Maritime Outdoor Adventure

Bring your group to our new Maritime Outdoor Adventure Course and explore a series of fun hands-on group challenges that emphasize team building, leadership, and problem-solving for youth, teens, and adults. Our maritime-themed course also introduces the skills needed to sail our tall ship, Kalmar Nyckel.

Our new Maritime Outdoor Adventure Course brings your group outdoors for fun hands-on learning experiences on our maritime campus. Designed for youth, teens, and adults, our programs include a series of low-course elements that can be customized to your specific age group and schedule. We focus on teamwork and creative problem-solving through maritime-oriented group challenges.

Special thanks to Crystal Trust and The Laffey-McHugh Foundation for their philanthropic support.

Why Adventure Learning?

From the Moby Deck and Bosun’s Chair Traverse to the Full Boat, Treasure Islands, Pirate Swing, Multi-line Traverse, A-Frame, and Climbing Station, we hope you will explore all the elements on our course.

Our program is designed for children and adults to explore teamwork and leadership skills. At KNF, we also recognize the critical need for programs that support today’s youth in three key areas:

Authentic and challenging team-building opportunities
Physical activities, especially outdoor activities for youth and teens that are not team sports
Problem-solving experiences and conflict resolution skills that foster communication, resiliency, and trust

Please contact us with your questions at this email address (link) or call 302.429.7447.

Booking Your Program

To book a program, please complete our Inquiry Form to establish your goals for this experience. Our education team will customize a program to address these objectives. The timing of your programs depends on your group’s needs, breaks (indoors or in shaded area) or lunch.

REQUIRED: Inquiry/Goals Form (fillable pdf). Please complete and email to Amy Sypher.
Programs are designed for ages 8 and older
Recommended group size: 10-30 participants.
Please inquire in advance for larger groups (40 people maximum).

Questions? Please email Amy Sypher, Assistant Director of Public Programs & Engagement: [email protected] or call: 302.429.7447.

Maritime Outdoor Adventure Course Fees

Please choose one of the programs below and submit your Inquiry/Goals Form (link above).

Note: We do not provide any food or beverages (a water fountain is available in the building). You are responsible for bringing all snacks, food and drinks.

Youth Group Prices:

2 Hours for $12 per person (2-hour program with no snack break.)

3 Hours for $15 per person (3-hour program includes a 15-minute snack break. Optional: 30-minutes for a picnic lunch.)

4 Hours for $20 per person (The 4-hour program includes 30-minutes for a picnic lunch.)

Adult Group Prices:

2.5 Hours for $40 per person (2.5-hour program that includes a 30-minute guided tour of the Copeland Maritime Center.)

Safety

This program is designed for ages 8 and up. Please share these guidelines with your group and chaperones.

Wear closed-toe shoes and athletic wear.
Bring lots of water. Pack a snack or lunch for the 3- and 4-hour programs.
Waiver forms for each participant are due one week prior to the program. They must be completed and signed by parents/guardians in advance.
One chaperone is required for every twelve (12) students.
Adults: No alcohol consumption 8 hours before participating in the activities.

REQUIRED: Participant Waiver Form

Low Course Elements

Every program is crafted to your group's goals and physicality. Each program will include group “warm-up” activities and at least three stations (listed below).

Bosun’s Chair Traverse

Have you heard of a Bosun’s Chair or a Breeches Buoy? Both are rope-based devices used to move people or cargo. Participants must work together to move the Bosun’s Chair Traverse from one side of the station to another. This station requires teamwork, ingenuity, and cooperation.

Pirate Swing

Do you like rope swings? Our Pirate Swing is a great way to circle around and move from one place to another. Hoist yourself up onto the rope and take it for a swing with your group supporting your safe travels!

Multi-Line Traverse

The Multi-Line Traverse is an excellent way to make decisions to challenge yourself. Participants use static lines for balance while walking across a bottom cable and grabbing hanging ropes of varying lengths. This tight-rope act is similar to what our sailors do to in order to rig the 8 sails on the Kalmar Nyckel.

Full Boat

Our Full Boat balance beams are a fun team-building exercise where you put your agility and communication to the test by having your group arrange themselves in prescribed orders without ever stepping off the beams.

Moby Deck

How are your sea legs? Moby Deck duplicates the heaving of the deck on a ship at sea. The goal is to have your group balance the deck with ease, but it’s not that simple when fun games are added on.

Climbing Station

Climb our cargo net as if you were on the shrouds of our ship climbing up to the fighting tops perched on the ship's masts. Hoist yourself upwards to ring a bell that would alert the sailors below of any danger you might have seen!

A-Frame

Some ships have an A-frame that is a type of lifting gear attached to the stern to lift or deploy loads on and off the ship. This element takes leadership and communication to erect the A-frame and “walk” it around while always maintaining one point of contact on the ground.

Treasure Islands

Discover our Treasure Islands by problem-solving with your group on how to get from the first island to the third with only 2 planks of wood. Through communication and creativity, you can explore each tiny island. The catch: you and the planks cannot touch the ground, or the treasure is lost!