Our Social Squad headed to the Fort Wayne Zoo this week for their second monthly outing. After going putt-putting in April, the zoo was the next destination on our list of client-requested, diverse adventures.
The zoo is a prime place for diverse adventures: there is such a wide range of different sections to visit with different plants and animals all suited to different environments. From this wide range of environments came fantastic opportunities to practice an equally wide range of skills.
Social Decisions as a Group
We could choose to visit all or just some of the exhibits... in any order... for nearly any length of time. These choices might be simple for an individual, but they become more difficult to navigate as a group. Some people, it turns out, are not very interested in seeing wattled cranes. Others could watch swamp monkeys all day. Sometimes the animals in greatest demand are at opposite sides of the zoo, and the trek between means we have to choose.
So we were able to practice sharing opinions and making decisions as a group. Sometimes the best decision a group can make is to split the group... but not always. We got to practice evaluating when it was best to split and when it was better to compromise.
While coordinating between divided groups, we also practiced following multistep itineraries to stay on track with each other and not leave the other sub-group or the rest of our own group waiting.
There were individual choices to be made as well. Budgeting decisions (consider the consequences). Deciding whether to follow the posted rules for interacting with the animals (always). Identifying socially appropriate behavior in different situations (it can be complex).
Independent Members of a Team
This is a careful balance - being independent but also part of a team.
This is true for all people all of the time.
We are all individuals, but we are also part of a community.
As we went trekking through a condensed Indonesian rainforest or riding over an abbreviated African veldt, we took time to observe all the life on display - all the colors and sounds, all the different movement, all the flocks and herds and pods and pairs and individuals.
We took photos and showed them to each other ... even if we had been looking at the same thing. We might have seen it differently.
We connected to each other. We talked about what we saw. We shared facts we had picked up. We shared other things that came to mind. We listened.
These are also choices. When to talk and what to talk about. How to be comfortable being ourselves and make sure others are comfortable being themselves, too.
Just like deciding which route to take or which exhibits to visit, these choices also might be simpler in one situation than in another. So we supported each other as we navigated them together.
Adventuring Together
When we navigate things together, we get to encourage each other to try new things ... like a ropes course!
Only available since last fall, the ropes course was a hit!
Here, too, are choices. Challenging or easy. High or low. Repetition or novelty. Climb or cheer.
Several of us tried the course with varying levels of confidence and uncertainty. All of us had a blast. Whether we were watching in awe, jumping on without hesitation, or being prodded along by the affirmations of our friends (some very new friends), we were connected to each other by shared social experiences.
When we, as diverse individuals, celebrate each other and listen to each other and encourage each other, we form community.
For our Social Squad, that's mission accomplished.
Future Adventures
Join us next month as we head to the Botanical Conservatory for their Color in Motion: Live Butterfly Exhibit!
Planning your own adventure? Check out our printable planning guide!