Mini adventures (or 15 ways to get outside)
This time of year there are loads of blogs out about improving your life, changing your life,
making this your best year yet and all sorts of things like that. This one isn't. Maybe you are
happy enough as you are. Maybe just a little more adventure in your life would be nice
though. Or maybe you just fancy getting outside and doing something different.
image: children walking along lane in snow |
How often you want to go off on an adventure is really personal. You might be the sort of
person who likes to do things spur of the moment or you might be a planner. Some people
might want to write themselves a list of one thing a month for every month or some people
might pick out 12 or 24 ideas and put them in a jar to pick out at random.
Adventure is what we make it. This means that adventures can be really accessible. Leaves for
example are great for kicking in but they can also be wheeled through, looked at, brushed
over skin or crumbled in hands. Don't feel that it has to be strenuous or miles away or involve
special kit. Not everyone has the opportunities to 'go off and do things', adventures don't have to
mean travel or a big investment of time or money.
image: close up of different shaped brown leaves on ground |
So if you're keen to get planning for your next adventure, here are some ideas to get you
started:
1. Follow a walk along a river, a footpath or one of the national trails around the country. You
could use skate boards, scooters or anything else to make it more fun if anyone needs extra
persuasion.
image: 3 children walking away, holding skateboards |
2. How about fitting a walk into normal life. Once in a while walking home from school or work if you normally drive or going the scenic route back makes for a nice change.
image: 3 boys in school uniform on wooden bridge in woods |
3. Go outside to do homework. How about visiting a castle or going to see
tidal defences, it will stick in the mind so much more than just reading bout them. Little ones
just learning to read love the buzz of realising they can actually read signposts or numbers on
doors. The very littlest will love you pointing out 'their' letter on signs, man hole covers
and loads of other places when you're out and about.
4. Go to a new town or city or village or interesting place. You could stop off on your way
somewhere else, combine it with other things that need doing or make it into a road trip.
Just wander round, enjoy a coffee and admire the views. The pictures are of Portreath
Harbour in Cornwall and St James' priory, the oldest building in Bristol.
image: blue sea, breaking wave, shingle beach, cliffs behind |
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image: warm stone tower, blue sky behind |
5. Find a corner or park or even a road of your own town or city that you have never visited
before. Look out for interesting monuments that you walk past each day and have never
really stopped to look at properly. Or actually sit down with an ice cream or coffee
somewhere you think you are familiar with. You may be surprised. Picture of the Scott
memorial in Plymouth.
image: grand monument with winged being |
6. Visit a national park. Whether you fancy driving through a wilderness, parking and
enjoying a picnic or going on an all day hike the National Parks in Britain will have something
for you. Have you tried letterboxing on Dartmoor, bagging a Monroe or watching ponies in
the new Forest? Photos are of Dartmoor and Snowdonia.
image: 3 boys with backpacks on pathway through moorland |
image: green hills and blue water of mountainous landscape |
7. Get out on the water. Any chance to explore in a kayak, dinghy, speed boat or ferry is
always exciting. Looking at the coast from the other side gives you a different perspective.
If you don't have your own vessel a little bit of research will easily find training, hire and
other opportunities. How about a fishing trip with the chance to enjoy your catch for lunch
or trying stand up paddle boarding?
image: child adjusting sail in small dinghy |
8. Have a meal on a beach. There are loads of different options from a sandwich (bought or
home made), takeaway fish and chips, a barbecue with friends or try making a hot stew in a
straw box.
image: small dinghy nosed on to rocky foreshore |
9. Climb a mountain. This one does need preparation and some proper kit. You really need to do your research and make sure that you are fully prepared but the rewards are well worth the effort. There are lot of different routes of differing challenge depending on your ability and experience and Snowdon's summit can be reached by train. All the pictures are of Snowdon.
10. Rock pooling. Great for any time of year. Have you tried using small bits of ham as bait?
11. Beach clean. There are organised ones you can join (try searching on the internet) or you
can just go to the beach and pick up what you find.
12. Coasteering. This one takes more planning and experience too, lots of places around the
coast do supervised sessions. Start carefully, make sure you know the tides, have the right kit and make sure you do your research.
image:man in water between two towering rocks |
13. Look out for local events and get involved in something a bit different. Look on local facebook groups, adverts on notice boards or in the local paper. Small villages and big cities all do lots of different things throughout the year. The pictures below are from a pirate day in Plymouth and the annual charter day at Topsham, Devon with Town Criers competition.
image: 2 children dressed as pirates play fighting with swords |
image: parade of people dressed as town criers |
14. Charity trails. These are another good way of getting out somewhere you may not usually go. Many cities hold charity trails throughout the year. Bristol often does Aardman animation themed ones raising money for the cities children's hospital and Plymouth is hosting an Elmer trail this summer in aid of the local hospice.
image: sheep sculpture with suspension bridge in background |
15. Make a boat. This photo is quite old now but this was a very successful project. The children designed and built boats using things that were waiting to be recycled. They then launched and raced them in the sea. Just make sure that you collect all the bits and dispose of them properly once you've done. In case you wondered; we weren't being overprotective with the buoyancy aid, we travelled to the beach by canoe and he still had it on in this picture.
image: small child holding plastic boat |
These are just some ideas to get you thinking, make sure you plan and prepare properly for anything you do. Safety is important. Keeping track of your adventures is nice too. How about drawing a map, taking pictures, building a collection of postcards or a jar of shells.
What great and easy ideas! No need to crazy, just try something different! Love it! =)
ReplyDeleteThanks, different is good :)
DeleteWe like an adventure and love to get outside. There are so many ways to begin an adventure.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I think those home made gummy bears would be great to take along on an adventure!
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