Build An Adventure-Theory Framework
Design intentional challenge-course and teambuilding programs with positive results
By Scott Schneider and David Crye
Photos: Scott Schneider and David Crye
There is no single recipe for building a successful camp, but there is one key ingredient that must be included—an exceptional staff. After spending almost 30 years immersed in camp culture, most recently as the Executive Director of Camp Operations, I have seen firsthand the impact of exceptional training on a camp’s success. A robust training program should serve as a launching pad for staff members as they prepare to step into the nonstop action of summer camp.
Every year before summer camps begin, camp directors, adventure educators, and recreation programmers hold staff trainings and lay out the next season’s schedules. This planning process is crucial for the success of the entire season. Even with the best intentions, though, many personnel fall back on what they have done in the past, not necessarily because it was the most effective way to achieve program outcomes but because they get busy and know what works.
It’s hard to get everyone on the same page on how best to move forward with adventure-education, challenge-course, and teambuilding goals, but here are a few ways to successsfully apply the adventure-theory framework.
Begin with the end in mind. How is an adventure program, challenge course, etc. accomplishing the organization's mission? Hopefully, these all align, and continue to move participants and the organization forward. If there is a misalignment, make the necessary changes. Additionally, be sure that professional staff and seasonal staff members are offering activities within their level of training/expertise, as well as industry and organizational risk-management and operational procedures.
Start The Process
Once there’s consensus on the program’s objectives and risk-management policies, choose the right activities to complement the desired program experience while developing the students. Not every program will have participants progress through all the stages of adventure (nor should it), but a useful framework is applicable to many of these programs. An example of this framework follows:
Ground rules, expectations, and overall, agreed-upon behaviors. These are different than local operating procedures. They can take the form of a Full-Value Contract (FVC) activity and a group philosophy of “Challenge by Choice.” A FVC set by the group (and supervised by the leader) helps participants hold each other accountable to the community. Challenge by Choice affords participants the support and the right to find their level of engagement. It doesn’t mean they won’t participate, but they aren’t forced into doing all parts of an activity. The facilitator and group will find a way for an individual to be involved at an appropriate level. One activity that helps set the stage to develop a FVC for the group is the Value Words Memory activity. The group must play a large (life-sized) game of memory composed of “value words.” Once the group has completed the game and paired all of the words, they can be used as a way for people to select which values members feel are most important to them when working on a team or living together at camp.
Community building through name games/acquaintance activities. A leader learning every participant’s name is critical to the success of a program. This may be challenging, but for programs lasting more than a few hours or a day, it must be a priority. The more energy put into learning names, the better for all parties involved. This process may take multiple activities, but a culture of caring is created. Examples of successful name games are partner introductions (pair and share works for smaller groups). For larger groups, use high-fives (high, low, knuckle bump, lumberjack, happy salmon). The facilitator demonstrates and asks participants to find someone new to give one of these high-fives and then to answer a few pre-planned “get-to-know-you” questions.
Icebreakers/games. The goal of these activities is to have fun! They may be silly, but do get participants to engage with each other. Role-modeling and demonstrating these games are critical for “buy-in” by all participants. The leader's early involvement helps lay a foundation and creates a community where having fun is celebrated and connecting is paramount. There may be some overlap with the name games, but these stages often work well together. A large-group activity is blob tag or giant jump rope. A small-group icebreaker that’s effective is elbow tag or mosquito tag.
Initiatives: communication and problem solving. A group of participants is now having fun, new friends are being made, and they’ve bought into the program. They are ready for a challenge. Present the group with activities that require working as a team or in small groups to accomplish tasks. Small-group activities might include tank, all aboard, and teambuilding skis. Large-group activities may include tank or A frame. Providing a backstory to set the stage for these activities can create more depth and front-load the debrief.
Trust. Developing trust within a group is an essential part of any successful team. Utilize specific activities that provide a progression where members learn to build and demonstrate trust in each other. Teaching appropriate spotting techniques, establishing proper communication, and then allowing groups to practice these skills through activities like tick-tock, wind in the willows, and levitation is essential prior to doing trust falls. Trust falls are often most associated with challenge courses and teambuilding programs, but other trust activities, like a blind trust walk, can be used just as effectively.
Low Elements. Low challenge-course elements are a great way to build community and achieve program objectives. Not every camp or programming facility will have all of the low elements many programmers want, but there are creative alternatives for participants, regardless of the group size. For example, a fallen tree can be an effective TP shuffle element. A trust fall can be performed off a picnic table. A series of slack lines can be used for a wild woosey, a triangle tension traverse, and much more!
High Elements. Often viewed as the main attraction, these elements take individuals high in the air to work through a variety of individual and partner activities. Individuals who have progressed through the previous stages often feel more capable and confident, and push themselves beyond their comfort zones. If there is no high-ropes course, a high element can be a climbing or rappelling experience. Really, it can be anything that is a peak experience at the end of a camp/program experience.
Debrief And Reflect
Taking time to process and facilitate intentional debriefs and reflection helps participants apply deeper meaning to individual activities and the overall experience. Asking simple, open-ended questions is oftentimes the best way to debrief an activity. Focus on each participant’s summative assessments of the group’s successes and challenges. Some questions include:
What did you do in that activity that helped you succeed?
What was challenging? How did you overcome those challenges?
What takeaways or insights did you gain from this activity that will help with the next activity?
Creating safe and meaningful experiences for participants, while meeting the objectives of the organization, is something all camp directors, outdoor educators, and recreation programmers hope to achieve. While this can be accomplished through a variety of methods, applying an adventure-theory framework is an effective way to achieve this goal. As you go through next season’s planning process, try applying the adventure-theory framework to some programs and see the time-tested, positive results of this approach.
Scott Schneider, M.S. is a Senior Lecturer of Outdoor Leadership at North Carolina State University, where he teaches challenge-course and teambuilding facilitation, rock climbing, and backpacking. Reach him at scott_schneider@ncsu.edu.
David Crye, M.S. is a Lecturer of Outdoor Leadership at North Carolina State University, where he teaches courses in rock climbing, backpacking, and canoeing. Reach him at dncrye@ncsu.edu.
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Wondering how to implement some of the activities in the article? Here are a few to get started:
How To Make Your Own Value Words Memory
First, grab a pack of index cards and come up with a variety of “value” words. An even number of 14 to 18 words is recommended. (For assistance on coming up with words, do a quick Google search for “value words list” or something similar.) Once you have a list, write two copies of each word on the index cards so that you have matching pairs of words. Make sure the marker doesn’t bleed through the index card onto the back.
To play the game, have the group stand behind a “start” line. Lay out the cards in a grid in front of the group. Place the cards face down making sure the matching pairs of values are mixed randomly throughout. Now the group can play “Memory” and send one person over the line to flip over two cards and try to find the matching pairs of words. Only one player can cross the start line at a time and all players have to take a turn before anyone can try again. Make a rule that the group cannot talk once a player crosses over the start line to make it more challenging.
Here are some sample activities for a teambuilding program:
Elbow Tag
Divide the group pairs and have partners stand side by side with elbows locked. Pick one person to be the “rabbit” and one person to be the “fox.” The fox chases the rabbit. If tagged, the roles are reversed, and the rabbit becomes the fox. The rabbit may lock elbows with a pair at any time, thus becoming “safe.” The rabbit now becomes the person on the opposite side of the trio.
Wind In The Willows
Have the group stand tightly, shoulder to shoulder, around one volunteer in the middle. The group forms a spotting circle in appropriate spotting positions. The person in the middle closes his or her eyes, stands stiff as a board, and clasps their hands together. The person then gently falls in random directions to be spotted by each member of the group and gently replaced back into a standing position. This activity should only be done after the group is taught proper spotting techniques.
Blind Trust Walk
Split the group into pairs. To begin, have one person be the leader and the other person put on a blindfold; they will be the participant. (Note: Participants aren’t required to wear a blindfold if they feel uncomfortable, they can just close their eyes.) The leader then guides their partner through an obstacle course. The leader must only use their words and sounds to communicate with their partner; they cannot touch or guide them in any other way.
Check out this great website to find more descriptions of some of the activities listed as well as so many more!