Tell us your thoughts on connecting with other families for outdoor activities - £100 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Like us, we're sure that the majority of you are relieved to see the end of the cold, dark, and wet months of winter (although it doesn’t quite feel like it yet!) and are welcoming spring and summer with open arms. The arrival of warmer days, bright mornings and longer evenings for many of us means it’s time to get outdoors with the family.

Here at MNHQ we would love to find out your thoughts on being able to connect with other families for shared and group outdoor activities such as: organised walks, visits to nature trails and areas of outstanding natural beauty, and other fun stuff for parents and kids to do together.

What sort of activities would make you consider joining an outdoor network with other families? Would you like to be able to connect with families in your local area or from further afield? Perhaps you have ideas of how this network could be run/organised? Are you already part of a group of families that organise outdoor activities together? If so tell us about it!

Whatever your thoughts are about connecting with other families do to outdoor activities, please comment on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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Absolutely wonderful idea. I would definitely get involved if it was done locally to me. Woodland walks or outside crafts would be great. Anything that gets children out and about is a good idea!

We love getting outside, and it would be great to connect with other families who cycle with kids as ds loves riding with others. But alas, living in a more rural area it's very hard to find others locally.

We often send out a message in our whatsapp group of school mums on any given nice, sunny day....to meet up at the local park armed with picnics, footballs, kites etc ...whoever is available turns up - there are sometimes around 20 of us, sometimes only two families but the children all know each other, as do we, so it becomes an easy way to socialise with no pressure to turn up. Works for us!

Dog walks and picnics with neighbours who have kids too

I have friends that meet up on a casual basis I have try to set something up but it didnt get off the ground. i think a meet up groups for families would be great

We love meeting up with family and friends usually going to the park or walks Im not really fussed just standing around talking id rather go for a walk together or do some sort of activity. When we get together with the family at the beach we'll do long jump or have a stone skimming competition or do a scavenger hunt in the forest.

I think this sounds a great idea. Treasure hunts and orienteering type activities would appeal to us.

We like to get away for a few days with friends, either camping or in static caravans. It's a great way to catch up with friends we don't get to see very often.

I'd love the chance to get out with more people locally, so some sort of organised activity would be fun. The Tour De Yorkshire recently came through our village and it was a great atmosphere, so more events would be great.

A group cricket/ rounders game with -picnic

I quite enjoy it if we just happen meet friends when we are out and end up doing something together but I'm not keen on making arrangements to meet outdoors. I prefer to make my own plans but always happy to include an extra child.

Pre-planned events are always best and we have really seen the benefit of improved confidence with our little one.

already go do stuff with family and friends . we also go out with an away days with local walking club which is very inclusive .

I'd love to connect with local families for trips to the marshes and forest near us. I have only one child and we can't always find friends for the trips we want to do. Also, I'd feel safer, e.g. in the forest, in a bigger group. There are lots of activities going on around here that we can join in with but it would be brilliant to have a group to organise our own excursions with.

It's always fun to meet up with my friends families for a day outdoors - that way, there's enough for a game of rounders! However it doesn't get to happen often, and local groups to meet new families would definitely help.

ok if well organised but could become a pain

Great if you are moving to a new area. But I am quite shy and this is not for me.

I think hikes and camping would be Great!

I think a camping trip where everyone packs an activity, cricket, badminton, skittles (anything really) it would encourage us to try new things perhaps.

We live on the South Coast so if we have a sunny day coming up we text friends to meet up at the beach, it works well as we just say if your free join us no pressure and often they turn out to be the best days. the children love it when friends turn up and the adults love a picnic and a chat on the beach

We will often meet up with other families to have a games day in the park where we play things like rounders and duck duck goose. Games that we couldn't play without a lot of people.

luckily we have a big park nearby and we always catch up with other families

Family time is very important and its great for kids to spend time with other family members too, a time to make memories and socialise

Love getting out with my sister and her family, hopefully as they grow up the cousins will be quite close. Plus they knacker each other out

I think a nature trail would be a nice activity and that you could take a picnic, would welcome mine meeting children from outside their school and I'd welcome meeting mums not from there too!

I prefer to include my children in organised multi activity groups.