It’s difficult to imagine a world without power.
Sure, there are plenty of TV shows that have tried to show what things would be like, but what if we just wanted to switch off for an evening or a weekend; leave our mobiles inside, and do something natural?
We all know that entertainment these days, particularly for children, is largely based around TV, games consoles and WiFi. So we thought we’d buck the trend, in the spirit of the upcoming ‘Big Green Weekend‘, and give you ten novel ideas for getting outside this weekend!
Petting park
Did you know there is likely to be a park with a petting zoo within 30 miles of you? Hop online, quickly before the power goes out, and search out your nearest petting zoo. Maybe you can take some carrots for the animals? • Lawn art! o Take an old sheet and pic it to the ground in the garden using old tent hooks. Then take out your poster paint and make a massive bit of garden art!
Have an alphabet treasure hunt
Set a time limit of sixty minutes and break into teams of two or more if you manage to rustle up a group! Then find an item for each letter of the alphabet. You could probably even do this in your back garden, using your kitchen to supplement your treasure if needed!
Night time bowling
Save up 14 old water bottles and then pop into your local party shop and buy a couple packs of glowsticks. Fill the bottles with water and then put a glowstick into each bottle. The bottles will light up – perfect for night time bowling!
When I was as school…
Teach your kids an old playground game from your youth. Do you remember drawing out hopscotch using chalk on a pavement? Skipping rope games at break time? Racecar tracks, again, using chalk?
Tree golf!
Take some old metal coat hangers and pull them into circle shapes and hang them from branches. Then, using old tennis balls, see how many ‘hole in ones’ you can get!
Bike routes
When was the last time you got the ole bikes out of the garage and went on a family bike ride? Maybe you could pack an autumnal themed picnic and make a day of it?
Orienteering / treasure map hunt
We know that geo cashing has taken off in a big way (geo caching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices) but what about getting back to the good old days of a map and compass? You could even hide treasure along key part of the route and let the kids take the lead in the hunt!
Nature trail
What about taking your Sunday walk to the next level and spotting local birds and other animals. Perhaps you could gather items such as acorns and make a nature table for show and tell!
Reading on the beach
If you’re lucky enough to live near a beach, why not read a book in the sand dunes through the afternoon. The sea air and peace can rest the soul.
Keep your eyes peeled for more information on our upcoming ‘Big Green Weekend 2013‘, taking place around the country.
