Ideas to make walks more interesting

[ItsAllComingBackToMeNow]

So it looks like we’re going to be back to doing a lot of walks with the kids 😩(We’re in Scotland, schools closed until 18th Jan at least, which feels like a long way off). Got to try to make the best of it though so I’d like to think of things we can do on the walks/add to the walks to make them more interesting. So far I’ve got:

Scooters
Bikes
Picnic snacks
Binoculars and bird spotting book

Any other success stories?

We do the same game @jerble! Popular questions include things like, you can only play Roblox OR watch you tube for the rest of your life, or you have to give up chocolate OR sweets for good. My DC are 7&9 and not interested in things like scavenger hunts unfortunately.

They also love finding decent rope swings.

Spotter sheets like these www.treetoolsforschools.org.uk/activitymenu/?cat=plant_ticksheets

Special mention for poo identification sheet if you have kids like mine www.treetoolsforschools.org.uk/activities/pdfs/pdf_animal_poo_spotter_sheet.pdf

I have a scavenger hunt sheet that I laminated & cut up & put on a key ring about 2 kids ago & it still gets used.

Have torches & magnifying glass with you.

Orienteering- lots of free courses to print here www.britishorienteering.org.uk/pocs
(We do them once then do them backwards - mine are far better with map & compass now!)

For smalls go on a gruffalo hunt (log pile house etc) or “going on a bear hunt” is good (especially mud just now...)

These laminated field guides are great - the decision tree ones are particularly fun for kids broadoaknursery.co.uk/epages/4ef6688b-c941-491f-affb-d73c897dee9a.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/4ef6688b-c941-491f-affb-d73c897dee9a/Categories/37/32

Give them a map of somewhere & get them to work out the route at home then& guide you round it (they get to name the route)

Most of the longest walks we do are to get to really good climbing trees - mine will walk for hours to climb high but too sloppy just now.

Go in the dark with head torches

3 legged

Do you have an old camera or old phone?
We have photography competitions and always tell them about a really good picture they can get further on to keep them going

Brilliant ideas, thank you so much for this thread. The torch walk idea made me think, there’s also star apps. You point your phone at the sky and it tells you the names of the constellations. It’s dark so early here (north of Scotland!) that it would work late afternoon!

💗 to you all, what wonderful ideas. Hope it’s been useful to others too.

I remember as a child someone trying to teach my orienteering and I couldn’t understand it. I think now is time to face my fears!

Tree climbing
Litter picking
Delivering letters to distant friends
Mud stamping

We do the word association game (mallets mallet)
eg sky-cloud-fluffy-bunny-easter etc