However, there are all sorts of barriers keeping teens from getting out and enjoying nature, such as:
- School: They spend time in school, band practice, after-school clubs that are typically held indoors
- Work: Many teens have taken on after-school employment that requires them to spend more time inside.
- Homework: After the school day and possibly work, teens must now find time to finish school assignments and study for upcoming tests.
- Screens: Going outside might feel like more work, so they would rather spend the little free time they have watching T.V., playing video games, etc. That is not to mention the pull that FOMO (fear of missing out) has on teenagers and parents, which makes us feel glued to our phones.
- Unknown: They don’t realize how much is available outside the walls of school, work, and home. They don’t realize how freeing it is to get out in nature and experience the outdoors.
If you, like many parents, want your teenager to spend more time outside, we want to help. Created for Adventure offers faith-based adventure trips that combine fun, exciting adventures with time set aside each day for morning devotionals and small groups.
Time and time again, we see how beneficial it is for teenagers to get outside and experience creation. Here are six tips for getting teens outside:
Six Steps for Helping Your Teenagers Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors
1) Ask a Lot of Questions
It’s likely that your teen doesn’t actually hate the outdoors, even if they say they do. They probably don’t like something about an experience they had outside or lack thereof. Spend some time asking them questions to figure out what they do like.
Ask questions such as:
- Do you like the sunset?
- Do you prefer the ocean or the mountains?
- Do you like rivers, rapids, and waterfalls?
- Do you like to sit outdoors, hang around in a hammock, build a campfire, hike, etc.?
- Do you prefer to run around a track or in the woods?
- And more - whatever you can think of!
As you gather information, you will eventually be able to plan an outdoor activity that matches your teenager’s passion and will help them want to get outdoors.
2) Schedule a Family Hike
Whether you live in an area like western North Carolina, with thousands of miles of hiking trails, or you live down east where hiking is not as popular, you can find somewhere to walk in the woods with your family.
The key is to make it as fun as possible:
- Choose a hike with a cool destination. Sometimes, that might be a stunning view. Sometimes, that might be something unique (like a swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain). Sometimes, it might be a waterfall.
- If it’s summer, definitely hike to a waterfall or swimming hole, or find a hike where you can pick blueberries or blackberries and then go home and make something with your berries!
- Make sure you have plenty of water, snacks, bug spray, and sunscreen.
- Do not bite off more than you can chew. If your family doesn’t hike regularly, keep the distance low and make sure the hardest work is done before the cool destination.
- Stay positive yourself, even if the plan and portions of the hike are met with resistance and complaints.
- Schedule the first hike at a time of year with comfortable temperatures like spring and fall.
3) Encourage Outdoor Sports
To get your teens outside more, you may have to balance it with their school schedules. Outdoor sports are a great way to get them outside. Sports like soccer, football, lacrosse, track, etc., take place on the field rather than inside the gym.
Cross-country might be the perfect sport for a teenager who needs to spend more time in the woods and would like to progress at their own pace.
4) Develop an Outdoor Space at Home
If you have a backyard, consider designing a comfortable outdoor living space. You can begin to move family, homework, and meal time outside, little by little until you don’t need your living room any longer.
5) Schedule an Outdoor Getaway
Spend a weekend in the mountains where hiking, whitewater rafting, ziplining, fishing, mountain biking, and other activities are readily available. Make sure you don’t overdo it. Schedule breaks, eat well, and don’t let the adventure become a punishment.
Your teens will have more fun than they expect and beg you to go again.
6) Send Them on an Outdoor Adventure Trip
Helping teenagers develop a passion for the great outdoors is what we do. You can imagine we have met some students who were not initially thrilled to participate in a wilderness experience. It’s exactly those teens we see make a 180 and can’t wait to sign up for the next trip!
What Is an Adventure Trip?
Students will travel to beautiful places and will gain a better understanding of God’s love for them. Our level of service, care, and love for your child is rooted in the person and character of Jesus.
Students will have opportunities to strengthen their faith through morning devotions and evening small group time. Campers will go on incredible adventures and try new things! This experience allows them to get away from daily distractions and spend time in God’s beautiful creation.
Where Do Adventure Trips Take Place?
Created for Adventure takes teens to locations that include:
- Alaska
- Hawaii - Oahu, and Kauai
- Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons
- Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park
If you are ready to consider an adventure trip for your teenager, reach out to the Created for Adventure team today!