50 things to do

[paddywak]

I was reading in the Express today a list of things The National Trust would like kids to do before they're 12 and every thing on the list except geocaching (no sat navs in those days though I must admit I covered a lot of ground with my trusty compass and an OS map) were things kids just did as part of their normal day to day play activities. The kids these days might have computers and WiFi but they don't know what they're missing by not going out side every now and then.

[Arksided]

Health and safety. I didn't mind risking life and limb when I was a youngster Rock climbing, A bit of Orienteering its all gone amiss these days.

[NOX]

I'm very glad to say that my kids have already done all of those except 'bouldering' and 'geocacheing'- but they have freeclimbed just not officially over a crash mat so not sure it counts as bouldering.
Why the hell wouldn't most parents be doing these things with their kids- they're all free?

[boxtops]

have you got a link, paddy? it's be good to see what the 50 things are.

[NOX]

http://www.telegraph....-50-things-to-do.html

[AB Editor]

Think this is the link Boxy: http://www.express.co...o-do-before-you-re-12

I've not managed to find if there's an actual list as the express site is so amazingly poor and slow. I have no idea how they operate like that!

[Booldawg]

I suppose it all dependent on where you live. I can't see many kids living in Bermondsey ticking many of these off there list!

They did a piece on Radio 2 covering this article and the NT say that if a child has bonded with nature before they are 12 then its unlikely to ever happen. Not sure if that carrys any weight.

Having not seen the list I'm sure many of them I have partaken in growing up in rural Hampshire.

[boxtops]

Thanks, NOX and Ed!

[paddywak]

I was lucky in that even though I lived in a mining village it was only a five minute walk and we were "in the country" plus as Arksided said not only was there no H & S in those days but parents weren't afraid to let children play, my mum like most others would give me a pack of sandwiches, a bottle of water and a time to be back home and that would be it for the day. I know lots of things have changed making it unsafe for young children to play unsupervised like we could, but it does seem a shame that some kids just never get the chance to do these things even if it is under supervision.

[mccfluff]

out of that lot i think apart from geocaching i've done them all

would like to know what wild swimming is, i'm assuming in the sea or river rather than swimming pools

[ummmm]

I've done most of them, so have my kids.

[erin-x]

There's a few I haven't done. I don't like apples for one and have no idea what a grass trumpet is!! Lol!

[EvianBaby]

With my sisters three kids in mind who enjoy their screen time very much, I went through this list. I'd say they've done about 90% of that. But there are some pretty stupdi things on there really. Abseiling??? And what about if you don't happen to live near any water falls.

[mccfluff]

get a blade of grass hold it between your thumbs and blow through it, its makes a noise like a trumpet, sort of, kinda

[EvianBaby]

Actually, thinking about it they probably have done abseiling at some point at these advneture parks they go to.

[DTCwordfan]

just one and that was find a geocache - which I guess is a fancy orienteering (which I have done many times and even at night).

[B00]

Ahhh, that's a grass trumpet, i'd no idea either.

Mini Boo's 7 and done about a third of those, so not bad going I guess!

I'm baffled by 'visit an island'....like Corfu???

[erin-x]

Ahhright! I've done that lol!

I think it's a shame because a few of things on that list like abseiling and rafting, I did during a trip with the school to a brillant nature adventure place. The sad thing is that it was shutting due to funding issues. I don't know if it ever did :|

[fbg40]

Great ideas but I fear that "Mr Elf and Mr Safet" would put their oar in. We need H&S but not to the extremes that they are applying these days - not a lot of common sense within those walls methinks !!
FBG40