5 free things to do outside this weekend

5 free things to do outside this weekend

I love this time of year. It’s the perfect time to head outdoors, the days are still long, there’s (sometimes) bright sunny days to enjoy and there’s no wasps! (That last one might not be strictly true-I once got stung by a wasp in December.) The air may be a little cooler and there might be a bit more mud around, but that’s nothing a jumper and a pair of wellies can’t solve! So here’s a few ideas for things that the whole family can do outside this weekend that don’t cost a penny.

Foraging

Why not head out for a walk and pick some blackberries on your way? Exercise, fresh air and free food; what’s not to love? This week I went to the small village where my mum was born to grab some berries to go with the apples she’d brought from her orchard. (I’ll try not to overdo the annoyingly smug instagram pics of my baking in the days to come!)

I headed out this week and managed to find blackberries, plums, sloes and apples

I headed out this week and managed to find blackberries, plums, sloes and apples

Poohsticks

I only very recently discovered that Poohsticks was devised by A. A. Milne and is so named after Winnie the Pooh. I guess it was obvious really! Anyway, it’ s a great time of year to give it a go. You just need some gently flowing water, a bridge and sticks. Visit England has drawn up a rather lovely map of the best bridges to play poohsticks, but why not head out and find your own?

Geocaching

Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt? Whilst not wanting to wish his life away, I am very excited about taking the baby geocaching when he’ s a bit older. I’m by no means an expert, but it’s so easy to get started. Simply register at geocaching.com and download the app. I was very excited to spot several caches within walking distance of my house and I can’t wait to get properly stuck in.  It’s a great way to keep children (and overgrown children) interested on walks

Parkrun

I’ve posted before about parkrun, but it’s such a fantastic organisation that I’ve got to mention it again. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a free activity on such a large scale that is so well run, so welcoming and so accessible. I am also feeling the parkrun love at the moment as I’ve got my running mojo back (and so far have managed to knock a few minutes off my time). I also plan to volunteer a couple of times in the next few months to repay my debt of gratitude.

Join the Big Pathwatch

This summer The Ramblers launched an ambitious project to survey the footpaths of England and Wales. Up until 31st December anyone can take part in The Big Pathwatch by ‘adopting’ map squares and walking the footpaths within those squares. Then, by using the official app or the web version, you can report issues with those paths (such as broken gates or flooded paths) so they can be addressed. They are also keen to celebrate positive aspects as well, like beautiful views or diverse flora and fauna. It is a massive undertaking which will hopefully help to protect our rights of way for future generations. There are also lots of ideas and activity sheets to get children involved on the website.

Why not join in with the Big Pathwatch and explore your local footpaths

Why not join in with the Big Pathwatch and explore your local footpaths

What is your favourite free outdoor activity? I’d love to hear your ideas for getting out and not spending a penny (so to speak!)

 

Mums' Days
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Comments

  • larabeeuk larabeeuk September 11, at 08:44

    Great list! I think we all need to be reminded of the free things we can do for fun! #thelist

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 11, at 09:53

      Thanks! I agree, there’s so many awesome free things to do outside. We’d need never be bored! #TheList

      Reply
  • Sara Handy Herbs Sara Handy Herbs September 11, at 09:44

    Fab ideas. Love children being outdoors and great for us adults too. Had not heard of Parkrun but looks like a good initiative. I wish these kinds of activities were promoted more. Thanks for sharing #TheList

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 11, at 09:55

      Thanks for your comment. Parkrun is amazing, I’m trying to promote it at every opportunity! #TheList

      Reply
  • janettedavey janettedavey September 11, at 13:07

    Great ideas. Only done foraging and pooh sticks – both of which I love – so will have to give the others a go 🙂

    Reply
  • Lukeosaurus And Me Lukeosaurus And Me September 11, at 22:32

    What a fab list! We are big foraging fans over here – once my dad had me hanging over a bridge over a bypass to collect apples…but it was worth it! We can’t wait to go and pick blackberries; I’m upset we still haven’t had the chance” Geochacing is such fun, but I doubt my 2 year old would appreciate it! Pooh Sticks, on the other hand! Great fun, no matter the weather! Ray xx #TheList

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 14, at 15:40

      You can’t let a haul of lovely apples (or anything really) go unpicked-even it involves some acrobatics! Thank you for your great comments 🙂

      Reply
  • Cindy (@piccoloexplorer) Cindy (@piccoloexplorer) September 11, at 22:52

    Great list! I’ve been meaning to try geocaching, it sounds intriguing! Definitely something I’m looking forward to trying when my son is older.

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 14, at 15:41

      Ah thanks! I’m only a beginner but geocaching is very addictive, it’ll be even more fun when our 8 month old can join in 🙂

      Reply
  • afamilydayout afamilydayout September 12, at 00:13

    I’m a Parkrunner too, although a dodgy knee means I’m on marshalling duty this weekend. It’s a great way to start the weekend!

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 14, at 15:42

      It really is the perfect start to the weekend! I too need to step up and do some marshalling, everyone is so great at our run-I need to pay it back! Hope the knee improves 🙂

      Reply
  • earthoak earthoak September 13, at 11:12

    Nice ideas, you’re right there is so much to do if we just head out into nature. Fantastic photos 🙂

    Reply
  • Let kids be kids Let kids be kids September 16, at 11:32

    I love this time of year and enjoy all your list of things to do, though I must admit, I’ve not actually done the park run yet, it’s on my to do list.

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 16, at 15:33

      You should really give it a go. If it’s anywhere as friendly as my local parkrun you’ll love it!

      Reply
  • klimburn klimburn September 16, at 11:32

    Nice list! Didn’t know about the Ramblers project – really ought to get involved with that one given how much we walk! #whatevertheweather

    Reply
  • dearmummyblog dearmummyblog September 16, at 11:39

    What a great list! We’re off to pick some blackberries x #Whatevertheweather

    Reply
  • Jenny Jenny September 16, at 23:22

    A great list! There are so many things you can do outdoors and some of the best things are definitely free! We are definitely going to get back into geocaching again, I now have an Iphone and can actually use apps, so we can use our GPS to find them. Looking forward to it! Blackberries aren’t quite ready up here in Scotland, although they should be ripe by the end of the month, we shall be picking loads and making crumble I think! We love poohsticks, great fun for the kids and adults alike, I may *ahem* be a bit competitive even when playing with the boys! I’m not a runner really, it’s a bit too bouncy for my chest, but I do love walking around and seeing everything, there is a children’s park run now in Stirling, but I don’t think O would understand the point of running around a park when there are slides and swings nearby to go on instead!
    Thanks so much for linking up to #Whatevertheweather, off to download the geocaching app now! 🙂 x

    Reply
  • Maria Belfort (@onetinyleap) Maria Belfort (@onetinyleap) September 17, at 06:59

    Great tips! I really want to get into geocaching, I think you may have convinced me to go and get the app 🙂

    Reply
  • awesomeausterity awesomeausterity September 17, at 09:47

    Definitely picking blackberries- I promise no such restraint when it comes to smug baking photos! I love parkrun too but sadly it clashes with my daughter’s ballet class at the moment but one day o hope to get there again. #whatevertheweather

    Reply
  • hannah mum's days hannah mum's days September 17, at 16:39

    Some really lovely ideas, I especially like the Pathwatch. i should take part – with doing all the castles in Northumberland (there’s about 50 and at least half are free!), we’ve come across a few dodgy paths. One over the summer was like we were walking through the Amazon, complete with nettles that were about 7 ft tall! Thanks for linking up to #TheList

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 18, at 10:09

      Sounds like I should get up to Northumberland, I do love a good castle! I know what you mean about dodgy paths-we’ve found one or two-that’s why pathwatch is such a fab idea 🙂

      Reply
  • chloelifeunexpected chloelifeunexpected September 20, at 21:03

    This is such a great list and really inspiring for getting outdoors this autumn/winter. We’ve done foraging and geocaching but not the rest. But I’m definitely putting the rest on our autumn bucket list! Thank you so so much for linking this to #whatevertheweather x

    Reply
  • MummyTravels MummyTravels September 20, at 23:23

    Some great ideas – I do love autumn (when it stops raining) and geocaching is something I keep thinking I should check out.

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 21, at 14:39

      I love autumn too, such a great time of year! You really should give geocaching a go, it’s so easy (even I can do it!)

      Reply

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