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47 Adventure Ideas For Families, Kids and Adults

Woman geocaching in the mountains

There are so many amazing adventure ideas out there that it can be hard to figure out which one will be the best or most epic. But going on an adventure doesn’t need to be the event of the year. I mean, it could be. But for many of us, there always seems to be a reason or excuse not to do a big adventure – that’s another story though. So sometimes just doing something different, anything, might be enough of an adventure for you. After all, adventure is different for everyone.

So why not start small with a mini adventure and do one thing that you feel is a little outside of your usual routine. A little different. Something that will excite you and maybe even scare you a little. With some great adventure ideas at the ready, there’s one less excuse to step out of the same old habits and enjoy the freedom, challenge and fun that comes with every kind of adventure, great or small. It’s there for the taking, so you just need to go get it! And before you know it, your small adventures close to home will soon turn into full-blown grand adventures outside of your local area or even country.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to start your journey towards a more adventurous you, today!

47 adventure ideas that everyone can enjoy

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  • Adventure ideas for families
  • Explore the coastline on paddleboards
  • Build a den in the forest
  • Go camping
  • Hike to a waterfall
  • Build a treehouse
  • Do a scavenger hunt
  • Camp in the backyard
  • Cook on a campfire
  • Explore caves at the beach
  • Go rock pooling
  • Track an animal
  • Create a treasure hunt
  • Go on a bike ride
  • Create a map
  • Go foraging
  • Learn how to light a fire
  • Hunt for toadstools
  • Adventure ideas for adults
  • Go on a night hike
  • Go on a microbrew adventure
  • Commute in a new way
  • Hire canoes
  • Go stealth camping
  • Build a raft and paddle it to a lake island
  • Go hammock camping
  • Adventure ideas for couples
  • Get up early and hike a mountain for sunrise
  • Go wild swimming
  • Climb a tree
  • Forage for sloes and then make some gin
  • Rent a rowing boat and cook your lunch
  • Adventure ideas for teenagers
  • Cycle to the beach, sleep on it overnight and cycle back
  • Float down a river on an inflatable tube
  • Get the train somewhere cool and hitch hike home
  • Go Geocaching
  • Go foraging for mussels and cook them on a beach fire
  • Follow a stream to the river
  • Winter adventure ideas
  • Winter hiking
  • Winter camping
  • Build an igloo
  • Go snowshoeing
  • Dig out a fire pit and ice bar
  • Go tobogganing
  • Rent cross country skis

Family sitting around a campfire

Adventure ideas for families

The best part of adventuring with your kids is that once you get into it, you easily end up feeling like you’re 8 again too. And often, once that child-like imagination kicks in, the adventure doesn’t even need to be that exciting for it to be really enjoyable for everyone.

1Explore the coastline on paddleboards

Paddleboarding is a great way for families to explore the calm waters of secluded bays and hidden coves together. Bring a packed lunch and you can stop for a picnic on a deserted beach.

2Build a den in the forest

Use whatever the forest floor has to offer to make a hideaway that the whole family can fit into. Make it even more exciting by dressing up as Peter Pan and his Lost Boys, or wearing camo gear and painting your faces.

3Go camping

Camping is the ultimate adventure for kids (and adults!). The sheer simplicity of sleeping under canvas is ‘den making’ in reality and something that the whole family will remember forever. Read our guide to camping with kids to help make it the best adventure for everyone.

4Hike to a waterfall

Hiking for the sake of hiking can become tiresome for kids. But if you have something to find then it turns it into a quest that is much more exciting than just taking in the nice views. And if it’s hot, then bring your swimwear for a cheeky dip once you get there!

5Build a treehouse

It may take all year to do, but most kids (and a lot of adults too), dream of having a treehouse to hang out in. If you don’t have access to a big enough tree, or your building skills aren’t quite up to it, then seek out an already built treehouse and visit it (with permission of course).

6Do a scavenger hunt

Turn a day at the beach or a walk in the woods into a challenge of discovery and exploration with a scavenger hunt. Invent your own or print one of ours.

7Camp in the backyard

If the logistics of going away camping seem too daunting, then why not set up camp in your backyard or garden? It doesn’t need to be with fancy or expensive gear. And if the weather forecast is looking great, then you don’t even need a tent at all! Our guide to backyard camping has some great ideas of how to do it easily.

8Cook on a campfire

This can be in your backyard or garden or even in a firepit on your front drive (just be sure to have some water at the ready!). Like backyard camping, campfire cooking can be as complicated as you want it to be. Cook up a gourmet feast using a Dutch oven or grill, or simply toast some marshmallows or bread on a stick. Either way, this small adventure into the campfire cooking world will be super fun. Read more about campfire cooking to get some ideas.

9Explore caves at the beach

Whether you live by the sea or are on vacation there, exploring caves at the beach is one of the those adventure ideas that feels a lot more exciting when you’re actually doing it than is sounds. The key to heightening the excitement is to let your imagination run free. Before you know it, you’ll be lost deep in a world of smugglers and pirates. Just be sure to keep a real-life eye on the tides, as it can be easy to get caught out.

10Go rock pooling

If you’re after more adventures to go on at the seaside then a sure-fire way of making a few hours feel like minutes is to become absorbed by the wonderous underwater world of rock pools (or tide pools). Again, be mindful of the tides but also use the tide to your advantage, starting your wildlife spotting journey at mid tide as the tide is going out. Get more tips on how to go rock pooling in our guide.

11Track an animal

This isn’t one to do in areas where dangerous animals roam! However, if you look carefully enough, there will be animal tracks in your local park or woodland or even on your local beach or sand dunes. In fact, if you know what to look for, you may even find traces of animal life in your back or front garden – right on your doorstep! For more information here’s a good place to start.

12Create a treasure hunt

This can be done around the house or in the garden, at the park or beach, or even in a local woodland. But wherever you choose to do it, a treasure hunt is one of the best cheap adventure ideas that will pay off in terms of excitement and fun. There are loads of ways to set up a treasure hunt and to get the best out of it, they need a little bit of prior planning.

13Go on a bike ride

Most kids love to explore new places by bike. So pack a picnic in your backpack and head to somewhere you’ve never been before as a family. It doesn’t need to be far. And you may end up having your picnic on a bench on the side of the road. But that’s all part of the adventure. Plus, it’s a great way to explore the streets, parks and lanes close to where you live.

14Create a map

An excellent adventure idea for families to do without travelling far from home is to get into true explorer mode and create a map of your local neighbourhood, street, park or woodland. This can involve stepping out measurements, taking photos, talking to neighbours and getting truly creative as to how you present it.

15Go foraging

Learning about the wild food available for us to pick and eat is an adventure idea that shouldn’t be done without a little guidance. There are loads of foraging courses you can go on. But if you want to keep things simple and cheap then start with something that you definitely know is edible, like blackberries. Then you can move onto a couple of easy to identify edible plants. Avoid mushrooms at all costs (unless you have supervision). Our beginner guide to foraging is a good place to start.

16Learn how to light a fire

This can be done in a very small firepit or metal container and doesn’t need any fancy equipment. But kids LOVE to make fire. And under the right supervision, it shouldn’t be a high risk activity, even for little ones. Just a huge adventure! Have water at the ready and set very clear guidelines before you start.

17Hunt for toadstools

If low key adventure ideas are what you’re looking for, then wandering around a woodland during the autumn looking for toadstools will most certainly make your list. Take photos of them or count how many you find, but be sure not to touch or pick them. And also try not to get lost in the woods!


Canoeing adventure ideas

Adventure ideas for adults

Adult life can be so serious sometimes, and getting out adventuring is often the only way we can truly switch off and let our childlike instincts come alive again. If you think you don’t have time to be a big kid every now and then, then maybe you need to think outside the box a little. Or maybe just try to realign your priorities occasionally.

18Go on a night hike

If you’re tired of the same old Friday night watching TV or going to a bar, then get some friends together and head out into the wild for some nocturnal exploration. Hiking at night is a great way to stay active during the dark evenings of winter, and your non-active friends might just love it too!

19Go on a microbrew adventure

If you like to sample local ales, then take your overnight adventure to a microbrewery in the middle of nowhere. Tour the brewery in the daytime, then take a bottle or two up a hill for some ‘tasting’ before you settle down for your wilderness sleep.

20Commute in a new way

Get some adventure into your mid-week routine by journeying to and from work via an alternative means to what you usually do. Cycle through a park, walk the backstreets, run, hitchhike, borrow your kids’ scooter, skip, or roller skate. Just get there in a way that is much more fun than the train or car.

21Hire some canoes and hit the river for the weekend

If you’ve got some camping gear, then there is little more preparation needed for a mini river adventure than simply renting some canoes and stuffing all your gear into dry barrels. Wild camp wherever you fancy and enjoying floating (and paddling) the days away.

22Go stealth camping

Camping in the forest with minimal gear is a great way to enjoy the quiet that getting away from the real world brings. Brush up on your survival skills, while away the hours with a whittling project, cook a delicious campfire meal, and generally disappear into wilderness life.

23Build a raft and paddle it to a deserted island in a lake or river

This is a sure-fire way of making you feel like a kid again. The sort of adventure Tom Sawyer would love to join you on! Practise your knots before you set sail on the raft equivalent of the Titanic, and be sure to put all your gear in dry bags – just in case.

24Go hammock camping

You don’t need to be a camping pro to enjoy hanging out in a hammock. But opting for suspended overnight accommodation instead of a tent is one of the best ways to really feel like you’re adventuring. Sleeping in a hammock is not only super comfortable (if you do it right!), but it’s also an inexpensive way of getting into camping, and it enables you to camp in places that simply wouldn’t work with a good old-fashioned tent.


Couple sitting watching the sunrise

Adventure ideas for couples

Sometimes it’s far too easy to just snuggle up on the sofa with your loved one and not make the effort to do something different. In 5 years time, you won’t remember that night where you spent all evening eating yummy food and watching TV together. But you’ll most certainly remember an adventure with your other half.

25Get up early and hike a mountain for sunrise

Sunsets are great, but you end up sharing them with loads of other people. Make the effort to get up early and you’re guaranteed to enjoy a sunrise all to yourselves. Much more romantic, and you’ve still got the rest of the day for snuggling on the sofa if you want!

26Go wild swimming

Spend a summer’s day lounging on the river banks, dipping in and out of the water to cool off. Choose somewhere secluded and there’s no need to bother with your swimwear at all. Or go to the other extreme and put on a wetsuit to swim from A to B along a river.

27Climb a tree

You don’t need to go a million miles to find a great tree to climb – if you can’t get out into the wild, then your local park will do just fine. Help each other up (and down), and you’re guaranteed to feel like a little kid again. Just don’t forget to enjoy the views whilst you’re up there.

28Forage for sloes and then make some gin

As soon as the first frost appears, get out to the forests and hedgerows and fill a basket full of juicy sloes to turn into delicious sloe gin. Unfortunately it will be a couple of months until the tasting adventure begins. But it will be well worth the wait.

29Rent a rowing boat and cook your lunch on the river banks

Not to mention romantic, exploring the river in your local town or city by boat is also a super easy and accessible way to go on a mini adventure. Stop on the river banks and make a meal of it by whipping up a one pot camping meal cooked on your camping stove.


Teenagers camping at the beach

Adventure ideas for teenagers

When you’re in it, teenage life may seem like it’s the toughest time ever, but it’s the one time in life where the holidays seem endless and every new day is just another opportunity to get out adventuring. Sounds like heaven!

30Cycle to the beach, sleep on it overnight and cycle back

Whether it’s 10 or 100 miles to the beach, cycling there in a day is a great challenge. Find a secluded and discreet spot on the beach to sleep, and you’ll be snoozing in no time after a big ride. You can fit everything you need in a small backpack or bike bags. So pack up your bike and hit the road.

31Float down a river on an inflatable tube

Such a classic adventure for teenagers, but it never fails to be awesome fun and a great way to stay cool in the summer months. Attach a dry bag full of food and supplies and you can make a day of it.

32Get the train somewhere cool and hitch hike home

Take a day trip to somewhere you and your friends have never been before – the nearest city, the sea, a mountain, a lake or to visit a friend or relative. But make your journey there or back a little more exciting by thumbing a ride.

33Go Geocaching

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t love a good old treasure hunt, no matter their age. And Geocaching is a really easy and accessible way to explore new places, with the added excitement of discovering some treasure at the end of it. So get your phones out and follow the GPS to whatever awaits.

34Go foraging for mussels and cook them on a beach fire

This is an ideal adventure for the cooler months. Choose a quiet rocky beach and pick the mussels at low tide. Then warm up under a blanket around the fire and cook up a feast.

35Follow a stream to the river

Put on your water shoes and swimming gear, hop into your nearest stream, and follow it until it reaches the river (or until you can’t walk in it any longer!). Be prepared to get pretty wet and to do some serious scrambling through areas of dense vegetation.


Spontaneous adventure ideas

It may sound a little bit of contradiction to put together a list of spontaneous adventure ideas. After all, the nature of this sort of adventure should be off the cuff and, well, spontaneous! However, aside from the few truly wild and spontaneous souls out there, most of us will benefit from a little forethought when it comes to “unplanned” escapades into the unknown. These ideas are designed to spark imagination at times when you may not even have considered that the day would evolve into an adventure. Back pocket spontaneous adventure ideas for who knows when.

36Hitch hike

If you find yourself a little way from home and about to take the bus or train back, why not save your pennies and hitch hike instead? It’s a great way to meet random new people and for most, it will certainly put you outside of your comfort zone. Hitch hiking is also a great way to make transportation work on a one way hike or trail run. Make sure you’re with a pal, and always assess your ride carefully before you hop on in.

37Take a dip

Going wild swimming is an adventure in itself that usually entails some careful planning and post-swim layers. However, some of the best wild swims are the unplanned ones when out on a trail run or hike in the middle of nowhere. Plus, as you’re usually hot from the exertion of your excursion, dipping into cool water feels extra refreshing and satisfying. Just be OK with dealing with the sogginess, po.st-plunge.

38Walk home from a night out

This is one to only ever do in company, from both a safety and fun point of view. Not only does it save you money on your taxi fare, but you’ll also get to see and experience your local area in a completely different light. Or no light, as the case may be! Plus, if you’ve had a few too many to drink, the walk will sober you up nicely by the time you get home.

39Take your lunchbreak somewhere weird

Whether it’s underneath a canal bridge, on the roof terrace of the highest builidng in your town, sitting in your local recycling centre or in a mini island of the stream that runs past your office, a weird lunchbreak location can be a satisfying way to get a spontaneous adventure into your working day. Sure, you might get some odd looks from passers-by, but that’s all part of the fun!

40Create some nature art

Hanging out in the park or at the beach can get a bit tiresome if you’ve got nothing planned. So why not suggest a mini art competition using only what you can find in your natural surroundings? Sand art, stone stacks, leaf mosaics and stick statues are all things you can try to create on your spontaneous adventure of creativity.


Woman hiking in snowy mountains

Winter adventure ideas

Getting out on adventures during the winter months can be a little more tricky to do. But once you’ve done one winter adventure, you’ll realise just how doable they are. Often part of the challenge is not just dealing with the bad weather, but embracing and enjoying it. Being prepared with cold weather clothing and outdoor gear will really help, but winter adventures also need to be approached with a positive mindset.

41Winter hiking

Getting out hiking in the cold or snow is one of the more straightforward ways of stepping into the world of winter adventures. Start with something short and easy if you are worried about it, and read our guide on winter hiking to get you started.

42Winter camping

In moderate winter climates where there’s little chance of snow or high winds, winter camping can be done with much of the same gear as during the rest of the year. But if the conditions are less clement, then you’ll need some cold weather camping gear and a little know-how on how to enjoy living in and on snow for a night or two.

43Build an igloo

Before you set about building an igloo, make sure that the snow is deep enough, and that you have a good shovel. Next, you’ll need a good few hours, a good deal of patience and some knowledge on how to make it. But don’t be put off, as it is a really satisfying way to enjoy being outside in the snow all day with a very cool result at the end of it!

44Go snowshoeing

You can rent snowshoes from winter outfitters who will recommend local areas that are safe to explore without avalanche safety gear or know-how. Don’t be tempted to go exploring in high risk areas unless you know exactly what you are doing. For more info, read our guide to snowshoeing and also our article on what to wear snowshoeing.

45Dig out a fire pit and ice bar

If igloo building is proving too taxing, then use your neatly cut snow blocks to build a fire pit and seating area in your backyard. Whilst you’re at it, you may as well build up an ice bar too… mush up the snow on top, throw some beers in and invite your friends over for a winter party with a difference.

46Go tobogganing

Even if you don’t have a proper sled, there is still loads of fun to be had sliding down a snowy hill, and a plastic bag or tea tray will work just as well. Hiking up to the top of the hill is always well worth the thrills and spills of the slippery high speed descent right back to the bottom again.

47Rent cross country skis

Avoid the queues at the ski hill and enjoy sliding around at a much more pedestrian pace. Cross-country skiing is an excellent way to keep fit during the winter and is a good way to explore the local trails. Pack a flask of hot soup and make a day of it.


Armed with this list of adventure ideas to do with friends, family, your kids and your other half, there really is no excuse not to get outside and get exploring. So start with something small, simple and easy, and before you know if these day adventure ideas will soon turn into week-long expeditions that you never thought you were capable of. For a little more inspiration, check out the advice of these incredible outdoor role models.

About the author

author-joey

Joey Holmes is based in Cornwall, UK, and runs Cool of the Wild. She can’t get enough of being outdoors – whether that’s lounging around the campfire cooking up a feast, hitting the trail in her running shoes, or attempting to conquer the waves on her surfboard – she lives for it. Camping is what she loves to do the most, but has also spent many hours clinging to the side of a rock face, cycling about the place, cruising the ski-slopes on her snowboard, and hiking small mountains and big hills.

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