Today I want to introduce you to Adventure Guides, a fun parent and child program run through the YMCA. It’s another way to get kids out into nature, and this time it specifically involves dads. My husband and son were part of an Adventure Guides group for several years. They had fun, went camping, heard Native American style stories around a giant, roasting hot campfire. I know what they did… I once got to sneak into Adventure Guide camp and be the only mom there. Hey, I like camping!
While sharing some similarities with Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Adventure Guides is also a bit different. It’s designed for a parent to have one-on-one time with a child while they are young, rather than for kids to interact with other kids. Most Adventure Guides groups are either father son, or father daughter. The whole focus of Adventure Guides is to bring children and parents into contact with nature while fostering family, and community. While there are some patches, awards and beads for kids to earn in this program, there is more emphasis on outdoor time with dad. The planning and enjoyment of camping is central to the program. If family camping doesn’t sound like the right thing for you, this is a great way to get kid and dad away for the weekend. It’s an affordable way to change the family dynamic – my daughter and I used to love the girl time when the boys were gone 
Adventure Guides used to be known as Indian Guides, indeed it was founded on the principle that a Native American father raises his son and teaches him hunting, fishing and moving softly through the forest. Harold S. Keltner founded the program in 1926 after a hunting trip in Canada with his friend, Joe Friday, an Ojibwa Indian. Keltner specifically designed the program to support the father son relationship. If you’re considering a group activity for one of your kids, I hope you will take a look at Adventure Guides. There is lots of further information at the YMCA Adventure Guides pages and some short explanatory videos which give a quick overview.
Had you heard of Adventure Guides? Are your kids involved in some kind of group like this?
Find kids camping books and books about outdoor play at Amazon.com. Sales through these links benefit Loving Nature’s Garden.
Related posts:
Summer is a great time for outdoor exploration, that's why I teach summer field biology classes!
Thanks for the comment John and thanks for following my blog. I'd like to hear more about your summer field biology classes.