It’s time to get out and about, but the local park can only keep the kids occupied for so long. Here are a few ideas.
The days are longer and the sun – if not exactly blazing down – is at least peeking out from behind the clouds. I start to get a bit twitchy at this time of year. After a winter stuck largely inside, I get a yearning to get the kids out in the open air.
(Full disclosure – the kids would be happy to stay in darkened rooms staring at laptop or Xbox screen. But I am willing to take their abuse as I drag them into a whole new 4D environment – the real world!)
The questions is, what to do? The local park and a walk in the woods are always reliable choices, but sometimes it’s nice to do something a bit different. With that in mind, here are five options that should keep you busy for a while.
Geocaching – a good walk with added treasure
The older I get, the more I appreciate the simple pleasure of a good walk. The older the kids get, the more walks have become “boring”, “lame” and (worst of all) “for old people like you”. Geocaching takes a good walk and makes it kid-friendly, by adding an element of high tech adventure. Just download the (free) app and head off on a real world digital treasure hunt, aided by your devices’ GPS.
As DaddiLife reader Darius says: “It’s a great way to explore new places and it doesn’t cost a penny for the free version. My son calls it hunting for treasure.”
Outside in art activities
The kids want to run around in the open air, and you’d like a taste of culture. Impossible, right? Wrong. There are plenty of locations around the UK that offer culture in the open air. Our favourite is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, an otherworldly environment of giant sculptures set against rolling Yorkshire landscape.
There are plenty of other options. Think about the Spa Trail in Lincolnshire, the interactive sculpture trail in Pendle, Lancashire, and Anthony Gormley’s haunting Another Place sculptures on Crosby Beach in Merseyside. That’s just for starters.
Go for a (park) run
Are we kidding? We are not. Let’s face it, after a long winter, both you and the kids could probably do with a bit of healthy exercise. Parkrun orgainses free weekly 5k running events around the UK, and Junior Parkrun is a 2k event for children aged between 4 and 14. These events are for all abilities and you can take as long as you like to complete the course. It doesn’t matter whether you’re running for the first time or aiming for Olympic gold in a couple of years time, you’ll be welcome at Parkrun. It’s a great way to get fit for all the family.
Easter egg hunts
Grab this fab outdoor activity while you can. As everyone knows, the Easter bunny only organises his amazing Easter egg hunts during the Easter holidays (and sometimes only for the long Easter weekend). Happily, he tends to set them in some of the UK’s most breathtaking outdoor spaces.
Great Easter events this year include Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Burton Agnes Hall in East Yorkshire, and Oxwich Castle near Swansea in South Wales.
Get in the garden
You’ll probably want to get out in the garden yourself after it wakes from months of winter slumber. You can get the kids involved by giving them their own small patch to cultivate. Let them decide on the layout, the flowers (or vegetables) they want to plant, and then let them at it (with your help and advice, should they need it). Gardening not only gets them out and about in the fresh air, it’s also rewards patience and care. If you don’t have a garden, a window box or an indoor space will do just as well. If you want to really get them moving (and tired out), try a small bouncy castle too!
Here are some more tips on having fun in the great outdoors.
