word of mouth. Ask other families where they like to adventure.
- Explore. Sometimes you wander upon hidden gems, like trails or creeks or a neighborhood playground you never knew existed. When you’re driving, take note of “brown signs” in your area, which usually denote unique hidden-gem destinations.
Incorporating the seasons

It’s also fun to incorporate the seasons into your Adventure Days. Find a hiking trail or park that has obvious seasonal changes. Make it a point to return to that spot season-after-season and note the differences each time you visit. How have things changed? Every outing is an opportunity for learning.

You can also use the seasons to brainstorm ideas. Each season has its own built-in activities. Find an epic sledding hill in the winter. Go berry picking in the spring. Discover a small town festival in the summer. Visit a pumpkin patch in the fall.

Creating multiple activities from one

Want in on a little secret? You can stretch one activity into multiple ones. Want to find out how? Here are a few examples.

Go on a leaf hunt in the fall to find as many different colors and kinds of leaves as you can. You can collect the leaves to use for other purposes later, like a leaf crown or a leaf collage. One of our favorites is to make leaf monsters by gluing leaves onto a piece of paper, adding googly eyes, and drawing arms and legs. This is a great way to turn one activity into several.

Another example of creating multiple activities from one is with rocks. One day go on an adventure to find unique rocks. Then another day you can set up a painting station on your driveway and decorate them however you want. Create rock animals or transform them into pretty flowers—you name it! Then yet another day, set out in your neighborhood to hide the rocks for others to discover.

Hit up a farm or orchard to pick fruit, veggies, or wildflowers. Once you’re home, turn the fruits and veggies into tasty treats together. Or make little bouquets, corsages, or bookmarks with the flowers.

Can you think of any other activities that can be multiplied into more fun for later?

Adventure Day ideas

If you’re stuck thinking of Adventure Day ideas, I created a list to get you started. I have them organized by categories: your simple, everyday ones; seasonal; and the grander affairs I like to call Field Trips.

Simple
- Skipping rocks
- Scavenger hunt
- Nature bingo
- Neighborhood bike ride
- Parking lot scooter races
- Homemade obstacle courses
- Hiking trails
- Stick fort building
- Rock hunting
- Floor is lava at random locations
- Kite flying
- Informal sports games (tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball, etc)
- Dog park
- New playgrounds
Seasonal
- Berry picking
- Pick your own flower farm
- Puddle splashing
- Dandelion wishes
- Splash pad
- Swimming pool
- Beach
- Fishing
- Bug/frog catch and release
- Parade
- Wildflower bouquets
- Apple orchard
- Leaf pile jumping
- Corn maze
- Pumpkin patch
- Leaf collecting
- Sledding
- Snowman building
- Ice castles
- Snowshoe hikes
- Skiing
Field trips
- State park
- Nature center
- Zoo
- Farmer’s markets
- Museum
- Botanical garden
- Golfing (mini golf, disc golf)
- County fair
- Festivals
Don’t forget to include your children while brainstorming. Sometimes they come up with the best ideas! Now get outside and start adventuring with your children!

Who do you think will enjoy the Adventure Days more, you or your children?

About the author

Angie is a wife and stay-at-home-mom of three wild hyenas. She resides in rural Minnesota, where there are more cows and cornfields than people. She is an introvert with a creative itch that needs to be scratched, whether it is photographing her children in their daily lives or coming up with fun ways to explore nature in their backyard. Messy hair, dirty faces, mismatched clothing, wild and free children—all these things fuel her creativity and the desire to preserve these fleeting moments. Angie and her family can be found camping, biking, and sitting around a campfire during the summer months and sledding and ice fishing in a million layers during the winter.

You can find Angie online in the following locations:
Instagram: @angie_mahlke
RWMC posts: Angie Mahlke
HIKE, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Cultivating a Love of Adventure in Homebody Kids
- July 28, 2020
As parents, we all want to instill a sense of adventure in our kids and a love for the outdoors. But, what happens when your kids would rather stay home? What if you’re a homebody, too? What if you know you should be getting outside, but the struggle to get out the door is more than you want to deal with right now? You’re not alone. Today, we have the amazing Angie Warmington, Wisconsin mom of three boys, sharing her family’s struggle to get outside and how she’s cultivating a love of adventure in her homebody kids. I think a LOT of us can relate to this. Enjoy!

The struggle is real

Let me be perfectly honest. I am a homebody to the extreme. There is nowhere else on this earth I feel most at ease than in my own home. My three young boys are homebody kids and my husband is right there with us.

My love for home is so deep that it makes me very proud of how comfortable and secure my children feel within the four walls that we’ve provided for them. But I also want them to feel comfortable and secure outside them!

It is no understatement when people say that there’s a big world out there. And I so desperately want them to see it.

The problem is, sometimes they really don’t want to. And the struggle to get my homebody kids out there exploring can be stressful, to say the least.

From homebody to explorer

Let me start at the very beginning of when our love of adventures began. About two years ago when my youngest was old enough to really enjoy being outside we decided we were going to start going on adventures. Ok…I decided we were going to start going on adventures.

At that time, I had been a full-time stay at home mom for about three years. The four walls that created my safe sanctuary were driving me insane. I needed out. And so did my kids.

I knew the importance of children getting fresh air. I knew they needed wide open spaces to explore, to run and burn some crazy off. The benefits of getting outside to their personal growth and development were many. How many studies do we need to read to hammer that home?

And so we made some changes. We started adventuring! I got my homebody kids and self out of the house and we explored new places and tried new things. And for the first summer we did this they loved it! They were begging to go on adventures daily. We went all over our little part of the world and adventured to our heart’s desire.

Adventure strategy

Fast forward a couple of years…all of a sudden, my adventuring kids are back to being homebody kids. They were not so excited about our adventures anymore. In fact, most times they’d really rather not.

I don’t know what happened. Maybe, with this past year of spending so much time in our house the idea of leaving feels foreign to them now? Maybe they’re anxious? Or perhaps they just forgot how much fun we had? I’m not sure. But whatever’s going on, it’s made getting my homebody kids out of the house so hard.

However, I refuse to give up on our adventures. Over the last few months, I’ve developed some strategies to try to help keep their excitement for adventures alive. Here are a few tips for how we’re doing it and how it’s going.

Mix it up

I keep a running list of all the places that we’ve explored that I know my boys love, as well as a list of places we have yet to see. This helps remind me of all the fun places we could adventure that we already know we love, as well as all the places we want to explore.

There’s a wonderful app called All Trails that I use when I’m researching new areas. It has been so handy this past year. It lists all the hiking trails in our area depending on their length, difficulty level, how heavily trafficked they are, as well as if they would be considered kid-friendly.

I build my list right there in the app and I make it a personal goal to cross a new place off at least once a month. We aim for two new places a month, but I figure beggars can’t be choosers, so I happily settle for at least one!

When scouting for new places, I look for areas and features that I know my boys would enjoy. We are fortunate to live along Lake Michigan, so any place that brings us close to water is usually a hit. That doesn’t mean that we always go to the lake. But, when I search for local nature reserves or hiking trails, I try to make sure they run along a lake or river so they have that water play to look forward to.

Tried and true

If trying out a new place just isn’t appealing, I let them pick our adventure from a list of places we’ve tried and enjoyed. Do we want to go throw rocks in the lake? Do we want to go to run through the sand dunes or find all the bridges at Seven Bridges Park? Letting them choose where we’ll go explore a lot of times leads to a great trip.

Eventually, if the trip goes well, we add the new places to our list of favorite tried-and-true places. Those new places that we were so uncertain about in the beginning find their way to our list of awesome adventures and just get added to our rotation. This helps my kids realize that trying new things leads to finding new favorites.

Encourage make-believe

We live the nerd life. We are mad lovers of all things Star Wars, orcs, trolls and yetis. Pretty much all magical beasts top our list of awesome creatures. Sprinkle in some zombies and my boys are in heaven. They have found magic and adventure inside our home. But, I absolutely love it when they find it outside, too.

So, when they ask if we’ll find Big Foot’s house or they tell me that these woods look just like the ones where the Ewoks live, I encourage it like crazy. My boys’ imagination is one of my favorite things in the whole world. If I can get them excited about finding some strange mystical creature on one of our walks, I am all about it! It adds an extra element of fun to our adventures. We’re always hunting for yetis and keeping an eye out for crocodiles.

No shame in the bribery game

Sometimes, the fight to get out of the house and adventure can get very intense. In those cases, I’m not above bribery. In fact, I embrace it.

They’ll walk a short trail with minimal complaint in exchange for a chance to go play at our favorite playground? Done.

They’ll go to the lake if I let them bring home as many rocks as they can fit in their pockets? Deal.

Any wizard staffs (aka giant sticks) that we find on our adventure must come home with us? If it fits in the van, it’s yours.

Any reasonable promise (heavy emphasis on the reasonable) I can make that will get them to happily go on an adventure? I am all over it. If you need to get your homebody kids out of the house, don’t feel bad about using bribery. I’ll help you come up with the bribe, if you need it!

When in doubt, keep it short

If my guys are truly just not feeling it but we really need to get outdoors, we’ll keep it as short as possible. I would rather do multiple short trips a week then drag them out for hours someplace that they would rather not be.

We initially started going on adventures because we wanted to have fun! The last thing I want is for my homebody kids to dread our adventures any time I bring up the word. If twenty or thirty minutes is all we get, then so be it. I’ll make every effort to do that 20-30 minutes a couple of times a week and make it as fun as possible.

But if that doesn’t happen? It’s ok. It really is. I promise. There are days when I have to make the judgment call that maybe that day just isn’t a good day for an adventure. I’ll be honest. I get a little heartbroken when I hear grumbles of not wanting to go explore. But sometimes it’s not worth forcing them to go.

But for every negative response, I usually get an excited one! It really can be a balancing act, so I make every attempt to be as flexible as possible. There are days when my boys will ask me if we can go on an adventure before I have to chance to bring it up! Those are the best days. We’re getting fresh air; we’re having fun checking out a new amazing place nearby or visiting an old favorite. Not to mention, at the end of the day, they sleep so wonderfully!

A lifetime of adventures

My hope is that these small steps will help my boys grow up craving adventures. That someday they’ll come to me with ideas of places they want to explore. My hope is that we’ll eventually be able to go on an all-day trip where we hike across as much ground as our feet will cover. And that they’ll fall in love with getting out and seeing all the amazing things the world has to offer.

Are you or your child a homebody?
How do you encourage adventures?

About the author

Hi, I’m Angie Warmington. I am the mother of three young and active boys. Our home is in the southeastern corner of Wisconsin. I am a full time stay at home mom with a small family photography business on the side. Photography became a hobby of mine when my oldest was born and my love for it has grown right along with my children. It brings me a lot of joy to be able to photograph my boys while they explore our small little corner of the world. It feeds my need for creativity as well as capturing some amazing memories for them.

You can find more from Angie in the following locations:
Instagram: @angiewarmingtonphoto
Facebook: @angiewarmingtonphotos