Cheshire’s children urged to take it outside!

National Trust campaigns to connect 200,000 kids with the natural world

The National Trust is aiming to get 200,000 kids playing outside this summer as part of its commitment to connect the ‘cotton wool generation’ with nature.

By September the UK conservation charity hopes to have helped one in twenty of Britain’s 7-12 year olds (5 per cent[1]) break their reliance on gadgets and computers for entertainment, and experience the simple pleasures of outdoor adventure.

To mark the official start of its annual 50 Things to do before you are 11¾ campaign, the National Trust is hosting more than 30 ranger-led activities and events in Cheshire and on the Wirral over the school holidays alongside self-led activities to encourage children and families to connect with and enjoy the natural environment.

Getting outdoors however doesn’t mean getting in the car:  Trust rangers have also identified the top ten activities on the 50 Things bucket list that can be done in a garden or local park. These are Climb a tree, Build a den

Hunt for bugs, Skim a stone, Roll down a really  big hill, Make a mud pie, Go on a barefoot walk,

Go bird watching, Make a home for a wild animal and Fly a kite.

Tom Brockington, National Trust 50 Things champion for Cheshire and Wirral says: “Not only does the loss of children’s outdoor play and contact with the natural world impact their growth and development, it also sets the stage for a continuing loss of the natural environment.

“We want to encourage children to care about nature, so it becomes part of their life as they grow up and they protect Britain’s special places for years to come. If nature had a voice it would want us to do the same – we need the natural world as much as it needs us.

“Across Cheshire and the Wirral there’s a huge selection of 50 things activities to do: 26 at Lyme Park, 17 at Alderley Edge, 7 at Bickerton Hill, 15 at Dunham Massey, 28 at Hare Hill Garden, 6 at Little Moreton Hall, 7 at Heswall Fields, 35 at Quarry Bank and 11 at Thurstaston Common”.

Just download our 50 Things planner which sets out at a glance which activities you can do where over the school holidays.

Go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/northwest or pick up a copy at your local Trust property”.

The National Trust is offering a special prize to be awarded to any child who is able to complete all the 50 things activities between July 2014 and February 2105. For details go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/50things

[1] Office for National Statistics, mid 2012 population estimates