What is a Family Adventure
Adventure is what you make of it, wherever that might be.
When you hear the word adventure, what are your first thoughts? A great exploration into the unknown, exciting new challenges like ziplining through the Rain Forest, or how about an exotic African safari? That is what most think of when they hear adventure. That’s not what it HAS to be. It can be whatever you make of it, even if that is a camp out in your backyard.
Adding your kids to the adventure just means that you might need to alter a few things to make the adventure kid friendly. The same way you make their dinner kid friendly, just a small change and it’ll be perfect. 😉
**Related Post: 10 awesome outdoor family adventures to have at home
What is a family adventure?
Family adventure is something fun and exciting that you do as a family.
To you, an adventure might have a deeper purpose. Your family adventure could be an educational experience you give your kids that they can’t get in a classroom. Your adventure could be lessons on living life to its fullest. Family adventure could be taking the road less traveled and seeing something from a different perspective. Maybe your family adventure is trying something new, pushing your comfort zones mentally, physically and emotionally.
Adventures with your family are personal. Make it to fit your family, your needs, your interests.
Why are family adventures important?
Family Adventures build relationships, family connections, and confidence in each other. And then there are the memories… oh the memories that will live on forever!
Family connections
Family connections build family relationships and confidence in each other. Ask the kids what they’d want to do. Give them options if they don’t have any ideas. Involve them. Asking for their opinion makes them feel a part of the family. It gets the kids involved in family decisions. Having their words be heard and accepted is huge for a kiddo.
Ask the kids if they want to be involved in planning the adventure? There can even be life lessons thrown in there, from budgeting to geography.
Relationship building
How do you build strong family relationships? Spend quality time together. How do you spend quality time together? Go on family adventures!
Confidence in each other
Building confidence in each other is great relationship building too. When you are working as a team and depending on each other to complete something, like white water rafting down a river, your family bond grows. Your confidence in each other grows as well. You feel closer and that you can depend on one another in tough situations.
Memories
Oh the memories you’ll have… The memories the kids will have… these memories build upon your kiddos. They last longer than plastic toy souvenirs. Even if they are too young to fully remember the whole experience, you’ll remember it and that is important too.
How do I make adventure work for my family
When planning a family adventure I am looking for a few things. Will everyone be entertained? Will we still have a family connection? Or will everyone want to do something different? Can we make new memories of exploration?
What experience do you want
What type of family affair are you seeking? Are you looking for a fun family outing, are you wanting to go to a local fun family event, what family experience are you searching for? Once you have the family experience identified, how can you make it fit your family?
Will everyone be entertained and safe
What can we do as a family that will get everyone excited about? Will the activity be safe for all ages? If not, could we alter the plans or find another adventure that is safe for everyone?
Example
Let’s say you want to go to Florida for vacation. You have always wanted to go to Daytona Beach, ever since you were in college. You can drive your car on the beach, park on the beach, walk down to the water to set up your beach blanket and the kid’s toys. The beach is HUGE! It’ll be perfect. But…no one is a good swimmer, in fact, no one can swim, at all! And you heard the waves can get pretty big there. What if there are Red Flag warnings and rip currents and sharks…
*** Side Note- I’m from Daytona. The waves can be big. The sharks can be present. Some times man-o-war get washed up on shore. And rip currents happen. These things can happen at any beach. The surfing is great. The beach is beautiful. You can rent bikes to ride on the beach. There is beach parking and so much more. I’d still choose Daytona Beach.
But… there might be better beaches out there if you have concerns for the safety of your family. The west coast of Florida is more shallow and the waves aren’t as big as the east coast. You can do a quick Google search for kid friendly beaches. Destin, FL might be a destination that came up. You could look for snorkeling tours, yet again, no one is a good swimmer. And you don’t want to buy all that equipment just for one vacation. You’re in luck, Snorkeling & Shelling Destin is a perfect fit. They have rental equipment and tours for non-swimmers!
What if the beach isn’t your thing? What if you have small kids and really want to learn how to ski? A quick Google search will help you find a good instructor that will help everyone. You might have to change the location of where you go to fit the experience you want to have as a family.
Involve the whole family
Think about the experience you want as a family, and work around that. Involve the whole family. Ask everyone’s opinion and take them into consideration. The kids might be more willing to try new adventures and you not even realize it.
Some family adventure ideas
- Off-roading! (This is always our #1)
- Rope courses
- Camping
- Hiking
- Stand up paddleboarding
- Fishing
- Picnic
**Related post: 13 super fun family outdoor adventure ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
To recap…What is a Family Adventure?
Family adventure is what you make of it, wherever that might be.
What is your favorite family adventure that you have been on? OR… what family adventure would you like to go on?
