Adventurous days – some simple ideas for adventures with your child

You might feel that your child can find an adventure anywhere. Their curiosity and desire to find new challenges can lead them to do things you just didn’t expect – which can feel hard at times as you balance keeping them safe and encouraging their sense of adventure. 

It may be unnerving for you, as their parent, to see your child grow more curious and enthusiastic about the world. Children are often driven to achieve new goals, and they do not experience the same level of fear that gradually creeps up on us adults over time. When you participate in their adventurous play, however, you can ensure that your child is safe to take chances and face challenges. 

Your child is experiencing many things for the first time, which means what feels like an adventure for them might not be the same as it does for you.  

This means you don’t need to plan elaborate outings, or extravagant new experiences – chat with your child about what adventure they would like to have. It could be simple things like exploring a different way to get to the park, trying something new for lunch, discovering a new place, finding a new way to create art, or experiencing different weathers.  

You could focus on what your child’s new interests are and try to plan new experiences with them. 

Here are some ideas of what an adventure could be: 

• Exploring a new place close to home 
• Climbing trees 
• Camping (this can be done in the garden) 
• Trying new foods 
• Imaginary play 
• Walking with bare feet 
• Going for a walk in a dark wood 

If you do want to plan an adventure with your child, get them involved too.  

When children are involved in decision-making, they feel more in charge, and this will help them, over time, to understand their own needs.  

So, what’s stopping you? Find out what they would like to experience and go from there...