How Outdoor Experiences Build Confidence & Resilience in Young Adventurers
In today’s world, kids are surrounded by more digital and social distractions than ever before, often leaving them overwhelmed and separated from real-life experiences; More scrolling than soaring, and more time watching than doing. Never fear! Wildman has the perfect antidote: disconnect to reconnect.
Let Wildman ignite your group’s adventurous spirit, build their confidence, and teach them real-world resilience, all while creating lifelong memories!
Outdoor adventures like whitewater rafting, zip-lining, and climbing offer young people the perfect mix of challenge, teamwork, and personal growth. Whether they’re paddling through rapids, climbing to new heights, or testing their balance on a stand-up paddleboard, these experiences help kids expand their comfort zones in a structured and encouraging environment.
Supporting Your Mission: Growing The Next Generation of Leaders
For the last 35 years, Wildman has helped group leaders coordinate thrilling outdoor adventures that nurture the principles of leadership, courage, and integrity. We know that the most transformative experiences happen when we take a small – or sometimes large! – step outside our comfort zones.
Scouts and youth groups prioritize building character, fostering responsibility, and developing personal confidence. At Wildman, we know first-hand just how much those qualities come to life during outdoor adventures – and in the most exciting way possible!
Whether your focus is on learning resilience, building courage or confidence, or simply unlocking access to a new badge, at Wildman, we’re more than prepared to help you – and your whole group – achieve it together.
Lifelong Lessons Woven Into Adrenaline-Filled Adventures
At first glance, an adventure course, a whitewater rafting trip, or a zip-line tour might seem like just another adrenaline rush, but these experiences go far beyond excitement.
Our structured adventures help shape young people in ways that last a lifetime. Here’s how:
· Building Confidence
There’s nothing like standing at the edge of a platform, staring at a zip line stretched over the trees, and deciding to take the leap to join your teammates cheering you on at the next platform. Each conquered fear reinforces self-trust.
· Developing Leadership & Teamwork
Whether it’s paddling through whitewater rapids together or coaching a friend through a tough climb, Wildman’s activities teach the power of working together. Our adventures encourage – and sometimes require – collaboration to conquer obstacles!
On the Menominee Whitewater Rafting Trip, your crew will work in teams of 8 per raft, paddling in sync to power through rapids. On the Alpine Tower, guests become skilled in climbing and belaying skills, including how to coach each other through a 60-foot climb!
· Learning Resilience
Adventure activities present real but surmountable challenges. Kids might wobble off a paddleboard, hesitate before stepping off a zip-line platform, or struggle to pull themselves over the last obstacle on our Alpine Tower, but when they push forward despite their fear, they build a resilience that applies to everyday life.
· Strengthening Friendships
Nothing brings people together like overcoming a challenge as a team. Your kids might already be friends with their other group members, but the bonds forged at Wildman through their shared experiences are truly unrivaled!
The lessons at Wildman aren’t just learned – they’re lived – and stick with young people long after they leave the river.
Rafting: Face Challenges Head-On
Few things teach teamwork and perseverance like rafting. Every person in the raft plays a crucial role in navigating the river’s twists, turns, and surging rapids. Here are just a few perks your young adventurers will experience:
- Overcoming fear: The first time a rafter sees churning rapids ahead, it’s normal to feel a moment of hesitation. With guidance, encouragement, and help from their raftmates, they can push through and experience the thrill of the ride.
- Teamwork in action: No one paddles alone. Success comes from coordinating with others, following your guide’s instructions, trusting your raftmates, and staying focused.
- Safety first: Wildman ensures that all rafters are properly outfitted with helmets, personal flotation devices, an in-depth safety talk, and an experienced river guide. This means they can embrace the adventure well-equipped and with confidence.
By the time your adventurers scramble out of the raft at the take-out, they’ll be stronger, prouder, and better prepared for whatever challenge comes next. Mary, a Girl Scout Troop Leader, found that her scouts “were more adventurous than [she] was expecting them to be.” Though several of the girls were timid around water, they took on the challenge! Mary “was really impressed with the girls wanting to experience something totally new!”
Zip-Lining: Trust, Courage & Safety
Zip-lining isn’t just about the thrill – it’s about trusting the process, learning to manage fear, and taking responsibility for safety.
When your group embarks on Wildman’s zip-line course, your young adventurers will be able to:
- Face their fears head-on: The first step off the platform is the hardest, but soon fear turns to exhilaration and a loud battle cry!
- Learn responsibility: Zipliners learn to watch for their guide’s signal to brake, and then control their landing on the next platform. They’ll learn crucial skills about how to “self-rescue” if they come up a little short on the line!
- Establish trust and communication: Whether it’s listening to an instructor or encouraging a friend who’s hesitant to take the leap, supporting one another is key.
Zip-lining teaches young people to embrace the unknown, trust themselves, and support their peers along the way. Plus, it’s one of our favorite – and fastest! – methods for getting from point A to B!
The Alpine Climbing Tower: Resilience & Communication
The Alpine Tower is more than a climbing challenge, it’s a physical and mental test of strength, resilience, and problem-solving.
When your group climbs the Alpine Tower at Widman, expect your adventurers to learn how to:
- Grow step-by-step: Each section of the tower presents a new challenge, teaching young adventurers to tackle obstacles one at a time.
- Help others through: Just like in life, those who have gone before can help guide those still struggling. Peer mentorship and encouragement make a huge difference.
- Balance risk with safety: Every harness, rope, and safety feature is a reminder that adventure is safest and most fun when done the right way. Your crew will learn how to safely belay one another and tie figure 8 knots with the help of a guide!
Expert Guides Who Make All the Difference
At Wildman, our guides aren’t just highly trained professionals— they are passionate adventurers who love what they do. They’re the kind of people who bring energy, encouragement, and expertise to every trip, helping young adventurers push past their comfort zones in a safe and supportive environment.
Veteran guide Marena Reich finds that “a shared love of outdoor spaces is the most fulfilling part of this job.” For Marena, her rafters’ “joy is truly infectious,” and “the sparkle in their eyes” after a new adventure never gets old!
Our guides understand the transformative power of outdoor adventure because they’ve experienced it themselves, and they’re dedicated to creating those same life-changing moments for your group.
Beyond their enthusiasm and leadership, our guides are extensively trained in technical skills to ensure a safe and unforgettable experience. Our whitewater rafting guides are ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue certified, and all of our adventure staff are CPR and First Aid certified. Each guide also undergoes rigorous on-the-job training specific to our rivers, zip lines, and climbing courses, giving them the knowledge and expertise needed to lead your group through every challenge with confidence.
Whether they’re teaching paddling techniques, coaching a nervous climber, or cheering on a first-time zip-liner, Wildman guides do more than lead adventures—they inspire growth, resilience, and lifelong memories.
Help Your Group Grow – Bring the Whole Troop to Wildman!
Wildman isn’t just about adventure, it’s about helping young people grow into their best selves.
Whether you’re a parent looking for a confidence-boosting experience for your kids, or a group leader planning an unforgettable trip for your troop, Wildman’s outdoor challenges provide the perfect mix of excitement, growth, and teamwork. Plus, we have years of experience under our belt carrying out group excursions catered specifically to young adventurers.
Ready to give the young folks in your life an experience they’ll never forget? Contact us today and start planning your next adventure!
Call 715-757-2938 to speak with our talented reservations team!