FITNESS & OUTDOORS

Enjoy the outdoors and get your fill of clean air with these outdoor pursuits, perfect for spending quality time with family and friends

Enjoy some time in the wild with three classic outdoors pursuits for the family

It might still be winter (just), but the outdoors still has plenty to offer you and your family in terms of adventure, and stargazing is an easy one to start with. While you can spot stars in your garden, it pays to get out of the city to minimise light pollution. Smartphone apps like SkyView are great fun here (the basic one is free, more advanced ones cost). Fire up the app and point it at a portion of the sky to identify constellations and planets.

Sustainable coastal and woodland foraging is another family friendly activity, with many companies running foraging courses to help you identify what is and isn’t safe to eat. Check out the National Trust’s Wild Food Foraging workshop (£20,

nationaltrust.org.uk) or Coastal Survival’s Seashore Foraging course (£54,

coastalsurvival.com).

Want something more active? Try sport climbing. While it isn’t suitable for the younger members of your family, it can be fun for the rest of you, depending on your level of mobility, and is arguably as risk-free as you can get on the outdoor climbing spectrum. In short, you clip your rope into an existing series of bolts, reducing the amount of equipment needed. Popular spots for sport climbing include Wyndcliff Quarry in the Wye Valley, and Dancing Ledge at Swanage.