Raring2go! Gulidford

Raring2go! THE AMBLING PATH 16 We are The Ambling Path, and as often as we can, our family likes to get outdoors and explore the countryside. Along with our daughters, 4 and 7, we have discovered over a hundred family friendly walking trails in Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Through our social media accounts, we share detailed guides of the routes, as well as ideas to encourage children to get out walking. Here are a few of our favourite activities that will turn any walk into an ambling adventure: Journey Sticks Next time your children find a long stick, why not make it into a journey stick? Our children choose items to collect from each stage of a walk. These might be feathers, grasses, shells, leaves, wildflowers, or seeds. We wind coloured wool around to attach them to our stick in the order that they were found. At the end of the walk, children can use it to retell the story of their journey. Matchbox Challenge Save your matchboxes and turn them into tiny treasure troves! The challenge is simple. If it can fit into your box, collect it! We like to compete to see who can find the most objects to squeeze in by the end of the walk. Sticky Bracelets Cut a piece of paper in a strip and wrap around the wrist like a bangle. Attach a piece of double-sided sticky tape and you are ready to decorate with all the prettiest things nature has to offer. In the Autumn, you could adapt the idea by making a band around the head and adding golden leaves to make crowns. Sailing Boats We love to walk by water and a ‘boat’ can be as simple as racing a twig or leaf downstream, to creating a raft out of a collection of twigs and string wound together. We have even used our origami skills to fold boats out of pieces of paper. Scavenger Hunts Grab a clipboard and prepare a page of things for children to look out for and tick off. This could be a list of items which you can adapt to the season or location, or you could try themes such as nature adjectives (find something spiky, smooth, damp, soft), colours, sounds or species of trees and flowers. Have fun and follow us to see where the ambling path takes us next! Instagram @the_ambling_path Facebook @theamblingpath THE AMBLING PATH…. Do you need some tips for getting your kids out on a walk and getting them to love and explore the great outdoors? We spoke to Sally, the inspirational Mum behind The Ambling Path to get her top tips…