Dadventures: Amazing Outdoor Adventures for Daring Dads and Fearless Kids. Alex Gregory

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       After-school adventures

      ‘Observation is a dying art.’

      Stanley Kubrick

      There’s a period of time between the end of school and dinner time. It’s a grey area, fuzzy and non-specific. There’s a lot to do in these few hours … but also nothing to do. Sometimes there’s an after-school club that fills the time – multi-sports, football or tennis, or an art club at which your child paints a colourful mess on a thin piece of disintegrating paper, a masterpiece you’ve got to keep for years in a pile on a kitchen surface otherwise you’re a bad parent. But some days there’s nothing to do. Everyone is tired and hungry, and children are often bad-tempered from having had to rein in their emotions all day in the classroom.

      It’s all too tempting to go straight home, switch on the TV as you walk briskly through the house to the kitchen and flick the kettle on for your umpteenth coffee of the day. You need this coffee just to get you through the next few hours of the afternoon and into the evening. You spend two hours pottering around, tidying up, finishing off a bit of work, starting jobs you won’t finish that evening, while the kids become lethargic and bored, watching nothing they’ll remember on the TV. I should say here that watching TV is sometimes the right thing for them to do. There are some fantastic programmes for all ages on TV, and giving kids the opportunity after a busy day at school to rest on the sofa engrossed in an educational or fun programme is brilliant. But I’m also going to be honest – many of us do this far too much, as it’s an easy escape from having to interact with your children when they might be in a difficult mood.

      So what can we do? With a little bit of planning, these fuzzy grey hours can provide an opportunity to enjoy something truly productive and fun. I don’t always get the chance to pick the kids up from school, but when I do I want to make it memorable for them. I think it’s quite exciting for them when I pick them up because it’s slightly unusual. ‘Dad’s here!’ I hear the words drift over the mass of kids in front of me as I spot their beaming faces across the playground. While I was competing it was so unexpected for me to pick up Daisy from nursery that she’d burst into tears as soon as she saw me. I then had to head back out of the door and re-enter so she could prepare herself for my arrival! It’s not the best feeling when your child bursts into tears at the sight of you, but I understand it.

      This time of day provides a wonderful opportunity for our young people, so if you can, actually make the effort to arrive at the school gates with a plan already in place. It might be that your kids choose to go to school by scooter or bike, and you follow behind. If this is the case, tell them before you set off that day, that today is a walking day and they should leave their machines behind. It’ll be hard at first, but they’ll soon see the benefits!

      There’s always something to look at, something to point at, something out there to talk about. Whether it’s why the wind is blowing in a certain direction, why the clouds look like they do, what plant is growing down there and how it can be used, or what creatures are living under that stone. So when walking back along the pavement from school or when strolling across the fields point things out, look up, down and all around. Ask questions, stimulate conversation and create intrigue. Nurture the inquiring mind so that it will grow to be interested – and interesting. Even the smallest thing that you might consider insignificant can be fascinating to young eyes. The trick is seeing it in the first place!

      Quick inspiration

      Simple treasure hunt

      A treasure hunt is something very special and memorable. With a bit of planning it’s easy to set up, whether in the garden, a local park or even along the street on the walk home from school. A little detour to do something interesting can really make the difference to a young person’s day. This activity can be scaled up and turned into a long full-day adventure over a weekend or during the summer holidays. The longer it is, the more time is needed for planning, but the effort is certainly worth it. Don’t forget a torch if you’re planning a treasure hunt at night!

      What you need

       Pen and paper

       Some planning time

      What to do

      1 Think about the route you’ll take, either on the way back from school or once you get back home. As an example, give yourself 45 minutes to go around the block before dinner time. On your route there will be at least one of the following: a tree, a post box, a phone box, a loose rock and an old fence. Any noticeable features such as these are useful points towards which you can direct the budding treasure hunter.

      2 Devise a clue for each location. An example might be: ‘Leave the front door, take a turn to the east, find the next clue where nature’s bombs hit the ground and grow.’

      3 Your child can figure out which way is east by using a compass or the position of the setting sun, and once they work out what ‘nature’s bombs’ are they’ll lead you to the conker tree at the corner of the street. There they’ll search around excitedly under a pile of leaves or in the hollow of the tree where they’ll find the next clue you hid earlier in the day: ‘Thirteen steps to the left and straight ahead, Postman Pat mustn’t take the letter that’s in the flower bed.’

      4 In the flower bed next to Postman Pat’s letter box they’ll find the next clue.

      A treasure map of our village, by Jasper. X marks the spot – can you see it?

      These are of course simple little clues I’ve thought up for the purposes of demonstration here. You’ll have to adjust the clues depending on your children’s age, interests and where you’re holding the treasure hunt. There don’t have to be many clues, and the hunt doesn’t have to take a long time for it to become a fun outdoors activity that you do together. As a parent, it’s fantastic to watch your child work things out, get frustrated and then enjoy the fruits of their efforts by discovering the route and eventual goal. It’s also a wonderfully bonding experience … but be prepared. Once you’ve created your first treasure hunt, your child will demand many more. So get thinking about those clues!

      Scavenger hunt

      What you need

       Compass

       Tin foil

       Metal СКАЧАТЬ