Microadventures.
Take it away, Al ~
How has microadventure changed what your view of what adventure means?
"My view of Adventure has changed a great deal over the years. When I first got interested in Adventure, I was very much drawn to extreme physical expeditions in far off wild landscapes. But my definition of Adventure has evolved and broadened a lot over the years and I'm now much more interested in trying to make Adventure more accessible to more people in more places more often. And this is what microadventures are brilliant for - to try to get us to look differently at the world and rather than thinking we don't have enough time or we don't have enough money or we live really far from the mountains or the ocean. Instead of looking at those barriers to our adventures, microadventures encourages us to look for the opportunities that do remain to ask ourselves okay. What can I do with the amount of time and money I have available this weekend? And what can I do close to where I live. For example, within a couple of miles of where you live, I'm sure there will be a footpath. You've never been down a tree. You've never climbed a river. You have never swam in. If you go to those places then you're being an explorer and if you do it with curiosity and enthusiasm, a life of local Adventures can feel really rich."
What’s been your most memorable Microadventure with children, and what did you learn from it?
"A few years ago I joined a primary school who were taking a couple of classes on a MICROADVENTURE overnight. We slept in a field by a small wood and a stream. The brilliant teachers had laid on all sorts of activities and challenges and things for the kids to be doing. But they soon realised that the children were entirely happy to have unstructured free time playing in the trees in the tiny stream. I think that children today have such completely tightly structured and organised lives, that if we can find place to just let them run wild and figure things out for themselves then their natural adventurous creativity has a brilliant chance to come through."
Many parents feel they lack the time or energy for adventure. What would you say to encourage them to start small?
"First of all, I'm not in any position to offer any practical advice to any parent! I'm sure they are all very much trying their best and almost certainly doing a better job than they might think they are. But it's certainly true that families today struggle with a lack of time and with the competing distractions of screen time to distract children from wild and natural and outdoor play. My suggestion would be to start really small. Take a packet of rice Krispies to your nearest wood and have breakfast there rather than at home. Get the seek and Merlin apps on your phone and allow the children to run around learning the names of plants and the songs of birds as they go. And I really recommend for parents of young children to try geocaching. All across the globe are hidden little Tupperware boxes with treasure and a notebook and you can find them through the geocaching app. It's like a digital treasure hunt and these little boxes are all over the planet. There's even one at the South pole and one on the international space station. It's a great way to combine technology, a treasure hunt play and being in the outdoors."
How do you think time spent outdoors together shapes a child’s resilience, creativity, or sense of wonder?
"Some very successful business person once said how am I to expect someone to run a business if they've never climbed a tree. What they meant by that was that climbing trees teaches you risk management and personal responsibility and the consequences of failure and the pride and joy of success. Everyone likes the tweeting sounds of bird song, but if you use the Merlin app and learn that those are goldfinches singing away, then knowing the name of that creature brings an extra level of caring and wonder. Spending time in the outdoors is a great way to slow down to be curious to be offline and to let your thoughts and emotions slowly unfurl. Plus it's good fun!"
If you could gift one Microadventure to every dad this Father’s Day, what would it be and why?
"My absolute favourite thing to do is to jump in a river. You need to be sensible and careful of course and pay attention to obstacles, currents, temperatures, entry and exit points and all those sensible things. But once you've got the hang of all that, there is no great joy to me than leaping into a river on a summer's day. Do that with your kids and they'll remember it for life."