""start small and see how it works for you," and I do plan to do that -- starting with day-trips, moving up to over-night camping trips near home, etc."

Could be. The other side of that, even assuming you want to do longer trips is that sometimes the shock therapy works better. Trying to get kids who sit in front of screens all day to embrace a few 5 mile walks is one thing. Moving to a place where they have to walk 5 miles to school is another. Everyone used to do the latter, while the former seems like a tough sell in a world of 10 year olds with heart disease.