As soon as the weather shows the first signs of improving,
our thoughts immediately turn to long weekends spent rambling around in the countryside. From adrenalin-fuelled sports to lazy walks amongst nature,
nothing feels more precious than those warm weekends spent relaxing as a family
in the Great Outdoors. There really is so much to see and do, so here are some great
ideas to make your family weekends ones to remember, even after the sun has
disappeared for another season.
Visit a working farm
Families used to keeping their weekend breaks UK centric, know just how much children love the
taste of authentic rural living. And with so many working farms now open to the
public it’s the perfect time to let them experience the thrill of a working
farm. The early months of spring are lambing season. Many farms
open their nurseries to allow children to watch the lambs being born. You can
even bottle feed them too. It’s an eye opening experience that’s not to be
missed. Later on in the year farms are busy bringing in the harvest,
giving children a real insight into how the food they eat everyday arrives at
their table.
Go pony trekking
Saddle up and head out into the woods for a leisurely hack
through some of the UKs finest beauty spots. If your children haven’t tried it then make sure that this
is the year they finally do. There are riding schools across the UK, all of
which provide a gentle introduction to novice riding. Pony trekking family
holidays are amongst the most memorable of all. And it isn’t just fun that
your children will have; spending time with horses really boosts their overall confidence
levels too.
Learn bush craft
If you have slightly older children then a day spent
learning bush craft is bound to be something you can keep coming back to over
and over again. It’s a chance to develop some great skills, and by the time
you finish you’ll all be having long family discussions about the different
species of plants and fauna to be found on the forest floor. You’ll soon know all about their beneficial (and not so
beneficial properties) too, and one or two of you might even master the art of
fire making too.
Take a bird watching nature trail
With around 574 different species if bird in the UK it will
take your family quite a while to spot them all. But this shouldn’t stop you
from getting out there and experiencing the many pleasures to be had from seeing
birds in their natural habitat. As the days get longer bird spotting opportunities improve
across the UK, with the crows and blackbirds of winter making way for merrier
sounding species such as Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. Definitely not to be
missed.
Quad biking
If animals and nature are a little too sedate for your
family, then you could all have a go at this high octane four wheel motor
sport. There are quad biking centres all around the UK and many of
them cater for junior quad bikers from as young as six, so there’s a chance for
the whole family to get involved. It’s noisy, messy and a lot of fun, and after just a few
practice laps with an instructor you’ll be handling the dips and bumps of a
standard track with ease. It’s definitely one to leave the whole family feeling
happy and tired by the end of the day.
If any of the above has got you yearning to get the whole
family outdoors and active, a family holiday at CenterParcs could be just the ticket, with activities for all palates you can be
as active as you like.
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