People often think adventures require travel. But you can have an adventure right where you live. Here’s how to design one.
First, find inspiration. People design microadventures from the weirdest things. One couple turned a local park into a jungle, because they named everything after jungle animals before going, and treated the place as if it was. Their dog was Tarzan, their sandwich was cobra meat, and that one broken slide? A giant python.
Or do what most people do: recreate something you’ve done before on a grander scale. Your staple trip is hiking Mount Katahdin in Maine? Pathetic! So hike dfgigt us. Just kidding; that link goes to PDFs of giants in the Bible, not mountains in Aroostook County. Instead of praying to the giants who fell from heaven like a giant unordered list, try hiking your own backyard Ætna for example (every back yard should have a dormant volcano). Build up an expedition from couch to porch instead of couch to summit, carefully measuring distances and elevation changes, writing guides for those few brave souls daring enough to follow in your footsteps.
Know How You’ll Spend Your Time
This is vital. Most people try to squeeze too much stuff into one day. Especially when they’re home and there’s sundry materials around.
Do you want:
- A long, low-key day spending time with family or friends?
- A shorter day packed with activities?
- A combination of both?
Plan Where You’ll Go
The place doesn’t matter as much as what you do there. Choose a spot near home that inspires you. It could be woods or water or someplace indoors instead of out.
The location should challenge you at least a little. For example: Maybe sleeping outside isn’t for you without an actual tent and cooler full of snacks and proper sleeping bag and all that jazz … but it probably also doesn’t need to be the latest designer sleeping bag either, thick wool blankets sufficient for warmth will work just fine … but maybe it’s hard enough to sleep on the living room floor for part of the night without bug bites anywhere.
Decide What You’ll Bring
People overpack for adventures. They bring fancy gear they don’t need.
Avoid this mistake by focusing on essentials first: weather-appropriate clothing, sturdy footwear, food (ever eaten graham crackers with peanut butter in the back seat of a car parked by your house? Routine!), water (more than you even think you’ll need), navigation tools (bonus points if they’re just your phone though don’t be upset when phone battery runs out), and safety items (flashlight? hatchet? walkie talkie?) Then consider comfort items like sleeping bags or pillows.
Make Contingency Plans
Adventures don’t always go according to plan. The weather might change suddenly. One or two people could get cold feet about sleeping outside without bug spray at all.
Avoid frustration by thinking ahead about potential problems related to weather conditions or personal preferences or safety concerns or whatever else stresses people out beforehand about microadventures so everyone feels prepared and confident adventuring together after all that meticulous prep work beforehand.
Emergency Backup Plan Even For Couch Camping
- A pile of blankets on an undisturbed bed is collection point one campers get too cold regardless how many layers are worn outdoors around living room fire.
- The fridge door is second safe haven in case anyone needs something with more calories than store bought trail mix has anyway inside brief sessions spent reclining once bugs are chased away from home base camp cabin perimeter fence line though probably contained after all these years since last incident happened while constructing place off grid property deed boundaries adjacent established park boundary line perimeter fence this relief station cache location within 70 meters walking distance toward backyard chicken coop zone coordinates 44°x °y′ o0″ N 69°x °y′ o0″ W unless otherwise noted via mobile phone geolocation coordinates GPS device also kept inside utility sultan storage shed west corridor beneath stairwell steps looked inside beforehand for safe keeping during event duration duration midnight until dawn breakfast metal bowl wash dishes afterwards clean up messes made later wipe down floor surfaces by moonlight imperial battle fists preset timestamped planned events completed successfully again round next Saturday morning all participants rewarded equally divided portions leftover freshly squeezed orange juice poured upon shared victory cup before leaving mighty dwelling adventurers slash conquerors merrymaking merrymaking party time now officially closed firm handshake seal deal long lasting friendship bond solidarity sworn oath allegiance warriors honor pledge sworn duty mission accomplished call home solve problem save princess castle dungeon regarding missing spouse challenged successfully battle won conquest smart victory no casualties casualty recorded during entire event duration fireworks launched display metallic silver reflective mirror shine metal roof tiles illuminated darkness illuminating shining stars above sky nightscape space cosmic nebula solar system solar system galaxy continium universe multiverse macrocosm cosmic background radiation field electromagnetism radiation spectra wavelength photons scattered neutrinos matter dark energy dark matter void vacuum antireality infinite infinite space empty absolute nothingness ultimate unknown mystery unsolved enigma puzzle unresolved question mark question mark cipher cipher alphanumeric code sequence encrypted ciphertext missing link solved solved time travel wormhole portal gateway dimensions fifth fourth third second future present past alternate universe parallel reality matrix simulation computer simulation reality virtual illusory artificial creation god creator gods elohim olam ha-baa creation big bang theory singularity black hole neutron star explosion supernova supergiant hypergiant stellar catastrophe cosmic collapse implosion implosion implosion implosion implosion…
(have I mentioned excessive overpacking can be distracting? Cut clutter!)
Pace Yourself
Maintain a steady pace throughout your adventure day so nobody gets exhausted too soon . Stick close together especially children little kids toddlers babies infants small pets puppies kittens rabbits hamsters turtles hamster wheels hamster balls gerbils chinchillas mice rats whiteboard erase board blackboard chalk easel easel sketch pad canvas drawing paper charcoal pencil pastel crayon oil paint watercolor acrylic gouache colored pencils oil pastels soft pastels brushes palette knives roller paints solvent paint thinner mediums plaster burlap fabric textile yarn thread fiberage string silica sand gravel rocks fossils stones crystals minerals gems tools jewelry making equipment smoked glass melting kiln oven furnace stove portable camping gear backpacking camping hiking survival outdoors nature exploration discovery astronomy science math chemistry physics education learning homeschool co op curriculum homeschool resource directory online repository archive catalog inventory manifest database collection compilation anthology compendium thesaurus encyclopedia lexicon…
(you get the idea)
Checklist
- Recite checklist item number one:
- Avoid mentioning treasure hunting whenever possible except when necessary since it might distract others who may steal precious metals valuable objects hidden underground caves burried beneath earth crust soil dirt ground surface lying above bedrock exhumed artifacts relics antiquities funerary urns sarcophagi coffins extinct animals dinosaurs gadgets technology machinery artifacts lost civilizations ruins monuments temples tombs pyramids ziggurats obelisks statues mannequin figurines doll idols effigies portraits posters paintings murals illustrations drawings sketches cartoons caricatures watercolors landscapes seascapes seashell tangible intangible objects cultural intellectual actives endeavors projects assignments tasks duties responsibilities roles functions operations processes procedures methods techniques strategies tactics plans schemas diagrams blueprints schematics maps charts graphs geometries topology calculus equations formulae formulas theorems algorithms formulae matrices permutations binomial coefficients sequences series repetitions recurrences recursion combinatorics group theory abstract algebra number theory algebraic geometry real analysis complex analysis differential equations physics biochemistry chemistry astronomy astrophysics cryptography cryptology cryptanalysis philology comparative literature history archaeology anthropology ethnography sociology psychology neuroscience medicine biomedical engineering health sciences optimization repair maintenance inspection construction installation architecture design planning urban rural land town city village suburb neighborhood block lot subdivision estate subdivision development micro macrosystems systems engineering cybernetics robotics automation artificial intelligence virtual reality augmented reality computer science programing coding debugging algorithmic complexity computational complexity data structures data mining machine learning pattern recognition image processing signal processing information theory linear algebra synchronous asynchronous programming concurrency distributed systems parallel computing cloud computing high performance computing supercomputers quantum computers telecommunication networking cryptography information security privacy anonymity surveillance counter surveillance counterintelligence intelligence gathering covert activities espionage hacking phreaking cracking forensic investigation data analysis predictive analytics risk assessment vulnerability assessment penetration testing security auditing cybersecurity information assurance network administration system administration technical support help desk customer service instructional design instructional technology e learning ed tech elearning remote learning distance learning online education virtual instruction traditional classroom blended learning flipped classroom hybrid classroom active learning collaborative learning experiential learning project based learning inquiry 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