Shows / Campfire Guide to Parenting
Campfire Guide to Parenting
Welcome to the Campfire Guide to Parenting. I’m Mike McDonell, founder and CEO of Kidventure. For over 32 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping kids and families grow, learn, and thrive. Now, I’m inviting you to join me as I sit down around the fire with remarkable experts—who also happen to be parents—for real conversations, practical strategies, and stories that light the way on our parenting journey. This is your guide to raising kids with courage, creativity, and real world connection…
Episodes
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
The Ones Who Stepped Forward: A Living Kidney Donor Story
Mike McDonell's family got the call they had been waiting for. On December 30th, his son Michael gets a new kidney. Mike set aside the episode he had planned…
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
Kids and AI: Never Smarter Than a Machine
OpenAI's CEO says his kids will never be smarter than AI. Mike McDonell has one question: smarter at what? After more than 30 years around 100,000 kids, Mike…
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
Raising Kids Who Include Others: Lessons From Best Buddies Ambassador Miller Peoples
In third grade, Miller Peoples was asked to speak to his whole school about disability inclusion, and he said no. He's been saying yes ever since. Miller, a…
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
Helping Kids Make Friends: What Screens Are Replacing
Two nervous girls stood alone at overnight camp drop-off. Years later, one was the other's maid of honor. Mike McDonell, a father of four, has spent decades…
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
Why Parents Can't Let Go: The Fear Loop with Lenore Skenazy
She let her 9-year-old ride the New York City subway home alone, wrote about it, and two days later was on national TV being called "America's worst mom."…
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
Parenting in the Digital Age: Old Instincts, New Childhood
In 1981, thirteen-year-old Mike McDonell found his friends by riding his bike until he spotted a driveway full of tipped-over bikes. In 2026, his…
- Campfire Guide to Parenting
Building Houston Moms Through Infertility, Twins, and Real Motherhood with Meagan Clanahan
The conversation explores the intersection of professional and personal life, focusing on the challenges and rewards of motherhood and community building…
Campfire Guide to ParentingRaising Grit: Helping Your Kid Handle the Hard Stuff
Want to help your kids develop grit and resilience? In this episode of The Campfire Guide to Parenting, Mike McDonell sits down with Michael Blasdell to talk…
Campfire Guide to ParentingHow do we raise kids who can handle life’s ups and downs - without losing their spark?
In this episode of Campfire Guide to Parenting, Kidventure President and father of four Mike McDonell sits down with licensed clinical social worker Taylor…
Campfire Guide to ParentingRaising Money-Smart Kids: Allowance, Entrepreneurship & Screen Time
How can parents raise confident, money-smart kids in a cashless, screen-filled world? In this episode of The Campfire Guide to Parenting, Mike McDonell and…