What If My Child Has Never Done an Adventure Trip Before?

If your child has never been the outdoorsy type, never been to camp, or paddled a canoe, then you may be wondering if adventure programs are right for them. You’re not alone. Many teens today may never have experienced these things, but beginner status is normal. In many ways, it is part of the point. Programs like Bridgeford Adventures exist in part to help share the outdoors and other adventures with teens who may not have had those experiences. 

If your teen has never camped before, then we have a place for them. 

Is Inexperience a Problem? 

Not at all. Most of our programs are open to teens with no experience. The few that do require experience will expressly share that on the adventure details page. Moreover, inexperience is not even an issue. Teens are supposed to try new things and activities. In fact, the CDC shares that raising healthy and independent teens means encouraging them to explore interests and activities that may take them away from home (2024). Teens are supposed to try things they have not mastered yet. That’s not a flaw; it’s part of a healthy childhood. 

How Do New Experiences Help With Growth?  

New experiences help teens practice critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, confidence, and other skills. Taking a risk can be a healthy thing for teens. The University of Minnesota Extension Service shared that when risk-taking occurs in a healthy, supervised, and supportive atmosphere, it helps teens build confidence (Dworkin, 2018).  

This means a teen with no experience is not automatically behind. They are at a place where they can experience some great growth. Supervised adventure helps teens build confidence through new experiences and healthy risk-taking. This is known as “supported challenge.”  

What is a Supported Challenge? 

Supported challenge means we don’t hand teens a backpack, throw them on a trail, and wave goodbye. That is not youth development. Discomfort and unsafe situations do not magically build confidence. They are a recipe for trauma. Let’s go back to the University of Minnesota Extension’s claims. Healthy risk-taking (or exploration) that occurs in the environment described above gives teens the chance to experience risk in a positive, supportive setting. This can lead to positive outcomes without long-term, potentially dangerous, consequences (Dworkin, 2018). 

We create a supported challenge environment at Bridgeford in a few ways. One, every adventure includes a degreed professional who understands teens and youth development. Two, we maintain low staff-to-participant ratios, never exceeding 1:6. Three, we provide a safety briefing at the beginning of all adventures and provide instruction before an activity. Four, we reflect and debrief everything we do. This allows teens to think about the activities and apply them to their lives. Five, we design adventures for the age and developmental stage of our participants. 

What Does Beginner-Friendly Look Like? 

Teens do not need to be experts in the outdoors or exploring places. Heck, I have never wrestled a grizzly bear. That being said, beginner-friendly does not mean easy. We are still going to push. We are still going to accomplish some hard things. Beginner-friendly means we teach skills before teens are expected to use them independently. Our adventure leaders are trained, present, attentive, and prepared. It means that we will never throw kids into the deep end first – we will start small and work our way to the tougher things. That we create a group culture where we never shame those with limited experience or who struggle; instead, we encourage. Lastly, it means safety and instruction are built into the experience. 

We expect teens to listen, try, ask questions, and be willing to learn. We can work with that. Honestly, we prefer that over a 15-year-old who thinks he is the next Ferdinand Magellan and refuses to ask for directions.

How Can I Help Prepare My Child?

First and foremost, do not try to remove all nervousness or fear. New things are allowed to invoke some nervousness and maybe even some anxiety. Our role is not to remove those feelings, but to help teach our young people how to navigate those feelings. 

Talk about the adventure with your teen. Ask what they are excited about and what makes them nervous. This can help your teen process feelings. In doing this, avoid over-assuring them. There is a difference between saying, “Everything is going to be perfect,” and “You will be okay.” The fact is, it may rain. The hike may start to feel a little too hard. Life is not perfect, and nor should an adventure be. The most important message is to give your teen the confidence they can handle life when things do not go perfectly. Programs like ours help prepare them for those moments. 

So, if your child is nervous, inexperienced, or unsure, that does not automatically mean they are not ready. It may simply mean they are about to try something new. We can work with new, nervous, and “I’ve never done this before.” What we need is willingness.

Your teen does not need to arrive as an expert. They just need to arrive willing to listen, learn, try, and take the next step. We can guide them from there.

Citations:

Dworkin, J. (2018). Teens and risk taking. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/teen-development/teens-and-risk-taking#sources-645610

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 18). Tips for encouraging independence. Essentials for Parenting Teens. https://www.cdc.gov/parenting-teens/tips-encouraging-independence/index.html