12 great ideas for micro adventures
Adventures are wonderful things. A boost for the body and soul. But sometimes, for whatever reason, a full on adventure isn’t possible. Or even necessarily what you want. You fancy an adventure. But just a mini one. Something to lift your spirits, ideally without depleting your bank balance at the same time. Something that’s a change from your normal routine and experiences. But something you can do in an afternoon. Or a day.
Welcome to the micro adventure.
A micro adventure (as its name suggests) isn’t about exploring a far flung location, or spending a fortune to travel to somewhere completely different. It’s all about having a new experience in a familiar place, or trying something close to home that you never have before. And discovering that doing that can be every bit as enjoyable, refreshing and mood-boosting as an adventure on a bigger scale.
Here are 12 great ideas for some of the marvellous micro adventures you could experience just outside, or not that far from, your own front door.
Adventure 1
Look up (and print off) a map of your local area, close your eyes, point to somewhere on it and go there. You never know where you might end up!
Adventure 2
Back to that local map, draw a circle around your house then walk it. There are bound to be places and streets you aren’t familiar with, or that you drive down but miss noticing the details of when you’re whizzing along them in a car.
Adventures 3 and 4
If you love wandering round parks or gardens, find one you haven’t visited before and head there.
If the day is lovely enough, why not pack a picnic? With the right clothes and plenty of blankets and rugs to snuggle under, a winter picnic can be a memorable part of a micro adventure. Or one in its own right.
Adventure 5
Walk or cycle from your front door deliberately taking roads and directions you don’t usually (this can be done in a car too, of course). I especially love doing this at dusk in autumn and winter, when people have their lights on inside but haven’t yet closed their curtains or blinds. It’s great for house decor snooping!
Adventure 6
We can be good at doing walking, scooter or Segway tours when we’re visiting new cities, so how about doing one in the place where you live? Or a nearby town or city. The bigger the city, the more variety of tours you’ll be able to find. It’s on my list to do a graffiti/street art tour of the East End of London.
Adventure 7
What about doing one at night? There’s a Jack the Ripper tour I’m considering….if I decide I’m brave enough!
Adventure 8
Talking about night-time micro adventures, when the skies are cloud-free, wrap up warm, grab some binoculars or a telescope if you have one, find a suitable nearby spot (with as little light pollution as possible), and do some star-gazing. This is even better if you download a star guide app that can tell you all about what you’re seeing.
Adventure 9
For a more physical micro adventure, try something challenging or thrilling that you haven’t done before. Like zip wiring, or wall climbing or circus skills (you notice I haven’t suggested bungee jumping. There’s really no need to go that far.)
Adventure 10
In a similar vein, you could have a go at a new sport or activity. How about giving foraging a go? Maybe join a martial arts class, or try your hand at badminton.
Adventure 11
A more gentle micro adventure would be to join a one-off art or craft class. Perhaps you’ve always wondered what it would be like to sing in a choir. Try a taster session.
Adventure 12
Finally, for this list anyway, try googling ‘free things to do in my area’. I’m betting there will be at least one marvellous micro adventure possibility in what comes up.
Have you had any micro adventures you’d recommend? I’d love to hear about them!
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