3.7.14

The Great Outdoors

Camp Bestival is bringing the great outdoors...erm outdoors!

One of the best things about festivals (for me anyway) is that you get to live in a field for a few days. Kids love it, entertainment is easy - there are always chores to be done, and they are more fun outside somehow, I don't even mind washing up!

Children can run about at all hours, there is grass, sometimes mud. It's all very 'back to nature' (but with beer tents)


At Camp Bestival there is a Dingly Dell full of wild trees and ponds, and this year it's going to be buzzing with fun out door stuff, including The National Trust's '50 Things' Meadow - How many of the 50 thing to do before you are 11¾ can you tick off? -  I'm hoping to tick off a lot! and to make sure DD can too.


Children playing in a camp of sticks

 
With a team of National Trust experts on hand to help, the 50 things meadow will be the place for action and adventure. Here’s a sneak peak of what you could get up to at the 50 things meadow, when you join us at Camp Bestival:

Create some wild art. Visit the 50 things meadow and get involved in creating a masterpiece out of the finest materials Mother Nature can provide. Experts will be holding special workshops where your kids can pick up top tips and play their part in making an amazing piece of wild art that will grow over the three days of the festival.

Climb a tree. The meadow boasts one of the largest trees on the festival site. Spend some time with our highly-skilled instructors who will teach you how to use ropes, knots, carabiners and harnesses to climb to the top of a tree. While you’re up there take a look at the view from the top over the landscaped park. {- seriously tempted by this!

Go stargazing. For one night only we have somewhere special, away from the lights and music, where you can gather by the campfire and snuggle up in your sleeping bag, with only the blanket of the night sky above you. If you want to, you can even leave your tent at the campsite and camp out in the wild for a night. With bush craft experts Fore Adventure on hand to share stories and tips, there is no better way to get back to nature. Places are limited, with one adult/parent per child required. Sign up for this will open two weeks before the event, so look out on our Facebook and Twitter!

Other activities in the 50 things meadow include:
Roll down a really big hill. Test your mettle this summer and roll down a lovely grassy hill. To really pick up speed rolling down the hill, lie on the grass, make your body into the shape of a sausage and roll down the hill sideways. Simple! {- I'm going to do this!

Build a den. Get hands on and creative with sticks and leaves as experts show you how to build a secret hideaway, and when you get home, you can put it all into practise. {- I love building camps!

Go on a walk barefoot. Kick off your shoes and feel the tickly grass beneath your toes.{- no problem, this is what festivals are made for!

Make a grass trumpet. Grab the closest blade of grass and get ready for a band fit for a king. For the loudest squeak, make a hole in the grass with your fingernail and then position the grass right in between your thumbs and press your lips firmly together before you blow.{- I've been trying to teach DD this for years - maybe finally we will get it!

As well as the things the 50 things meadow has to offer, Project Wild Thing keeps on getting bigger with even more amazing outdoor activities to stir your kids’ inner Bear Grylls including Lizzie’s Way, our creative wonderland of discovery where kids can let their imaginations run wild in the woodland play area, with a whole host of ace things to do including making mud potions, making pine cone creatures and having tea parties! {- Ok mud potions? cone people! Now my inner child is dancing with glee

More Wild Time activities include Bug Storeys, where little ones can learn all about bugs, mini-beasts, small mammals and amphibians, Munching Caterpillars celebrating all the brilliant things about caterpillars, butterflies and moths, and the Massive Mud Mural, where they can get stuck in to creating the biggest piece of wild art that Camp Bestival has ever seen!

There will also be Wild Planting with Wild Futures where kids can earn their green fingers by learning how to plan wild plants and seeds, Bushcraft with Fore Adventure, where they can learn the skills required to develop their enjoyment and experiences in the great outdoors.

Finally for now, our good friend Beans on Toast has written us a fun song for all the family about switching off your mobile, getting outdoors and connecting with nature: 'Stinging Nettles'

And remember, getting all the family back in touch with Mother Nature at Camp Bestival doesn’t have to stop once you leave Lulworth, the National Trust and Project Wild Thing will have plenty of handy hints and tips to help you enjoy the natural wonders around us all year long, so make sure you get involved and tick off all 50!


Edited to add the link to the actual list of the 50 things - I've done all but 1, 42, 43, 49 and 50 - how about you?






2 comments:

  1. How much fun does that sound? Too right I love the sound of it. AS you say all great activities at little or no cost to carry on after the camp too.

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    1. I've added a link to the 50 things - how many have you done? (I guess you've visited a farm! LOL)

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