3 Outdoor Adventure Party Idea For Kids

Calling all adventurers! Do you know how to escape quicksand? Deal with wild bears? Avoid being struck by lightning? 'The Lost Book of Adventure' by Teddy Keen gives young readers (7 years+) the answer to these intrepid dilemmas and a whole lot more, in a collection of notes from a mysterious explorer - even Bear Grylls can't stop reading it!

The book is said to be compiled from a discovered trove of sketchbooks found in a remote hut in the Amazon rainforest, but we happen to have the real story of how this book came into the world... The author is in fact Teddy Keen, an English children’s author who decided to translate his lifelong love of exploring into a storybook for his own children. “I wanted to inspire and prepare [my kids] to step into uncharted territories, build their own shelters, and dream of sleeping beneath the stars,” he says.

"I buried myself away in my garden shed for two years, researching, writing, illustrating, and drawing on my own experiences as well as those of my family and friends, to create The Lost Book of Adventure"

Teddy Keen, Author

In this spirit of adventuring, we asked Teddy to share his favourite outdoor party activities with us - read on for his Top 3, as well as the chance to win a signed copy of the book plus outdoor party goodies from our Woodland Adventure Collection.

Teddy Keen’s Top 3 Outdoor Party Activities

1. Den and Shelter Building

This may seem obvious, but what's good about it is that kids aren't just creating shelters, but creating their own worlds. You could take a theme, such as ‘Rainforest Adventure’ and build all sorts of wooden shelters (ideal if you're near the woods), or you could go for a cultural theme and explore the world of nomadic tents, like Tepees, chums (pronounced 'choom'), and Bedouin tents from the Sahara. Many shelters are simple to make and kids love building them, especially if you add some great props to the equation – think wild animals, themed picnic foods and 'No Parents Allowed' signs. Great for kids, aged 5 to 11 (you can find detailed den building instructions in Teddy's book!).

2. Adventurers' Assault Course

I've always loved assault courses. They can be extreme or easy, but they are always great fun and can be tailored for any age group. The trick as ‘Chief Assault Course Creator’ is to get your imagination firing - you can give each obstacle an adventurer's twist – so those wobbly logs become deadly crocodiles, the swinging ropes are Tarzan-worthy liana vines over a pit of snakes. Or go for games like gunge 'paddling' pools, bows and arrows, sleeping bag wriggle race, extreme dangling donuts... Coming up with the ideas is one of the best things about this and something your kids will want to participate in.

3. Blindfolded Animals

This is a great game for both parents and kids to play together. It is quick and easy and can sometimes lead to mayhem, but it is invariably a great laugh, especially if there are several folks involved. The aim of the game is simple – to find your animal partner... by making animal noises.
How it works: Simply draw or name a number of exciting animals on bits of paper, twice. So, if there are 14 players then there should be 7 pairs of animals. Each player takes a slip of paper from a hat to discover which animal they are to be. No telling allowed. Once ready, everyone is blindfolded, and the chaos ensues. Players must now converse in the language of tigers, penguins, sheep, elephants, wolves etc, to locate their twins. Cue the cacophony of an uncaged zoo. Maybe warn the neighbours in advance.

Stay tuned for Teddy’s next book, titled “Journey to the Last River”. Read the journals from the Unknown Adventurer as he explores an unknown river deep within the Amazon rainforest. Coming out in September ’21.

Win Teddy Keen’s Lost Book of Adventure

We’re giving three lucky winners a signed copy of Teddy’s book, plus our Woodland Adventure Party Pack.

Terms and Conditions

Open to UK residents aged 18+. Three winners chosen at random. Closing date 11:59 pm BST on 28 May 2021. The prize has an approximate value of £60 excluding shipping which will be paid for by Meri Meri. Prizes cannot be exchanged. Prizes cannot be transferred. One entry per person. The winners will be informed by email within 7 days of the closing date, and must respond within 28 days to claim their prize.