Family Adventures is a practical guide to involving babies and children in all sorts of adventures, whether it be cycling, camping, paddling, hiking, swimming or outdoor holidays.
As soon as Bex Band, founder of the UK’s largest women’s adventure community, Love Her Wild, announced she was pregnant with her first child, the sympathy began. ‘Enjoy your adventures while you can’, ‘It’s going to be a big shock not being able to travel as much’, and ‘Aren’t you going to miss adventuring?’It seemed as though having children was a death sentence when you’re an outdoor adventurer.
But it really doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, it’s a scary prospect – how do you keep them safe? Where do they sleep? What equipment do you need? – but it’s totally doable.
This guide is full of useful information (such as what to pack when camping with an infant or how to keep children safe in open water), invaluable tips (family games you can play around a campfire or how to keep morale up in bad weather) and plenty of honesty around things going wrong (poo-explosion on a wild camp, anyone?). Experiences from adventuring families also provide a plethora of insights so that you’re well equipped to make your family adventuring dreams a reality.
Here, Bex Band offers some tips for successful family adventures:
Adventuring with children is very different from when you are managing a trip with just adults. Packing, logistics, managing distances and food intake – it’s all different. It took us a while to get the balance right and to realise where the struggles would come from and what to let go of.
- Expect things not to work out as planned
We’ve yet to have a family adventure that has gone entirely to plan! Usually, this has resulted in cutting the adventure short or changing the plan because we overestimated our/the children’s stamina or the distance we can cover. Before setting off, have a plan B … and also a plan C… in place. This will make it much easier to adapt and still make a success of the adventure if (when!) things don’t go to plan.
- Less is more
This has been our biggest learning experience. While we used to love a complex and challenging adventure, with children in tow it really is the case that less is more. A simple plan, with lots of downtime factored in and logistics that won’t make your brain melt is a recipe for success. Shorten the distance you expect to travel … and then shorten it again.
Over the last few years, I’ve learned to let go of the idea that we needed to travel far to have a sense of wilderness and adventure. Even trekking a mile into a national park can give you stunning scenery and a sense of being far from civilisation.
- Print your packing lists
They might be small, but, my goodness, children can need a lot of stuff! This is especially true if travelling with infants. We’ve made a habit of printing our packing lists (and updating them after every adventure). This makes the packing process so much easier the next time and means you’re less likely to forget something vital.
- Let go of the idea of entertainment
We’re obsessed in Western cultures with entertaining our children but, left to be bored for a bit, children will soon make up their own games. This is especially so outside. The more you practise this, the longer they will be able to play outdoors unaided. Don’t worry about bringing toys or screens; trust that sticks, rocks and streams will provide all the entertainment they need.
- Get the children involved in everything you do
Getting older kids involved in planning and choosing routes will make them much more engaged with the adventure. Teach them how to navigate and trust them to lead easy stretches. At the campsite, let them help set up the tent or light a fire (even if it takes longer) – even better if you can let them work it out themselves with minimal/no instruction. Children thrive off feeling independent and having autonomy, and remember that this supports them in becoming problem-solving and capable individuals in the outdoors.
- Stick to your usual routines (although maybe not for day one)
As much as possible, we stick to our usual sleep and food routines that we have at home. This helps keep the children happy, rested and feeling secure. The exception is the first day when there’s usually way too much excitement to get any small person rested and well-fed. So, on the first night, we let the children run wild until they crash!
Lack of sleep and fatigue can be a big enemy in the outdoors for all the family. Make sure you factor in plenty of rest time and breaks, and ensuring everyone is sleeping well will help keep morale and energy up.
- Remember, it’s your adventure too
While it might not be the adventure you would choose if you didn’t have children, it’s important to remember that it’s still for you as much as for them. We only go on adventures that we want to do ourselves. To places we want to visit, doing activities
that we want to enjoy. That way, we also take enjoyment and satisfaction away from experience. Remember, it’s a family adventure, so your enjoyment is just as valid and important as the children’s.
Family Adventures by Bex Band, £20.