The National Trust came up with a big list to get children off the sofa and out into the big outdoors. Given that Mark turned 12 today, I thought it might be a fun time to see what evidence we could find of the activities we've done. It has taken a very pleasureable age of trawling through the photo archives. Makes me want to be sure to photograph their childhoods at every single turn.
1. Climb a tree
2. Roll down a really big hill
3. Camp out in the wild
4. Build a den
5. Skim a stone
6. Run around in the rain
7. Fly a kite
8. Catch a fish with a net
9. Eat an apple straight from a tree
10. Play conkers
11. Throw some snow
12. Hunt for treasure on the beach
13. Make a mud pie
14. Dam a stream
15. Go sledging
16. Bury someone in the sand
17. Set up a snail race
18. Balance on a fallen tree
19. Swing on a rope swing
20. Make a mud slide
21. Eat blackberries growing in the wild
22. Take a look inside a tree
23. Visit an island
24. Feel like you're flying in the wind
25. Make a grass trumpet
26. Hunt for fossils and bones
27. Watch the sun wake up
28. Climb a huge hill
29. Get behind a waterfall
30. Feed a bird from your hand
31. Hunt for bugs
32. Find some frogspawn
33. Catch a butterfly in a net
34. Track wild animals
35. Discover what's in a pond
36. Call an owl
37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool
38. Bring up a butterfly
39. Catch a crab
40. Go on a nature walk at night
41. Plant it, grow it, eat it
42. Go wild swimming
43. Go rafting
44. Light a fire without matches
45. Find your way with a map and compass
46. Try bouldering
47. Cook on a campfire
48. Try abseiling
49. Find a geocache
50. Canoe down a river
And can I add an extra? Eat Nigella's Nutella Cheesecake in lieu of a birthday cake.
Awesome list... thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Debi | 01 October 2012 at 15:51
Wow. I've perused this list many times. Your lads have done so much of it. It's wonderful that you have a photographic record. Happy birthday to your eldest. What an excellent cake to have chosen x
Posted by: Emma | 01 October 2012 at 16:24
happy birthday to the eldest!
Mine turned 11 on Sunday and I'm pleased to say that he has done a considerable number of the things on the list- not sure I have as much photographic evidence as you do though.
Seems I have to get him behind a waterfall and wild swimming this year...
Posted by: janet clare | 01 October 2012 at 16:42
Happy Birthday Mark! You've done more in 12 years than I've done in 37! K x
Posted by: kristina | 01 October 2012 at 17:29
Happy birthday Mark. I'm quite surprised at how many of these I've done. Never really seen the appeal of mud pies mind you- sandcastles are much more satisfactory.
Posted by: Sue | 01 October 2012 at 18:42
Fab list and happy birthday to your son! I have pinned the list onto my Kids Activities pinboard as will be great to keep referring to!
Posted by: Katie | 02 October 2012 at 04:15
happy birthday Mark. it's such a great list isn't it. we found we couldnt tick off the butterfly ones, and that scouts had been very useful for some of the ticks!
Posted by: driftwood | 02 October 2012 at 10:56
oh happy birthday Mark!
my boys keep asking when can we meet again.. perhaps in half-term? Somewhere in the middle?
(next year is a 'teen'. Scary)
Posted by: monica | 02 October 2012 at 11:30
Wow -- what a lucky boy to have such an inspiring mother. I'm so impressed that you had photos of so many of those activities. Happy Birthday to your little cutie!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | 02 October 2012 at 13:13
Buon compleanno Mark! You've accomplished a lot out of that list!
Posted by: Paola | 02 October 2012 at 13:27
Goodness, what a lot of achievements, well done. And Happy Birthday too.
Posted by: Toffeeapple | 02 October 2012 at 17:31
Fantastic. That looks like such a fun childhood. And happy birthday.
Posted by: Megan | 03 October 2012 at 06:59
A belated Happy Birthday Mark. Looks like you've had some awesome times :D
I must look that NT list up and enjoy a happy hour ticking off the things we managed to do with our lot, all some while ago now, even the youngest has turned 20 (crumbs, writing that makes me feel ancient, I was practically a child bride, just saying).
Posted by: Annie @ knitsofacto | 03 October 2012 at 20:22
That was beautiful! Thank you for posting this.
Posted by: kristin | 04 October 2012 at 02:50