Outdoor Social Recreation Playbook

Use the following tips to create a physically and emotionally safe space for youth.

1. Follow the rule of three. Always require the presence of at least three people in all areas. This includes the outdoor learning space and related areas such as restrooms and equipment or storage rooms. The rule of three applies to all staff, volunteers and youth to prevent abuse and make sure boundaries are respected.

2. Explain expectations in the outdoor learning space to promote physical and emotional safety. Some examples include:

• Water is the only drink allowed in the outdoor learning space.
• Do not touch or directly interact with wildlife – only observe it from a safe distance.
• Place trash in trash receptacles and practice “Leave No Trace.”
• Put away Club/Youth Center equipment after use.

3. Create Group Agreements. Staff and youth develop Group Agreements together. Group Agreements describe behavioral expectations, often addressing emotional safety. Sample Group Agreements for the outdoor learning space are:

• “We will encourage and cheer others on.”
• “We will listen and follow the rules.”

Create Group Agreements together by discussing the answers to the following three questions.

Question #1 – How do we want to feel in the outdoor learning space?

• Have everyone write down their feeling words on separate sticky notes.
• As a group, share what feelings everyone came up with.
• Go through the sticky notes to decide on the group’s top five feelings.

Question #2 – What will we do to feel this way every day?

• Divide participants into five small groups or pairs and assign one word per group.
• Each group or pair should come up with at least two positive behaviors that led to their word. For example, if the feeling word is “involved,” the behavior could be, “We check in with our peers who aren’t playing.”
• Once the groups or pairs have determined their behaviors, come back together as a whole group to decide on at least one behavior per feeling word.

Question #3 – What will we do when there is conflict?

• Start with a few minutes for individual reflection and brainstorming.
• Tell the group to think about what helps them feel better when there is conflict or when they are not feeling the way they want to feel.
• Once everyone has had time to think, come back together as a group for a brainstorm relay.
  • If you have a whiteboard, you can use it for this section. Otherwise, line up two sections of sticky notes on large pieces of paper on a wall.
  • Split the group into two teams. Have each team line up in front of one of the sections with just one marker.
  • Participants will write down one behavior and then pass the marker to the next person.
  • Continue and see how many ideas the group can come up with in two minutes.

4. Reframe conflict to keep youth safe and ensure they have a positive experience. See the following ways to resolve youth conflict.

• Approach the conflict calmly. Your first reaction is critical. If you’re upset, your stress or anger can potentially make matters worse. When you approach the situation, model what you want youth to do, which is to stay calm. Resist the urge to judge the situation or the youth involved. If more than one young person is involved, you may need to separate them safely. Take turns speaking with each person to get the full picture.
• Acknowledge feelings. Help youth express their feelings in a safe and supportive way. For example, allow youth to cool down so their emotions can settle. Avoid using judgmental statements or making comparisons like, “What’s wrong with you?” or “I wish you would behave like the other kids.” Rather, try to reflect on the feelings youth are expressing or showing. For example, “It seems like you are really frustrated, Jesse. Is that correct?”
• Gather information to understand the conflict. Invite youth to share their perspectives. Encourage them to communicate and use their listening skills as you model this for them.
• Restate the problem. This allows you to understand what led to the initial conflict. It also ensures youth feel heard. This allows youth to clarify what they said so everyone can focus on the details of the conflict. Restating the problem also enables all parties to reflect on their feelings, share what caused the dispute and identify what could prevent the conflict from happening again.
• Ask for/jointly develop solutions. If youth are unable to offer solutions, you can support them by asking open-ended questions. For example, “How might we handle this differently if it happened again?” You may need to provide additional support for younger youth or youth who seem stuck.
• Offer follow-up support. After youth have agreed on a solution or next steps, follow up to determine how they are feeling, and to check if their solution is making a difference.

5. Help youth learn how to calm down. There is often a lot happening in the outdoor learning space. Young people are learning how to participate, work as a team, and succeed and fail with grace. Emotions may escalate and youth can feel overwhelmed. Give them the tools, time and space they need to self-regulate.

• Help youth learn to name their emotions in times of success, stress and during challenges. You might say, “I noticed you didn’t want to keep walking up the next hill. How are you feeling?”
  • Prepare and reference a chart that outlines various emotions to help with these check-ins.
  • Emphasize that all emotions are normal, and it is OK to feel a full range of emotional responses. Be careful not to label some as negative or others as positive (e.g., anger as a negative emotion).
• Designate an area within your outdoor learning space for decompression or self-regulation.
• Allow youth to use this area if they are upset while engaging in a program.
• Check in with youth before, during and after activities in the outdoor learning space. Inquire about their emotions and ability/willingness to rejoin the program.
• Have youth take deep breaths, count to ten or perform other calming/self-care techniques.
• Follow up with youth to provide guided reflection.
  • Ask them why they felt the way they did, what helped them manage their emotions and what they could do next time.
  • Either lead an informal conversation or ask youth to complete a formalized reflection worksheet.

6. Discover youths’ interests. Create positive relationships with them by showing a genuine interest in what they enjoy doing.

• Keep youth engaged and active by tailoring your activities to their interests.
• Ask youth the following questions through group discussions, surveys or pulse checks:
  • What do you love to do?
  • What have you always wanted to try?
  • What do you want to learn how to do?
  • What do you want to learn more about?
  • Have you tried something, or seen someone else doing something that you want to do here?
  • What activities would you be willing to help lead?
  • What leadership roles would you like to take in the outdoor learning space?

Use these tips to keep youth engaged and active during the Main Activity, which is one of the Elements of a High-Quality Session.

Before the Activity

Before youth begin the designated activity, do the following:

• Explain the instructions.
• Share the expectations of each activity.
• Demonstrate each activity so youth know what to do.
• Explain what cleanup and assembly will be necessary when they hear the five-minute warning.

During the Activity

1. Introduce a group activity. Knowing how to lead an activity is important. Describe It, Demonstrate It, Ask for Questions, Do It and Adapt It (DDADA) is an effective technique to teach programs and activities for all ages. DDADA has five steps.

• Describe It. Describe the activity by giving the purpose and desired outcome. Use visual aids such as pictures, props, diagrams or real-world examples. Make eye contact with all participants, and make sure that all youth are close enough to see and hear you.
• Demonstrate It. Demonstrate the activity, in slow-motion if necessary. Make sure everyone has a general idea of what they should be doing.
• Ask for Questions. Ask if there are any questions. An abundance of questions could indicate another slow-motion demonstration is needed.
• Do It. Participate in the activity.
• Adapt It. Ask participants what they would change to make the activity more fun, easier or harder.

2. Manage the space.

• Make sure you can see all youth. If walking off-site, form a “train” to keep everyone together. For example, have youth form a line with one staff member as the “conductor” who leads the group in front while another staff member is the “caboose” and stays at the back of the line so no one falls behind. Youth walk in the middle and do not pass the “conductor” or the “caboose.”
• Keep an eye on all groups by occasionally scanning the outdoor learning space when you stop to check on them.
• Reinforce the expectations, objectives and any other guidelines for each activity.

3. Listen to and encourage youth by doing the following.

• Ask open-ended questions to determine if they need help.
• Stop and make eye contact with youth when they are speaking.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues (e.g., eye contact, posture, facial expressions, withdrawing from an activity, tone of voice) to identify their emotions.
• Do pulse checks with youth, such as asking for a thumbs up (good), down (not so good) or sideways (OK) to see how they are doing. Follow up with them if they are not doing well.
• Keep an eye out for disengaged youth. They may be sitting down during activities or avoiding the action because they lack interest or would rather talk to their friends. They also may not feel safe. Talk with them and find a way to get them engaged, whether through shadowing, assisting or performing another activity.

After the Activity

1. Wrap up.

• Give a five-minute warning so youth know they should wrap up their activity or game.
• Let youth know to get into a circle when they hear the attention getter.

Establishing a consistent routine will help you implement the Elements of a High-Quality Session in the outdoor learning space. Try the following Warm Welcomes and Community Builders to promote team building and program engagement. Once you’ve developed a foundation for support and motivation among youth, proceed to the Main Activity and start building fun outdoor connections.

Warm Welcome

Attention getters: The outdoor learning space can get chaotic and loud! Attention getters help you catch the attention of youth and ensure they are ready for the next set of instructions. Use the following examples.

• You say, “Can I get a … ” Youth respond with, “Whoop Whoop!”
• You say, “Holy moly.” Youth respond with, “Guacamole.”
• You say, “Chicka, chicka.” Youth respond with, “Boom, boom!”
• You say, “Yaketi Yak.” Youth respond with, “Don’t talk back!”
• You say, “Alright, stop!” Youth respond with, “Collaborate and listen.”

Community Builders

Are You With Me?

Ages: 6-18

• Gather youth in a circle.
• Invite one participant to stand in the center of the circle.
• Tell youth, “Today we’ll all get to share something about ourselves.”
• Ask, “Who would like to go first?”
• Invite one volunteer to move to the center of the circle and share one thing.
• Thank the volunteer for sharing and ask anyone who has that fact in common with someone else in the circle to switch places with them.
• Invite the person who is now in the middle to share something.
• Have the group repeat the process until everyone has had a chance to share, or as time permits.

Zip, Zap, Zoom

Ages: 10-18

• Gather everyone into a circle.
• Say, “Today we’re going to play a game called Zip, Zap, Zoom! This game is easy to learn, but you have to really pay attention to stay in the game!”
• Explain the following rules of the game.
  • The first person in the circle will use a point-clap motion toward someone in the circle while saying, “Zip!”
  • The person ”zipped” will next do a point-clap motion to someone else in the circle while saying, “Zap!”
  • The person “zapped” will next do a point-clap motion to another person in the circle while saying, “Zoom!”
  • Repeat this sequence around the circle using those three prompts. If anyone hesitates or goes out of turn, they are out.
• Ask, “Does anyone have any questions?”
• Point-clap and say, “Zip!” to someone in the circle to start game play.
• Continue playing Zip, Zap, Zoom until the group has a champion.

Name Games

Ages: 6-18

• Gather everyone into a circle.
• Ask, “Does anyone know everyone’s name?”
• Say, “It’s hard to remember names, but it’s important to try our best! Today we’ll play a name game to help us remember everyone’s names.”
• Explain the following instructions:
  • Each participant will take a turn stepping forward and saying their name while performing a brief movement of their choice (e.g., clapping or jumping in place).
  • The group repeats the name and movement together of each of the participants who went before them.
  • Continue until everyone has had a turn to step forward with their name and movement.
• Ask, “Does everyone understand how the game works? Do you think we can repeat everyone’s name and movement by the end of the game?”
• Say, “Ready, let’s go!”

Main Activity

The following section contains examples of activities you can incorporate into your outdoor recreation programming, along with a few tips on getting started. Be sure to check out each activity’s associated resource for more in-depth information and see Do: Fundamental 5 for additional fun ideas.

In order to guarantee child safety and quality assurance, always review BGCA’s safety resources before planning or having youth participate in activities: BGCA Child Club Safety

Hiking and Nature Walks

• Hiking and nature walks can take place in many different environments and terrains (not just forests and mountains) for any length of time.
• Use trail guides such as the AllTrails website or app to research information about specific trails and to map your route.
• Consider taking youth on shorter and less strenuous hikes and nature walks. For example, walk for one mile on a trail with 500 feet or less elevation gain. If using a trail guide, select trails with an easy difficulty level.
• Allow plenty of time for stops so youth can rest or investigate interesting things they discover.
• Include fun activities along the way. Use the opportunity to sing, play games and teach educational lessons such as plant identification, weather observation, map reading, etc.
• For urban environments, find routes that pass through parks or other public green spaces. If access to public green spaces is limited, locate areas where youth can safely walk and explore their surroundings through activities like scavenger hunts.
• Resource: American Hiking Society – Hiking 101

Paddling (kayaks, canoes and paddleboards)

• Paddling can be enjoyed in ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans.
• Have youth practice on still or slow-moving water during their first experience. 
• Research and partner with outdoor organizations that provide all necessary paddling equipment (e.g., boats, paddles, life jackets, etc.).
• Make sure someone teaches staff and youth proper paddling techniques and safety protocols before they get into the water.
• Consider pairing nervous or inexperienced youth with a staff member or older/more experienced youth whenever possible.
• Make youth aware that successfully navigating a two-person boat (such as a canoe or tandem kayak) requires patience, communication and teamwork.
• Resource: The American Canoe Association – Resource Library

Bird Watching

• Bird watching or birding is a great outdoor activity for both urban and rural environments.
• Binoculars are a useful tool if available, but not a necessity for bird watching. Instead, ask youth to focus on listening for bird sounds and watching for signs of movement.
• When a bird is spotted, instruct youth to whisper and avoid sudden movements so they don’t startle it or scare it away.
• Birds can be identified by size and shape, color patterns, behaviors, sounds and habitats. Use bird identification guides such as the Audobon Bird Guide App to assist you with the process.
• Bird watching is a fun activity on its own or as an added interactive element when youth are hiking, paddling or on the playground.
• Increase bird watching opportunities at your on-site outdoor learning space by adding bird houses, feeders, baths, etc., to attract more feathered friends.
• Resource: Audobon – How to Start Birding

Use the tips below to effectively manage equipment and the outdoor learning space.

1. Create a system for youth to access, set up and return equipment. Help youth develop self-efficacy and learn to respect the environment by allowing them to independently access and return equipment. Don’t forget to follow the rule of three. Always require the presence of at least three people in all areas, even in situations where you’re encouraging independence.

2. Perform equipment checks after use. This will help ensure the equipment’s quality has been maintained before being stored.

3. Consider building an outdoor equipment library. Another opportunity for providing youth with equitable access to proper outdoor clothing and equipment is to create an on-site outdoor equipment library. Use community connections and donations to stock the library, while also allowing youths’ families to exchange clothing that doesn’t fit and unused equipment for other options.

4. Be creative with your outdoor learning space. Every Clubs natural environment will look different so be creative. For example, even densely populated urban areas contain opportunities to interact with nature. Consider the following tips.

• Encourage youth to play outside in various weather conditions to promote climate-related learning activities.
• Insects, birds and other types of wildlife live everywhere. Go on scavenger hunts to see what animals you can find. Build on-site habitats such as birdhouses to increase wildlife viewing opportunities.
• Explore publicly accessible green spaces no matter how small. Even one tree or tiny patch of grass can provide outdoor connections. Use an app like Seek by iNaturalist to identify and keep a record of the various plants and wildlife you discover.

The following activities are a great way to make STEM and art connections in both on-site and off-site outdoor learning spaces. Click the link for each activity to be directed to step-by-step instructions.

Nature Journaling

• Overview: A nature journal is a space where youth can record their observations, their thoughts and their feelings about what they see in nature. It’s a space for youth to learn and grow. By practicing journaling, youth nurture creativity and build critical thinking and scientific skills.
• All ages
• Resource: North American Association for Environmental Education

What's Your Habitat?

• Overview: Youth explore basic survival needs of humans and wildlife by drawing their own homes and neighborhoods.
• Ages: 6-12
• Resource: The National Wildlife Federation

Engineering Design for Birds

• Overview: These activities are designed to help youth of all grade levels explore their power to effect and support birds and bird habitats by designing solutions focused on three of the main components of habitat: food, water and cover. Activities include building bird feeders, nest boxes and water filtration systems.
• Ages: 13-18
• Resource: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Container Gardening for Kids

• Overview: A container garden makes a great first garden project. All you need is something that can hold soil with small holes in the bottom for excess water to drain.
• All ages
• Resource: KidsGardening

Scavenger Hunt

• Overview: Create a list of commonly found nature items in your outdoor learning space and consider incorporating simple, experiential activities (such as skipping a rock or spotting a wild animal). Individuals or teams then scramble to collect the items or perform the activities within a given time limit.
• Ages: 6-12
• Resource: Action for Healthy Kids

Want more fun activities? See the Resources section for direct connections to outdoor education organizations that can provide further learning opportunities.