15 October, 2021
The woods are our playground; sticks, berries, leaves, sycamore helicopters, pine cones and conkers provide the perfect ingredients for a season of outdoor fun and adventure. Here are our top 5 activities to get your young people outside and active over the coming months.
Dens come in all shapes and sizes, but they all start with a good tree. You are looking for one with a natural fork in the lower branches, a long sturdy horizontal branch or lots of knobbly nooks and crannies to balance your sticks against. Use the trees branches and search for some long, sturdy sticks [don’t break any branches off living trees] to create the frame for your den and start building. Make sure they are well wedged in so they don’t topple over when you get in and weave the more bendy sticks in between to create cover and walls.
Take a minute to stand outside in the autumn and think about all the different colours, shapes and textures that you can see around you. Use your environment to inspire a piece of natural art. Make patterns using different coloured leaves and take a photo of your handiwork so you have a permanent reminder.
Have fun with the piles of leaves which are falling at the moment and take Hide and Seek to the next level. Go undercover - get really well hidden and camouflaged outside in a natural place and challenge a family member or friend to come and find you.
Who can resist picking up a stick when you’re out for a walk? Woodland walks are so much more enjoyable when there is a purpose behind them, so put those collected sticks to good use by building mini rafts and racing them in a nearby stream or a big puddle left after those autumnal rainy days.
A campfire warms your soul and your fingers on a crisp autumn evening. Nothing beats sitting round a fire sharing stories, toasting marshmallows or simply staring into the flames.
This article is provided by The Youth Adventure Trust, our charity partner. The Youth Adventure Trust believes that vulnerable young people should be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential and be able to lead positive lives in the future.
Our aim is to inspire these young people to:
We do this by providing a long term outdoor adventure programme and mentoring scheme which young people can access between the ages of 11 and 16.
To help support the charity and our future generations, you can find out more about them here.
Outside & Active is the home for those who love the outdoors. Our mission is to inspire, inform and educate people about being active outdoors in a fun, safe and sustainable way. We provide inspiration, kit, tech and advice on adventure, camping, climbing, cycling, hiking, running water and winter.
Most recent articles by Outside & Active
The team from Revive Active tell us all about CoQ10, something you may never have heard of, and how it could benefit your running fitness.
Britain’s walking charity the Ramblers is calling on the UK government to remove all unnecessary barriers within the next five years. Shining a spotlight on the path barriers faced by those with disabilities or limited mobility, the walking charity’s goal is to see improvements to the path network to make access to nature more inclusive for all.
Did you miss out on attending this year's National Outdoor Expo? Or simply feeling the blues from the show and want even more EXCLUSIVE content? The National Outdoor PodShow is the one-stop-shop for those who love the outdoors.
Most recent articles in CAMPING
Camping is a joy for many people. People not only camp in the woods but in deserts, jungles, and mountains. They camp not only during mild weather but in the winter when the ground is blanketed with snow and the air temperatures are bitter. Because people camp in so many climates and environments, one thing to know when it comes to camping is what to wear. Here are some tips.
Tom Backhouse offers five tips for accessible outdoor adventures, for all
Living out of a rucksack can drive you mad – it’s the constant rummaging and looking for stuff that will drive you nuts. It's not just what you pack but how you pack, having the right items in your rucksack can make all the difference to keeping your warm, fed, healthy and happy. Here is your checklist of 10 essential items that should find a place in every adventurer's backpack.