Climbing trees, building a den, hunting for bugs and going stargazing are among the ‘bucket list’ items that children should be ticking off - before they get to the age of 12.
The National Trust has listed 50 things for children to do before they’re 11 ¾. Among the other suggestions are finding frogspawn, going swimming in the sea and cooking on a campfire.
Some of the items hark back to the childhoods of the parents of today’s pre-teens, such as playing pooh sticks, while ‘rolling down a really big hill’ may be a preferred option for cash-pressed parents than ‘Learn to ride a horse’
And playing conkers, ‘hold a scary beast’ and ‘canoe down a river’ are suggestions which, in today’s more health and safety-conscious climate, may require some adult supervision.
The survey also found that nine in 10 parents would prefer their children to spend more time connecting with nature. Today’s youngsters spend around four hours a week playing outside - half the amount of time outdoors that their parents did. However, 83 per cent of mothers and fathers did believe that it was important that their offspring learned to use technology.
National Trust ranger Ed Anderson said: “This summer, we want to inspire kids and families all over the country to get outdoors, grab their perfect stick and kick start their story with nature.
“With the natural environment under pressure, we hope that instilling a love for nature in our children now will help us encourage them to continue to protect the beauty of the great outdoors for years and generations to come.”
50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4
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.Go on a really long bike ride
12.Make a trail with sticks
13.Make a mud pie
14.Dam a stream
15.Play in the snow
16.Make a daisy chain
17.Set up a snail race
18.Create some wild art
19.Play pooh sticks
20.Jump over waves
21.Pick blackberries growing in the wild
22.Explore inside a tree
23.Visit a farm
24.Go on a walk barefoot
25.Make a grass trumpet
26.Hunt for fossils and bones
27.Go star gazing
28.Climb a huge hill
29.Explore a cave
30.Hold a scary beast
31.Hunt for bugs
32.Find some frogspawn
33.Catch a falling leaf
34.Track wild animals
35.Discover what’s in a pond
36.Make a home for a wild animal
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 swimming in the sea
43.Build a raft
44.Go bird watching
45.Find your way with a map and compass
46.Try rock climbing
47.Cook on a campfire
48.Learn to ride a horse
49.Find a geocache
50.Canoe down a river
More at www.50things.org.uk