50 Things To Do Before Children Are 11 3/4

[Guest LornaW]

Well done to the National Trust for highlighting the need for children to be outdoors! If you have a good outdoor area and if you use forest school you will be able to tick off a lot on this list for your children!

 

The list

1. Climb a tree

2. Roll down a really big hill

3. Camp out in the wild

4. Build a den

5. Skim a stone

6. Run around in the rain

7. Fly a kite

8. Catch a fish with a net

9. Eat an apple straight from a tree

10. Play conkers

11. Throw some snow

12. Hunt for treasure on the beach

13. Make a mud pie

14. Dam a stream

15. Go sledging

16. Bury someone in the sand

17. Set up a snail race

18. Balance on a fallen tree

19. Swing on a rope swing

20. Make a mud slide

21. Eat blackberries growing in the wild

22. Take a look inside a tree

23. Visit an island

24. Feel like you’re flying in the wind

25. Make a grass trumpet

26. Hunt for fossils and bones

27. Watch the sun wake up

28. Climb a huge hill

29. Get behind a waterfall

30. Feed a bird from your hand

31. Hunt for bugs

32. Find some frogspawn

33. Catch a butterfly in a net

34. Track wild animals

35. Discover what’s in a pond

36. Call an owl

37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool

38. Bring up a butterfly

39. Catch a crab

40. Go on a nature walk at night

41. Plant it, grow it, eat it

42. Go wild swimming

43. Go rafting

44. Light a fire without matches

45. Find your way with a map and compass

46. Try bouldering (rock climbing outdoors but with safety mats and short drops)

47. Cook on a campfire

48. Try abseiling

49. Find a geocache (use GPS and other navigational aides to locate hidden containers.)

50. Canoe down a river

 

How many can you tick off?

 

Lorna

[mps09]

I'm actully quite impressed with myself!! B)

 

My children aged 10(and 1 week) and 11 (and 37 weeks)!!!!!! have donw ALL THE THINGS on the list except these!!!!!!!

 

3. Camp out in the wild

8. Catch a fish with a net

17. Set up a snail race

20. make a mud slide

22. Take a look inside a tree

27. Watch the sun wake up

29. Get behind a waterfall

34. Track wild animals

40. Go on a nature walk at night

42. Go wild swimming

44. Light a fire without matches

46. Try bouldering (rock climbing outdoors but with safety mats and short drops)

47. Cook on a campfire

49. Find a geocache (use GPS and other navigational aides to locate hidden containers.

 

And now I have a challenge for them over the summer!!

 

What fun

[Froglet]

Really like this - reminds me of a similar 'list' that Persil did years ago where it was saying it was ok to get dirty - here's a link to a guardian article with the list in.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jul/05/helencarter

[apple]

ooh i did number 29 yesterday but I am just slightly older than 11 and 3/4

[Froglet]

Well done to the National Trust for highlighting the need for children to be outdoors! If you have a good outdoor area and if you use forest school you will be able to tick off a lot on this list for your children!

 

The list

1. Climb a tree

2. Roll down a really big hill

5. Skim a stone

8. Catch a fish with a net

10. Play conkers

12. Hunt for treasure on the beach

14. Dam a stream

19. Swing on a rope swing

20. Make a mud slide

25. Make a grass trumpet

26. Hunt for fossils and bones

29. Get behind a waterfall

30. Feed a bird from your hand

33. Catch a butterfly in a net

34. Track wild animals

36. Call an owl

38. Bring up a butterfly

40. Go on a nature walk at night

42. Go wild swimming

43. Go rafting

44. Light a fire without matches

46. Try bouldering (rock climbing outdoors but with safety mats and short drops)

48. Try abseiling

49. Find a geocache (use GPS and other navigational aides to locate hidden containers.)

50. Canoe down a river

 

How many can you tick off?

 

Lorna

 

Well, the ones above are the ones I haven't done - am quite embarrassed really! Although - I may be being too precise - I have canoed just not down a river (was dreadful at it and did rowing instead). I can't play conkers - again tried but no one in their right mind would let me near them again! As for skimming a stone... Not sure about number 25 - what is a grass trumpet?

[sunnyday]

My score is 43 - I seem to be lacking in the experiences that involve water - wild swimming, canoeing, rafting, island visiting, have never been behind a waterfall - I haven't abseiled -nor am I likely to and I haven't looked for a geocache - not sure there was any such thing when I was a child :blink:

 

I think my son's scores would be higher than mine - hmmm will have to test this out on the grandchildren :1b

Edited April 13, 2012 by sunnyday

[sunnyday]

Well, the ones above are the ones I haven't done - am quite embarrassed really! Although - I may be being too precise - I have canoed just not down a river (was dreadful at it and did rowing instead). I can't play conkers - again tried but no one in their right mind would let me near them again! As for skimming a stone... Not sure about number 25 - what is a grass trumpet?

 

Pop outside - pick a long blade of grass hold it between your thumbs and blow - there you go a grass trumpet - you can tick that now :1b

[Froglet]

Pop outside - pick a long blade of grass hold it between your thumbs and blow - there you go a grass trumpet - you can tick that now :1b

 

Oh I've done that - used to be really good at it in fact - sneaking up behind unsuspecting adults and giving them a minor heart attack with the unearthly noises I made! (with grass!)

[finleysmaid]

oxford and cambridge are really good at No 39!

[Guest tinkerbell]

I love most of the list and my 2 boys! (25 and 28 yrs old) would have done the list when they were young ,in fact they are living the list! one is a gamekeeper and the other is climbing rocks and living the outdoor dream in Canada as I type.

However not to put a damper on things the burying some one in the sand has to be treated with caution as there have been incidents of children being trapped and even dying whensand tunnels have collapsed on them.

Tinkerbellx

[Guest]

Ooh I love this list!!!

 

My kids are 6 and 4 and their to do list is as follows:

 

3. Camp out in the wild (we camp but not sure how 'wild' it means!)

5. Skim a stone

8. Catch a fish with a net

14. Dam a stream

17. Set up a snail race

20. Make a mud slide

23. Visit an island

25. Make a grass trumpet

27. Watch the sun wake up

29. Get behind a waterfall

30. Feed a bird from your hand

34. Track wild animals

36. Call an owl

40. Go on a nature walk at night

42. Go wild swimming

43. Go rafting

44. Light a fire without matches

46. Try bouldering (rock climbing outdoors but with safety mats and short drops)

47. Cook on a campfire

48. Try abseiling

50. Canoe down a river

 

I don't think that's bad for their tender years given that they are young and several of the above involve an element of danger.

 

I will keep a note of this list and hopefully tick them all off in the next 5-7 years!

 

Rachel

[finleysmaid]

ok children at pre-school have done these ones

1. Climb a tree

2. Roll down a really big hill

4. Build a den

6. Run around in the rain

7. Fly a kite

8. Catch a fish with a net (only a plastic one!!)

9. Eat an apple straight from a tree

11. Throw some snow

12. Hunt for treasure on the beach(sandpit!)

13. Make a mud pie

14. Dam a stream

15. Go sledging

16. Bury someone in the sand (again in the sandpit!)

17. Set up a snail race

18. Balance on a fallen tree

19. Swing on a rope swing

20. Make a mud slide

21. Eat blackberries growing in the wild (allotment)

22. Take a look inside a tree

23. Visit an island

24. Feel like you’re flying in the wind

25. Make a grass trumpet

28. Climb a huge hill (well quite big!)

30. Feed a bird from your hand (nearly!!)

31. Hunt for bugs

32. Find some frogspawn

34. Track wild animals

35. Discover what’s in a pond

37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool (made by me???)

38. Bring up a butterfly

41. Plant it, grow it, eat it

44. Light a fire without matches (next month!!)

47. Cook on a campfire

considering most of them are only 4 that's not bad is it!! not sure i can find a waterfall for them...but i'm a little bit smug that i've managed to do so much with them :rolleyes:

:wub:

[Rea]

I was going great guns up until no.27 and then I couldnt tick many. 27 is one I've wanted to do for ages though. Still have to do 29, though I have stood in one, 30, 33, 36, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50. But my lads have done just about all of them.

Isnt it a shame that a list needs to be compiled when it as all pretty natural to us?

[Upsy Daisy]

I'm feeling good now because my 9 year old has done 36 of them. She'll be doing as many of the remainder as we can manage this summer.

 

She's tried to master the grass trumpet and the owl call before so we've been spurred on to tick those off next.

 

Not sure how we'll manage the fire-lighting though!

 

I'm wondering how Happymaz would feel about adding camping out in the wild to her 50/50 list and taking my little one with her, just to kill two birds with one stone so to speak

[sunnyday]

Not sure how we'll manage the fire-lighting though!

 

 

With a magnifying glass and bright sunlight........

[finleysmaid]

With a magnifying glass and bright sunlight........

i have recently been on a bushcraft day...i got to light a fire with friction from a bow and drill ....and i did it ...fantastic...if you get a chance try it great fun

[Rea]

Oh yes, we've done that when we were young(er). I have a feeling it was unsupervised and probably dangerous but 'hey ho'

[Guest LornaW]

No surprise on early years so many folk are ticking off the list how many primary classes may be doing it?

 

Mindstretchers do a fire lighter page 25 of this catalogue http://www.mindstretchers.co.uk/catalogue.cfm they also have a fire bowl in there but just recently I have been lighting a small fire in a wok! £9.99 from M&S and it has worked perfectly and has a handle!

 

When I was in school we used to have a weekend sleepover for the Y2 children at the end of the year and during this we went on a night walk the children loved it! Unfortunately we were all so kn.. oops sorry tired! that we didn't wake in time to see the sunrise but have done this with my onw boys!

 

Still have to do the wild river swimming unless you can count swimming in the estuary at Seasalter!!!!

http://www.wildswimming.co.uk/wild-swimming-south.html

 

Lorna

[Gezabel]

My sons each score 47 out of 50

None of them have

made a grass trumpet

call an owl

find a geocache

 

I score slightly less with 45 as I have not done the three above and nor have I canoed down a river or gone abseiling!

Edited April 14, 2012 by Gezabel

[Upsy Daisy]

 

I score slightly less with 45 as I have not done the three above and nor have I canoed down a river or gone abseiling!

 

Can I recommend a nice Sunday afternoon canoeing down the Wye at Symonds Yat? We've done it with friends a few times and it the most sublime experience, even when it rained one day because the fish all started jumping around our canoe.

[Rea]

Can I recommend a nice Sunday afternoon canoeing down the Wye at Symonds Yat? We've done it with friends a few times and it the most sublime experience, even when it rained one day because the fish all started jumping around our canoe.

 

My eldest went there with Scouts, he had a great time. Hubby took me and its a lovely place :1b

[HappyMaz]

I'm wondering how Happymaz would feel about adding camping out in the wild to her 50/50 list and taking my little one with her, just to kill two birds with one stone so to speak

Well now there's a challenge. How are you defining 'wild'?

[Froglet]

Well now there's a challenge. How are you defining 'wild'?

 

To be honest - at the moment my back garden's pretty wild but I'm not sure it qualifies for the challenge!

[Upsy Daisy]

To be honest - at the moment my back garden's pretty wild but I'm not sure it qualifies for the challenge!

 

Somewhere that doesn't have a shower block? :huh:

[HappyMaz]

Somewhere that doesn't have a shower block? :huh:

And do you have a shower block in your garden, Upsy Daisy?

[Froglet]

Somewhere that doesn't have a shower block? :huh:

 

Well that's sorted then - I haven't even got a bird bath. I'll lock the back door and not let anyone in to use the 'facilities'! Wild camping available for all...

[lashes2508]

proud to say that both my children and myself have completed practically all the list- my son is 10 and 3 quarters and my daughter nearly 18 , both went to either cubs /scouts , my daughter sailed the med at 8 and my son just completed a residential with the ymca so competed a few more then . I did most as a child or when at college. The list is not as exciting or as challenging as i thought it would be but a reminder of the simpler things in life in a world of technology and often forgotten great outdoors.

We are going to an open day at the place where my son went its called Lambourne end in Essex, not sure how much i can participate in though as ankle not 100% better yet.

[Beau]

What a great list! I shall be getting my children to take a look at this when they get home from school to see how many they haven't completed. Only one of my children is still under 12 so its a bit late for the others but I'm fairly confident that there won't be many things they've 'missed out' on.

 

And at the grand old age of........well, age doesn't matter..........I can tick off 'Get behind a waterfall'.