What are Outdoor Adventure programmes and why do they work?

We use the term outdoor adventure programmes to describe a ‘recipe’ using a number of different ‘ingredients’ that may have a considerable impact on the personal and social development of the people involved.

As well as tangible adventure activities, the package includes other elements such as the natural environment used, the group, the instructors and the learning environment, each of which have an important influence on the outcomes of the programme.

A full and challenging combination of activities may be used in any programme, depending on the ability, numbers, preferences of the group concerned but can include any of the following:

/ rock climbing / survival skills / bouldering / canoeing / night walking / abseiling / kayaking / kiting / mountain biking / team building / skiing / hiking / scrambling / caving / orienteering / many more!

At the core and driving all Adventure Network programmes are our philosophy our values, and the way we work to bind the ingredients together.

Outcomes from outdoor activities programmes may be short term or long term, and the way in which the various ingredients most affect people depends on the nature of the event and the person’s previous experiences.

For some young people, the whole experience will be new; new environments; activities; challenges and responsibilities; expectations and opportunities; values; ways of working, thinking and learning; new staff (or the same staff behaving differently) and new kinds of group experience. One of the reasons that outdoor activities and adventure work so well is that they fulfil many of the needs of today’s people. For example: the need to be in nature, gain new experience, experience adventure and develop fitness and free time effectively.