Part of my writing work is aimed at encouraging more people to enjoy time outdoors. I hope I inspire – and I do hear from lots of people who walk and cycle more or who have tried new adventure activities. Yet still, it seems, there are those who have not discovered the benefits of being outside a little more.
I recently read new research by Visit North Norfolk that reveals how parents and children are not participating as much as they could in simple, cost-effective outdoor pleasures.
The survey revealed that 64% of adults have never moored a boat, 42% have never flown a kite, more than half have never gone crabbing (51%) and 48% have never navigated using a compass.
The research also highlights how some traditional outdoor activities aren’t being passed down through the generations. Of the activities UK parents would most like their children to experience in particular, the top three are horse riding, pitching a tent and flying a kite.
More so, when asking adults what they remembered being taught when they were children, only around a quarter were shown how to beachcomb, less than one in five were taught how to climb a tree, less than half (46%) were shown how to skim a pebble, 14% remembered navigating a compass and less than one in five had been taught how to cloud spot and name different types of clouds.
Perceived obstacles to outdoors playtime
Despite many of these activities being relatively low-cost, the study found that almost one in five UK parents believed that money, as well as a lack of equipment, were stopping them from enjoying more time outdoors with their families. Other reasons included a lack of understanding of the activity.
Launch of new active campaign
Following the research, a new campaign called Nip to North Norfolk has been created to encourage adults and children to rediscover the outdoors by trying different activities, many of which may have been overlooked.
Visit North Norfolk has produced a selection of different “how to” videos and guides that educate adults on a variety of fun-filled outdoor activities such as how to:
- Build a sandcastle
- Moor a boat
- Use a compass
- Spot different clouds
- Catch a crab
- Go beachcombing.
This campaign might be in England but the same ideas could easily apply to families in Scotland. Why not check out the campaign website and see what you are inspired to try in the great outdoors this summer.