G re a t O u td o o r s - I S S U E 07
Get out & about this weekend!
If you don’t have plans for the weekend, grab your hats, scarves and gloves, wrap up warm and head outside – be it your back garden, your local park or woodland – for some fun family activities. Jump in muddy puddles
We are often telling our children not to get dirty and not to jump in puddles – but where’s the fun in that? Rather than staying inside on a rainy day, why not take a leaf out of Peppa Pig’s book and find some muddy puddles. Get the kids togged up in their waterproofs and wellies, and find the biggest puddles you can! Adults, you might actually find you enjoy doing this more than the kids.
Go for an ‘adventure’ walk
Often, when you suggest going for a walk, older kids groan and see this as a boring activity. Turn it into a challenge and suggest an ‘adventure’ walk. Create a list of items for them to spot and see who can tick off all the items on the list first. If you live in a town, it could be things like a sports car, a bus stop or a telephone box. For country dwellers, you could spot a creepy crawlie, a pine cone or a lacy leaf skeleton. You can tailor your adventure to your child’s age (toddlers won’t know a blue tit from a sparrow, but they can spot a bird) and also their interest – whether that is transport, nature or even specific colours. Older children might want to use a camera or smartphone to take artistic photographs of things they spot on their adventure.
Litter picking
Do something good for the environment by going litter picking. All you need is
www.FamilyFirst.co.uk
a pair of gloves and a black sack, then simply walk around your local area and collect any abandoned litter. We advise only picking litter on public land, such as your local park, and to avoid litter picking near busy roads. You could also make a trip to your nearest beach! If you are worried about you or your children touching the litter, you can buy inexpensive adult and child-size litter pickers that have a long-reach grabber and trigger handle.
Get arty
If you are feeling creative, go for a walk and look out for large and small smooth rocks. Take a sturdy bag with you, so you can carry your rocks home. Give them a wash in warm soapy water and leave them to dry. Then, you can paint fun designs on them – anything from flowers to faces or just bright patterns. The next time you go for a walk, put the rocks back where you found them for someone else to find and enjoy!
Organise a scavenger hunt
This is a really great way for your children to engage with nature and to burn off some energy. Set a time limit and give your kids an item to find and bring back to you. The first one back with the correct item wins! During winter, you could ask them to search for an evergreen leaf, to create a bumpy bark rubbing or a funny shaped stick.
FA M I LY F I R S T - W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 / 21
23
