Parent-Child Bonding Activities — Adventures In Leadership
Upcoming Event
Join Us November 15th for a Day of Awareness Training, Basic Self-Defense, and Family Activities — Ax Throwing, Hay Rides, and More!
Sunday, November 15 · 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM · West Oaks Farm Market, Winchester, VA
A hands-on family self-defense course covering awareness & defensive strategies, mindset, stance & footwork, striking, and grabbing countermeasures — followed by a scavenger hunt with threat-detection exercises and fall farm activities. Pricing: $200 for 1 parent & 1 child · $370 for a family of 4 (additional members +$60). All participants receive a free farm produced beverage, including craft beer for adults.
Turn P.E. and Life Skills into an Unforgettable Family Adventure! 🛡️🪓
Calling all families! Looking for a fun, hands-on way to build your kids' confidence, situational awareness, and real-world safety skills — all while enjoying a fall day on the farm? Join us at Adventures in Leadership on Sunday, November 15th at West Oaks Farm Market in Winchester, VA for a one-of-a-kind Basic Youth & Family Self-Defense & Fall Fun Day!
Who We Are
I'm Tom Coyle — West Point grad, former Army Infantry officer, and retired CIA officer — and I've teamed up with my good friend Steve Johnson, a former CIA Global Response Staff (GRS) officer. We've spent our careers operating in high-stakes environments around the world, and now we're passionate about passing those practical, life-saving awareness and defensive skills on to families in a fun, approachable, and empowering way.
What Makes This Day Special
🛡️
Avoiding Danger
Situational awareness and the mindset to recognize threats before they escalate.
🚀
Getting Out of Danger
"Getting off the X" — practical techniques to move your family to safety fast.
🤝
Family Teamwork
Stance, footwork, striking, and countermeasures practiced together as a team.
🍂
Fun Farm Activities
Tactical Scavenger Hunt, Ax Throwing, Hay Rides, and free time at the farm market.
What We'll Do
We'll spend the morning learning practical family safety and self-defense together, break for lunch, then put those new skills to the test in an awesome outdoor Tactical Scavenger Hunt. Afterward, we transition into pure fall farm fun.
- Morning Skills: Situational awareness · mindset ("getting off the X") · stance & footwork · striking · defending strikes · grabbing countermeasures
- Afternoon Fun: Threat-detection Scavenger Hunt · Ax Throwing · Hay Rides
Farm Perks 🍺🍎
Every adult and child gets a FREE farm-produced beverage (including craft beer for the parents!), plus free time afterward to explore the farm market and relax.
Make it a Family Adventure!
Calling all families! Are you looking for a way to turn history and physical education into a high-stakes leadership lesson?
I'm Tom Coyle, founder of Adventures in Leadership. I'm teaming up with my West Point classmate and tracking expert, David Merrill, to launch a brand-new series of Parent-Child Junior Special Forces Missions. Join us for our first session Aug 8th from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm at Prince William Forest!
We aren't just teaching "camping." We are teaching the elite skills we used in the military and intelligence communities — tracking, situational awareness, and resiliency — set in the very woods where WWII spies once trained.
We hope to see you and your family on August 8th! Keep in mind we try to keep these cohorts relatively small to ensure elite instruction, spots will go fast.
What Your Kids (and You!) Will Master
The Art of the Track
See what others miss using Native American tracking techniques — the same skills used by elite military and intelligence professionals.
Action and Adventure
Rappelling, improvised zip lining (that you set up!), leader reaction drills, and orienteering with map and compass.
Wilderness Tradecraft
Camouflage, stalking, and primitive survival skills — set in the very woods where WWII spies once trained.
The West Point Way
Leadership and teamwork exercises designed to build "battle-tested" confidence in both parents and children.
Let's Start a Conversation
Drop us an email with the subject "Family Adventure" to get the full info packet. Have questions? We'd love to hear from you.
Get on the ListOr email tom@adventuresinleadership.com directly
Parent-Child Registration
You can scroll down to proceed to registration!
Past Events
Tracking and Survival Event
May 18th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
History, Leadership, and Family Bonding
Starting in 2024, we have a new program of family events. Making use of historic battlefields, we provide a unique experience in which families will have the opportunity to experience history and learn key lessons on leadership, communication, and planning — while spending quality time together.
We will even have opportunities for kids to partake in experiential activities while the adults enjoy a wine tasting at Bull Run Winery or a tasting at the Spirits of Gettysburg Distillery. We even create custom programs at these battlefields.
Contact Us to Learn More