The Vyne National Trust, Basingstoke

A few years ago the National Trust started a campaign aimed at getting children outdoors – 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 3/4. We started working our way through the fifty things when Ameli was just two, using the online system. Last year we carried on with it and by the time she was four, she had ticked off 37 things! This year we decided to start from scratch and see how we could get on with it through the summer.

One of the benefits of following the #50things program is that as National Trust members, we get to visit a lot of properties around the area and find what they have earmarked that can be ticked off in their grounds – things like explore the inside of a tree, play Pooh sticks and so on, so it’s really useful, actually, and a cheap day out.

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If you’re following along with the #50things project, here’s a list of things you can tick off at The Vyne:

1. Climb a Tree

2. Roll down a really big hill (Hidden Realm)

4. Build a den

5. Skim a stone

6. Run around in the rain

9. Eat an apple straight from a tree (on selected days, I think!)

10. Play conkers

11. Make a trail with sticks

13. Make a mud pie (Hidden Realm)

14. Dam a stream (Hidden Realm)

16. Make a daisy chain

18. Create some wild art

19. Play pooh sticks

25. Make a grass trumpet

28. Climb a huge hill

31. Hunt for bugs

33. Catch a Falling leaf

44. Go bird watching

45. Find your way with a map and compass