Even though this is a world of computers and high tech equipment there’s still one element of the school summer holidays that hasn’t changed over the years – children love playing outdoors.
Parents and children alike have lasting memories of long summer days spent playing with their friends and going on adventures, and National Trust places in Shropshire offer some fantastic outdoor environments to do just that.
There are lots of simple activities that don’t require any specialist equipment and can be enjoyed by any age group so there are no excuses for being bored during the summer holidays. Play Poohsticks on the bridge at Attingham Park, make a trail with sticks at Sunnycroft or build a dam in the stream at Carding Mill Valley, the choice is yours!
In a survey carried out by the National Trust in 2013, families were asked about their favourite outdoor activities and for children in the twenty-first century the top 3 were; riding a bike, building a den and climbing a tree. But the surprise was that the top 3 activities that parents said were their favourites, when they were young, were exactly the same – so not that much has changed.
Andy Beer, Director of National Trust in the Midlands said “Our research has shown that four out of five parents would like to see their child play outside more than they currently do. The hundreds of acres of National Trust gardens, parkland and countryside in the Midlands, provide families with lots of space to enjoy outdoor activities. Kids get so much from outdoor play – although the primary reason they gave for loving to play outdoors was “it is fun and exciting” they also said ‘I do it with my family’ and ‘it gets me close to nature – seeing wildlife for real’. We’re passionate about getting children outdoors and connecting with nature and looking forward to welcoming families throughout the summer holidays.”
As well as exploring our gardens, parklands and countryside, during the school holidays there are sporty Wednesdays at Attingham Park, Pond dipping at Carding Mill Valley, activity days at Dudmaston and family fun days every Monday at Sunnycroft.
Shropshire Live is regulated by 