A very wild June
This month we took part in the Wildlife Trusts 30 Days wild. A whole month of trying each day to get outside and do something "wild". And with the exception of one very rainy, very lazy Sunday we managed the whole month!
The friendliest Robin at the Botanic Gardens.
Some days were definitely tricker than others. Some days I did things with all 3 children, other days is was just me and the Youngest. Some days we had big old adventures, other days it was as simple as spending our one mile walk to and from school looking for birds, naming different flowers or discussing the sights, smells and sounds of nature. (And ignoring the sights, smells and sounds that go along with city life.)
We found strawberries growing in our garden.
My favourite acts of wild were 'celebrating the humble stick', walking through wildflower meadows, visiting the National Botanic Garden of Wales, pebble hunting on the beach, our glamping trip where we really got to enjoy being in the middle of nowhere and a camping trip in Cornwall.
Exploring the meadow.
My children can often be a bit reluctant to get outside, but the challenge of 30 days wild really inspired them, and just mentioning that we'd be able to put the activity on our wild calendar convinced even my reluctant Middle boy to join in. I'm tempted to print off a calendar for every month now just to keep them going with it.
We try our best to get outside with our children on a regular basis anyway, but this challenge has been good to help me make an extra effort and find a way to connect with them in nature even on the busiest of days.
Beach fun on a rainy day.
if you're reading this and wishing you'd joined in then don't despair, because whilst having a specific month for these things, backed by an organisation and with lots of helpful tips and support online is very useful in helping get the kids outside, it's not essential. There is no reason why you can't do 31 days wild in July and any other month you fancy it. There is a brilliant book called "15 minutes outside" which gives you 365 ideas of things you can do outside with children for just 15 minutes each day and through all 4 seasons. Another great resource is "101 Things for Kids to do Outside". They are the perfect accompaniment for anyone serious about getting outside more.
Great resources for parents.
if you took part in 30 days wild I'd love to hear what you got up to and whether you'll be carrying on with the challenge. I know for us it's been a great experience and we never regret getting out in nature.
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