50 things for kids to do during caravanning bank holiday weekend

The final bank holiday of the year is upon us and no doubt you’re planning on heading off for what could be the last getaway of the Summer. Your kids have been bundled in the back seat and you’re ready to go.

All that remains now is to shoot off along that long and winding road to your destination of choice. But children are restless beings and after the initial excitement of being somewhere new. What’s to do?

The usual board games have been done to death, the Wii console has been left back at the ranch and near-6 weeks off school means the DS has been played to death. It’s time to think outside the box, get back to what it was like in days gone by and utilise your natural surroundings of the campsite and outdoors.

The National Trust recently ran a poll of 1,700 children and asked them to vote for their favourite outdoors holiday activities. So if you’re looking for some inspiration on how to keep your offspring amused then read on for the 50 things to do before you’re 11 and three quarters*.

*If you’re older than this then don’t let this stop you either!

• Climb a tree
• Camp out in the wild
• Build a den
• Skim a stone
• Run around in the rain
• Fly a kite
• Catch a fish with a net
• Eat an apple off the tree
• Play conkers
• Go on a really long bike ride
• Make a trail with sticks
• Make a mud pie
• Dam a stream
• Play in the snow (you might have some trouble in the Summer with this one, mind you, this is British weather…)
• Make a daisy chain
• Set up a snail race
• Create some wild art
• Play Pooh Sticks
• Jump over waves
• Pick wild blackberries
• Explore inside a tree
• Visit a farm
• Go on a barefoot walk
• Make a grass trumpet
• Hunt for fossils
• Star gaze
• Climb a huge hill
• Roll down  really big hill
• Explore a cave
• Hold a scary beast (spiders, etc)
• Hunt for bugs
• Find frogspawn
• Catch a falling leaf
• Track wild animals
• Discover what’s in a pond
• Make a wild animal home (more spiders)
• Go rock pooling
• Bring up a butterfly
• Catch a crab
• Go on a night nature walk
• Plant something, grow it and eat it (this takes time… maybe start now and finish next year?)
• Swim in the sea
• Build a raft (and stay safe when using it!)
• Go bird watching
• Find your way with a map and compass
• Rock climb (under supervision)
• Cook on a campfire (also under supervision)
• Go horse riding
• Find a geocache
• Go river canoeing/kayking

And if you’re feeling really brave, you can download the whole check list from the National Trust website and do the lot in one weekend!

There are of course plenty more things that you can get up to while away on your annual caravanning holiday. With a little imagination who knows what adventures you and your kids will have. Enjoy the bank holiday!