A few years ago Ameli and I joined up with the 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 and 3/4 campaign from the National Trust because, well, I didn’t really know what to do to keep a toddler occupied! We ticked off maybe 10 things that first year, and last year another 20 or so. Ameli is now a little older and able to do a lot of the ‘things’ without my guidance or help, so I decided that we should start over again this year, and keep a proper record of it.
The National Trust have really gone to a lot of effort to encourage people outside and if I compare my first ever visit to a National Trust property back in 2003 to what they offer families today. Every visit to a property these days is fantastic, and we have a few favourites.
If you haven’t signed up to do 50 things yet, you can do so online, or you can pick up the free paper booklet and stickers at most properties. If you want a proper ‘memento’ you can also buy a hardback version of ‘My Adventure Scrapbook‘ for £6.99.
A particular thing I love about the 5o things is that you can make it what you want. It can be educational or fun, you can make a day, or a weekend out of it, or tick ten things off in a morning. It really can be whatever works for you. It certainly is for us!
There’s so much fun in these 50 things, I can’t wait to share them with you (the linked ones are ones we’ve done):
For Adventurers:
- Climb a tree
- Roll down a really big hill
- Camp out in the wild
- Build a den
- Skim a stone
- Run around in the rain
- Fly a kite
- Catch a fish with a net
- Eat an apple straight from a tree
- Play conkers
For Discoverers:
- Go on a really long bike ride
- Make a trail with sticks
- Make a mud pie
- Dam a stream
- Play in the snow
- Make a daisy chain
- Set up a snail race
- Create some wild art
- Play Pooh-sticks
- Jump over waves
For Rangers:
Pick blackberries growing in the wild- Explore inside a tree
- Visit a farm
- Go on a walk barefoot
- Make a grass trumpet
- Hunt for fossils and bones
- Go star gazing
- Climb a huge hill
- Explore a cave
- Hold a scary beast
For Trackers:
- Hunt for bugs
- Find some frogspawn
- Catch a falling leaf
- Track wild animals
- Discover what’s in a pond
- Make a home for a wild animal
- Check out the creatures in a rock pool
- Bring up a butterfly
- Catch a crab
- Go on a nature walk at night
For Explorers:
- Plant it, grow it, eat it
- Go swimming in the sea
- Build a raft
- Go bird watching
- Find your way with a map ad compass
- Try rock climbing
- Cook on a camp fire
- Learn to ride a horse
- Find a geocache
- Canoe down a river
So, it’s summer time, we have no schedules, we have no agendas and we’re going to see how far we can get in our #50things. Why not join us?
