This program helps to build relationships between dads and their kids. For both adult and child—K to 3rd Grade—activities include: overnight weekend cabin camping, campfires, overnights in museums and aquariums, canoeing, rock wall, archery, bowling, skating, pine wood derby, and much more.

For assistance with trip registration, please contact Sam Shafer, Welcome Center Shift Supervisor, 610/647-9622 (Tuesday-Friday, 2:00-10:00 PM, Saturday, 11:00 AM-7:00 PM).

To join Adventure Guides, click on the registration tab.

Please email Jeff Scott, Environmental Education/Adventure Guides Director with your questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does YMCA Adventure Guides exist?

Who participates in YMCA Adventure Guides?

What do YMCA Adventure Guide participants do?

What is the YMCA Adventure Guides theme?

Northwoods Federation Overview

Spirit & Symbol

Program Links

Where to Purchase your Vests

Why does YMCA Adventure Guides exist?

During their elementary school years, children learn rapidly, becoming much more aware of the world around them. They begin to see things differently and ask questions about who they are, where they came from, and why things are as they are. During this time, children tend to see their parents as guides, teachers, and heroes. They start to understand that parents protect and nurture them. Ideally, during this period, we learn how to talk with our children more than at them. A strong relationship is based on our ability to ask open-ended questions that help our children think and move beyond simple yes or no responses. During these years, we strive to invite our children to accept challenges and opportunities, celebrate accomplishments, and face fears.

YMCA of the USA has designed the YMCA Adventure Guides program to assist parents and their children on a journey of discovery. While activities with the whole family are important, we see tremendous value in supporting and strengthening the ability of a parent and his or her child to communicate at an early age in ways that are caring, honest, respectful, and responsible. We seek to encourage parents to ?get to know your kid while your kid is still a kid?

For these reasons, we have designed the program for one parent and one child to participate together for most activities. If this dynamic is not practical for certain families, be flexible and work with them to develop a structure within the program that accommodates their needs. — TOP

Who participates in YMCA Adventure Guides?

We designed YMCA Adventure Guides for parents (or other significant adults in children's lives) and their children ages 5 through 9. (Some YMCAs also have programs for children younger than 5.) An adult and child must attend program activities together. In YMCA Adventure Guides, the parent is the Guide, and the child is the Explorer. Typically, YMCA Adventure Guides programs appeal most to fathers and sons or fathers and daughters, although some YMCAs have had success with mother-son or mother-daughter programs. — TOP

What do YMCA Adventure Guide participants do?

The YMCA groups parent-child pairs into "Circles" that meet on a regular basis in each others? homes, usually monthly. Occasionally, several Circles come together to participate in larger activities such as campouts, parties, or parades. These outings are called Expeditions. The core of the YMCA Adventure Guides program is these Circle and Expedition meetings and adventures. Typical activities include ceremonies, games, crafts, songs, stories, skits, and outdoor pursuits such as camping, hiking, and swimming. — TOP

What is the YMCA Adventure Guides theme?

The Y-Adventure Guide Program has been developed around an adventure theme. Like the epic voyage of Lewis and Clark, program participants will enjoy an adventure. Parent and Children will experience new activities including events like roller-skating, bowling, horseback riding, archery, canoeing, hiking and more. With their circles they will experience teamwork and adventure through campout activities, soccer, hockey and circle meetings.

At the forefront of the program are the compass points. The compass points lend an inspiration for activities and also provide a framework from which to build an adventure theme. The compass points outline the program's focus on strengthening parent-child relationships through small Circle communities while participating in activities that help meet the program's objectives. The four main directional points on the compass are the essential components of the program:

• The Family is True North, the focal point of the program.
• Nature and the camping experience are integral parts of the program.
• The spirit of the program is experienced through belonging to a small Community, the Circle.
• Fun is the magic of the program.

The YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility make up the other directional points. Along the journey, adults should teach and demonstrate these values as well as give children many opportunities to practice and celebrate them. Adults should also point out and discuss with children any behavior that is inconsistent with these values. Initially, these four values provide guidance in helping children select activities, make decisions, and choose appropriate courses of action, both in the program and in their lives. As children grow, these values become their own internal compass.

The Compass Points allow you and your Circle members to personalize rituals, activities, and events. You can develop Compass Point activities relevant to your own town and your own common experiences. For example, a group in Texas may build a theme around Texas explorers and pioneers, while a group on the coast may use a scuba or water-exploration theme. In each case family, fun, nature, and community might take on a slightly different meaning. — TOP

Northwoods Federation

The NORTHWOODS FEDERATION administers YMCA Adventure Guides programs on behalf of the Upper Main Line YMCA. The Northwoods Federation consists of five Expeditions: three Parent/Daughter Expeditions (Corps of Discovery, Challenger, and American) and two Parent/Son Expeditions (Daniel Boone and Safari). The townships and surrounding areas within our Federation are Radnor, Newtown, Tredyffrin, Lower Merion, Easttown, Goshen, Willistown and parts of several other villages. Members may live in any town, village or unincorporated area. The Federation provides centralized program coordination and event planning for its member Nations. The Federation helps each Nation deliver a robust set of parent-child activities. — TOP

Northwoods Federation: Spirit & Symbol

The Northwoods Federation is named after the preserved woodland on the property of the Upper Main Line YMCA. The name also is linked to the great swath of boreal forest that extends over the northeast United States and Canada. It was from the Great North Woods that many of the famous frontier explorers, such as Lewis & Clark and Daniel Boone, began their great treks into the wilderness.

The spirit of the Northwoods Federation is symbolized by the moose, the largest animal found in the Great North Woods of North America. The world's largest deer was named by the Algonquins, Native Americans who lived throughout the northeast regions of the United States and Canada. The Algonquins called this strange looking creature mooswa, meaning "twig-eater". A full grown moose can weigh up to 1,800 pounds and stand 7 feet tall at the shoulder. They can run 35 miles per hour, can easily swim 10 miles, and can dive underwater. Despite their size and strength, moose tend to act very kindly toward their environment and is often referred to as the guardian of the Great North Woods. It is in this spirit that the Northwoods Federation chose the moose as its symbol. — TOP

Vests

The Adventure Guide program encourages all members (both Parents/Guides and Child/Explorers) to wear their Vests at all Adventure Guide events. Custom patches are given out at each event attended and special award patches can also be won. Over time the vest becomes a living history of all the special places and events you and your child have experienced. You & your child will treasure these special vests and remember all the fun memories and special one-on-one time you experienced together.

1. The PatchStore- Cloth & Felt vests.embroidery of AG names for additional fee. http://www.thepatchstore.com/ Contact: Greg Jordan & Brian Jemmi
2. CowCatcher Leatherworks- Suede vests...very nice & offers additional leather fringe kits which the kids really like.looks great with pony beads on the fringe. http://cowcatcher.us/
3. Standing Bears Trading Post- Suede vests http://www.sbearstradingpost.com/Yguides_AdventureGuides.html — TOP