Ready for a half term adventure?
Grab your coats and discover the excitement of the great outdoors with the help of the National Trust
COME rain or shine, February half term is a great opportunity to get outdoors with friends and family and blow some cobwebs away. It’s the time of year where you can almost feel winter is nearing its end, and if we’re lucky, we may be able to spot the very earliest signs of spring starting to come through.
The National Trust cares for places throughout the Midlands and the East of England, which offer a variety of activities that will keep you entertained and exercised.
Why not lace up your boots, wrap up warm and head out for a walk and embrace the outdoors?
From the heights of the Peak District to the coastlines of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, the National Trust offers some very special places that you can explore on foot. With tranquil woods, wide open fields and pebble beaches, there is sure to be something that appeals and meets your requirements.
Maybe try the Hardwick Estate, Derbyshire. It covers around 2,000 acres of parkland and includes a variety of habitats. Miles of walking routes explore the parkland, with woodland, ponds and far-reaching countryside views to enjoy along the way
Or possibly, Lyveden, where there’s bound to be something for you. Whether you want a short stroll around the grounds, or a longer walk along the Lyveden Way, a 10-mile waymarked path through sheltered woodland, open fields and pretty villages, there are plenty of ways to see more of the Northamptonshire countryside.
If you fancy exploring on two wheels instead, then go ahead. The National Trust offers a variety of routes that cater for all abilities desires, from mountain biking trails at Long Mynd in Shropshire for the more intrepid, through to family-friendly bike rides at many locations including Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, the oldest nature reserve in the Trust’s care. Enjoy an easy family ride to discover the wildlife in the wider reserve. You might be lucky enough to spot one of the Konik ponies along the way.
Here’s a tip, you can also hire bikes at Clumber Park, Calke Abbey, Ickworth and Wicken Fen, should you not fancy taking yours with you.
And if you’re looking to get your children closer to nature, then why not give some of the National Trust’s ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities a go? There’s plenty of outdoor activities you can do this February halfterm, even in your own garden.
Here are a few of our seasonal favourites:
GET TO KNOW A TREE
Sitting inside the hollow of a tree is pretty special. When trees lose their leaves you can fully appreciate the shape of their branches and the caverns that animals and little people can hide in.
GO WELLY WANDERING
Of course, it doesn’t have to be winter for it to rain, but it’s as good a time as any to enjoy this as one of your ‘50 things.’
Make sure you’ve got a warm (and waterproof ) coat though, or you’ll be soggy and cold, which isn’t as much fun. Splash through puddles and stomp in ditches as the rain falls all around you.
HAVE FUN WITH STICKS
Winter is a great time to complete this challenge: there are lots of sticks around and it’s easier to spot them on the ground. You can also complete some other ‘50 things’ with your sticks. You could use them to make a mud creaand
tion. Or maybe they’ll make the perfect Pooh sticks?
FIND WILD ANIMAL CLUES
It would be amazing to do this after it has snowed, but even if there isn’t any snow, tracking animals is another activity that works in the winter. Look for footprints in mud, soil and sand, or other signs such as droppings and see what clues you can discover.
PLAY AREAS
Why not lace up your boots, wrap up warm and head out for a walk and embrace the outdoors?
Many of the places the National Trust looks after have purposebuilt playgrounds and natural play areas where children can safely run around and let off steam. From the charity’s largest outdoor adventure playground at Belton House in Lincolnshire, to natural play areas like Calke Explore in Derbyshire, there are plenty of spaces where children can run wild. Natural play areas provide the perfect chance to revel in fresh air and get close to nature, all whilst having huge amounts of fun.
Visit Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire and build a den in the woods, climb the treehouse, create wild art or make your own adventure – the options are almost endless.
The purpose-built playgrounds offer great fun too. They provide all the play equipment you’d expect, swings, slides, climbing frames but in settings and styles that aren’t necessarily the norm. From an RAF themed playground at Croome in Worcestershire through to fortresses and castles, these places inspire play, fun and wonderment. Enjoy swings and balancing beams alongside woodland paths and natural play trails; there is sure to be something that will excite, entertain and exhaust the most energetic children. And, of course, the best way to finish off any day out is a visit to the tea-room.