Saga Magazine – August 2018

46 SAGA.CO.UK/AUG-MAG I^2018

Gardening is

a brilliant way to

get kids outside.

They can help

with watering

and picking

Home and garden

make a fire safely and cook on it. Best of

all, the kids enjoy it – food really does taste

better outdoors!’

Take the same approach at the beach by

seeing what ‘treasure’ you can find. If there

are larger, flat stones around, it’s fun to make

faces by putting shells, stones and seaweed

on them for their eyes, nose and hair, etc.

In the city, there’s lots to do in the park

beyond slides and swings. ‘Go on expeditions

to examine flowers and insects – or to

identify birds and their songs,’ says Sophie

Bolt. Go on a leaf hunt, looking for different

shapes and sizes to take home and do leaf

rubbings. Or take paper and crayons with

you and do it on the spot.

Walk this way

As adults, we often enjoy the simple

pleasure of a walk through the countryside

or along the coast, but this is usually

something we’ve grown to love. If the

younger members of your family are

reluctant to join you for walks, it’s time to

rebrand the concept!

The Wild Network, a not-for-profit

organisation with a mission to ‘re-wild

childhood’, has plenty of ideas to disguise

a boring old walk. Instead, tell the children

you’re going on a ‘blindfold tour’ and take

it in turns to be blindfolded and discover

more through your other senses – what can

you feel, touch and smell? Its ‘journey stick’

game involves finding a stick and tying to it

all the items that you find during a stroll

• feathers, leaves, moss and the like.
  ‘On walks, we liven things up by leaving
  little arrows made out of twigs on the
  ground for those lagging behind to follow,’
  says Anne Read. ‘It’s fun to lead them to
  a place where we’re hiding and then jump
  out and surprise them!’

Older children and teenagers

It might take different measures to get more

‘mature’ kids outside. ‘Try encouraging

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