20 adventures every child should experience before they're 16

[nappyaddict]

Which ones have your children done? Which ones did you do before you were 16 and which ones have you done since?

1 Make a natural shelter and sleep in it - make a den from wood and leaves and sleep under the stars.

2 Cook on an open fire - toast marshmallows, bake potatoes and enjoy an outdoor bonfire feast.

3 Make a go-kart - and then test drive it!

4 Use a sharp knife - teach children how to handle a sharp knife carefully and safely. Teach them how to handle it correctly. Try whittling sticks from the age of 6 onwards.

5 Climb a tree - something we all used to do as a child but our children perhaps do less often. Let them clamber!

6 Make a mud pie - all kids LOVE mud - make a muddy corner of the garden for them to squelch, squish and play in.

7 Get soaked to the skin - obviously not in freezing weather! But it feels so fab to really get soaked to the skin.

8 Dam a stream - pick stones and pebbles and sticks and mud to dam a stream.

9 Read a map - whether it's orienteering, a road map or a simple drawn map - let them find their way.

10 Track a wild animal - Early morning and early evening are the best times to try to follow animal tracks.

11 Climb a mountain

12 Skinny-dipping/wild swimming

13 A bonding weekend with one parent

14 Learn basic first aid

15 Learn to sail

16 Build something out of wood

17 Grow your own dinner - start with herbs and easy things like tomatoes and cucumber. Grow carrots, potatoes and berries...

18 A night picnic - Darkness can make the most otherwise mundane activities exciting

19 Learn to walk a tightrope - start with a kerb then try a low rope

20 Make a Mentos and Coke rocket - unleash the scientist in your children.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

Great list! My 10yo DD is permanently up a tree and it depresses me how few of her friends seem to have the slightest clue how to follow her. She has done 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 16 & 17 and I'm going to keep this list for inspiration.

DD2 is much less adventurous by nature, which is interesting. We can take both children out into the woods or a remote campsite and DD1 will be drawn to the mud/trees/fire/sharp implements, whereas DD2 is more likely to make a dolly out of a pine cone and find somewhere comfy to nurse it .

We went on a night time walk as a family, to find glow-worms ... and found some, which was pretty cool!

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

They climb trees.

They wild swim.

They will learn to sail before they are 16.

In fact the only thing they may not do is climb a mountain.

[soontobeslendergirl]

With the exception of No 19 my two have done all of those and are 11 & 12 - They have done High Ropes courses so probably have done a tightrope of sorts too I guess - thank god for Scouts!!

[TheWave]

I like the climbing a mountain and a tree ones, and the map-reading one.

Duke of Edinburgh is good for making them do some of this, such as the First Aid etc.

Also, what about more cultured adventurous stuff? In no particular order and made age appropriate of course...

1. Have tried a musical instrument properly.
   
2. Be able to eat food from different cultures in restaurants etc.
   
3. Have watched the news regularly and is able to discuss themes.
   
4. Attended a big concert - classical and/or pop.
   
5. Read a Saturday/Sunday paper.
   
6. Attended a big sporting event - maybe not just football, but athletics, tennis, etc.
   
7. Been to a play (not a musical or a panto).
   
8. Learned to sit still and watch something without snacking/slurping until the interval.
   
9. Been responsible for teaching younger children a skill/babysitting.
   

10. Really learned to enjoy views - sunsets, the Thames, et.c

[TheWave]

Sorry being dippy as picked this off the active threads, just realised you did post in "the great outdoors"

So just number 10 from my list then

[MaureenMLove]

I think DD (17) has done pretty much all of those on both lists. Again, thank god for Guides/Scouts! And DH, who thinks he's Ray Mears!

[TheNurseryCryme]

10,11,13,15,19 still to do.
Not bad though I think given they are 5+6.
Will be climbing a mountain real soon I hope.

[soontobeslendergirl]

And DH, who thinks he's Ray Mears!

My 12 year old thinks he is Bear Grylls :o

He now has half the street sitting out on camping stools whittling sticks and making bows and arrows!

[Schooldidi]

Dd1 has done most of those I think. She's 13 and we have been heavily involved in Rainbows/Brownies/Guides since she was tiny. She came on Guide camp for the first time at 18 months.

I think I did all of them by the time I was 16, again Guides was a really positive influence on my adventuring skills.

[TheNurseryCryme]

Can I add a couple more?
21 Skim stones

22 Build an ice hole or igloo or a least make a snowman

23 Catch a fish and gut it and eat it, or at least in fishing with a net for Minnows or crabs

[reddaisy]

Oooh love this thread and I agree with the cultural ones as well.

[mercibucket]

Urgh, that list makes me shudder. I am obviously no great outdoors person!
I've done, maybe half? Kids maybe half of them too. Getting soaked to the skin is horrible. Bivouacing is horrible. Map reading is stressful. Go kart???!!?? Growing your own dinner is a bit of a cop out as well - killing your own dinner, then preparing it and cooking it, seems more bear grylls. Mine can all fish, or skin rabbits/pheasants (but you wouldn't catch them setting traps for brer rabbit)

[mercibucket]

Urgh, that list makes me shudder. I am obviously no great outdoors person!
I've done, maybe half? Kids maybe half of them too. Getting soaked to the skin is horrible. Bivouacing is horrible. Map reading is stressful. Go kart???!!?? Growing your own dinner is a bit of a cop out as well - killing your own dinner, then preparing it and cooking it, seems more bear grylls. Mine can all fish, or skin rabbits/pheasants (but you wouldn't catch them setting traps for brer rabbit)

[bruffin]

At 16 my DS walked to my Mum's with 2 mates. It was 70 odd miles and took 3 days. They loved it and my mum ended up with 3 smelly boys on her doorstep. They booked a campsite one night but wild camped second night.
He has done most of the others through scouts and D of E.

[sydlexic]

DS can read a map and do first aid, he is 12 and is the most cautious person in the world.

[bruffin]

DS just did it for a laugh Maryz, but being good scouts they prepared well. They even made friends with a dog on the way.
He wished he had done it for charity afterwards.
They were planning to walk to other nans this summer which is 200 miles, but now thinking of 3 peaks instead.

[borninastorm]

Both my teenagers have done all the outdoors list thank you to Cubs and Scouts. DD was the first girl member of Cubs in our village and was v proud of this, she mucked in with everything and loved it.

They've also both done most of the cultural list except I'm unsure that DS1 has read a Sunday newspaper as he's not one for reading anything!

DS2 is too young yet at 3 but he'll definately be following in his older siblings footsteps.

[Startail]

DD1 (15) has done a lot of both list. I wouldn't fancy go carting on our lane and small child teaching is her younger sisters department (on day DD2 will earn her living teaching I'm sure).

Also she will never play an instrument well, she's tried, but she sing to exam standard.

As for wild swimming, getting soaked and climbing trees I can't elaborate as her antics are too well known.

[bruffin]

I must confess although DS is very outdoorsie as described above.my Dd 15 is not. Like Maryz Dd she was the first girl cub and camped etc with cubs and scouts and is doing D of E with school. She does a lot better on the other lists, but then DS ticks most of those boxes as well.

[bruffin]

Can i just say how wonderful scouts and guides are for that independence and sense of adventure.

[Bearandcub]

I did all of them before 16, except climb a mountain. Never been never a mountain really and I'm close to 40.

I would let DS's do all of them. DS1 is nearly 3 and Iwas trying to show him yesterday how to climb a tree, principally to rescue the cat.