Join in the 50 things summer fun

Enjoy a memorable family day out with us this summer. Join in with family-friendly events, plot your own adventures and see how many of our '50 things to do before you’re 11¾' activities you can complete.

Two young children looking through binoculars at Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire

No. 30 go on a scavenger hunt 

Gather your friends for a scavenger hunt in the wild. Just like animals, you’ll need to have your wits about you as you seek out nature’s treasures for survival.

Start your adventures
Girl and parents playing in the mud pie kitchen in the gardens at East Riddlesden Hall, West Yorkshire

No. 13 make a mud creation 

The great thing about mud is that you can find it anywhere, and some of our places have huge quantities of it just waiting to be made into mud creations of all sorts.

How to make a squelchy mud creation
A girl holding up a pebble with a fossil in it on a beach in Yorkshire

No. 26 hunt for fossils and bones 

Journey back in time and search for clues to the life of animals and plants from the past. Fossil and bone hunting is mammoth fun for all the family - and it's No. 26 of our '50 things to do before you're 11¾’.

Guide to fossil hunting
Children exploring Brimham Rocks, Nidderdale, North Yorkshire

No. 46 clamber over rocks 

Whether you like to set yourself a challenge or if you're instead after a more gentle activity, clambering over rocks has many possibilities for everyone. There are all sorts of different terrains to explore and conquer.

Find out more
A group of teenagers dam the river at Wasdale, Cumbria

No. 14 dam a stream 

Adventure no. 14 on our list of '50 things to do before you're 11¾' is dam a stream. What could be better on a warm day than getting into the stream and trying to dam it?

How to build a dam
Children building den

No. 4 build a den 

Build the best den ever with our tips and tricks. You can also come along to one of our special den building events to get even more hands-on.

How to build a top secret den
Children playing in a dinghy boat on the River Ouse at Houghton Mill, Cambridgeshire

No. 32 Float in a boat 

Floating in a boat - no. 32 of our ’50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities - can be as slow and dreamy or as fast and exhilarating an experience as you make it.

Find out more
A child holds a large leaf with a beetle sitting on it at Coleton Fishacre

No. 31 Make friends with a bug 

Ladybirds, spiders, caterpillars, woodlice - there are all kinds of creepy crawlies hiding at the places we look after and you can tick off No. 31 on our '50 things to do before you're 11¾' - making friends with a bug.

Look for bugs
A father and son build a tent at Winkworth Arboretum

No. 3 Camp outdoors 

Whether your wilderness is your own back garden or a favourite field or hill, camping outdoors is really fun. It doesn’t matter if it’s warm and sunny or cold, or rainy. And it's no.3 on our list of ‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’.

Find out more
Visitors enjoying one of Bristol Astronomical Society's stargazing evenings at Tyntesfield, North Somerset

No. 27 go stargazing 

The big, open skies of the countryside let you see thousands of stars sparkling at night. Take a look at our top spots for stargazing.

Discover our dark skies