10 Ways To Turn Your Family Walks Into Adventures

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Walking, either in the woods or around the city, is a wonderful and simple way to spend family time together. From introducing the children to nature, burning off excess energy, and spending time away from screens – there are so many benefits to making regular walks part of your family routine. 

But, what happens when walks start to feel routine and boring? Keep your family walking and motivated with our 10 tips to turn your regular family walks into adventures.

1) End at an exciting destination – This is the single, easiest way to turn a regular walk into an adventure. By walking towards an exciting destination, you are no longer just walking – you are on a mission! To keep the children motivated and excited, find a route that will end somewhere interesting such as a waterfall, playground, or even a pub or café for a delicious lunch (with ice-cream).

2) Take part in a virtual challenge – Make all of your walks count by taking part in a virtual challenge. Sign-up to one of The Conqueror’s Virtual Challenges and turn your regular walks into a trip up Everest, Mt. Fuji, the Grand Canyon and many more famous routes. You can view your virtual location through Google Map’s Street View, compare your progress against other members taking part in the challenge, and receive a medal once you complete your challenge.   

3) Get into Geocaching – Geocaching is a simple way to turn a regular walk into an exciting adventure. You can participate in this real-world treasure hunt by downloading the Geocaching app and using the GPS on your phone to find a “cache”. A “cache” is a hidden container that can include a variety of items, from a simple logbook to a container with tradable items. Plan your walk around a Geocaching route and let the children use the GPS to find the way. Get started by visiting the Geocaching website here.  

4) Go Foraging – Over the Spring and Summer months, hedgerows in the British countryside are filled with delicious goodies that can be turned into yummy treats.

Gathering elderflowers, blackberries, and crabapples are a great way to start your family’s foraging journey. They are often in abundance and easy to recognise. Once back home, you can make elderflower cordial, blackberry jam, and crabapple jelly. Your family will enjoy these delicious preserves (and will relive those wonderful family memories) well past the end of the Summer months.

Remember – Safety First. Eating the wrong thing can be dangerous and deadly. Only forage for plants you are 100% sure you recognise and make sure children know that they need to check with an adult before they put anything in their mouths.

5) Re-enact a favourite story– Peter Rabbit, the Gruffalo, Winnie – the – Pooh, Robin Hood and many more beloved children’s stories are set in the woods. Choose your family’s favourite and re-enact parts of the story during a family walk. For example, play pooh sticks on a bridge or play hide and seek, with the seeker pretending to be McGregor.  You could also take turns reading or acting out parts of the story. Record these and turn them into a family video – definitely one to treasure once the children are all grown-up. 

6) Go on a night walk- When the sun sets, your usual walk can look and feel completely different. Listen out for wildlife, can you hear an owl? Look up at the stars, can you find a constellation? Remember to plan your route, wear appropriate clothing, take torches, binoculars, a snack, and hot chocolates (to celebrate the end of an exciting walk!). Look into booking a guided night walk aimed at children. Your local guide would be able to point out interesting nocturnal animals and their homes. The National Trust has a list of their top sights for night walks and stargazing. Not a National Trust member? Register here.  

Remember – Safety first: The darkness can make it easy for you to get lost, for little legs to trip over branches, or for you not to notice features such as rivers, ponds, cliffs etc. Select a route that has an easy and safe path to follow. Walk the trail by before your night walk so that you can familiarise yourself with the route first.   

7) Develop map reading skills – In a world of mobile phones with GPS and Google Maps, you may think that map-reading is an obsolete skill, but on the contrary. Learning how to read a map helps children develop spatial reasoning skills, and provides them with the building blocks for future adventures. If one day your child wants to learn scuba diving or mountaineering, they will need to have basic map reading skills.

Use your walks to help the children learn the basics of map reading. Give them regular challenges by setting a point on the map and letting the children lead the way.

Learn how to teach your children map reading skills here.  

8) Go on a bug safari – Hidden in our gardens, woodlands and parks is a secret world of mini-beasts. From beautiful butterflies to sunbathing spiders, there are so many interesting creatures to discover. Take your little one on a bug safari by looking under rocks, logs, plant pots and in the cracks in trees. How many different types of insects can you find?

Want to make your bug safari more exciting? Surprise your little one with a bug safari kit and they will feel like a true explorer.  Take an insect identification guide with you so that you can learn all about the creatures you discover. You can either pack an identification book into your bag or download the Seek app. Seek by iNaturalist enables you to point your phone in the direction of wildlife, plants, and fungi and it will identify it for you.

Remember – to you the bugs are tiny, but to them, you are a giant. Be very delicate and always return animals to their home.  

9) Have a picnic – After a long walk, there is something wonderful about laying out a picnic blanket, pulling out snacks from your bags, and munching on tasty treats as you enjoy the world around you. Once your bellies are full, lie back and watch the clouds go by. What shapes can you spot? Extend this activity, cook up a feast as a family before you set out on your picnic. Find inspiration for exciting picnic foods here.

10) Complete a photo challenge – Give the children a camera (or camera phone) and a list of things to photograph. You can find inspiration for your photo challenge list below. 

Set a time limit during your walk for them to photograph as many items on the list as possible. Encourage them to be creative. Once back home share your photos, is there a favourite? Award a small prize for the best photo.  

Safety First: Supervise your children at all times, their safety is your responsibility. Remember to remain Covid safe – take your masks and hand sanitiser with you and follow all Lockdown rules.