There was once a time when banishing your child to his bedroom during daylight hours meant that he had misbehaved. Otherwise, come rain or shine, the little tinker would be fed a hearty breakfast and despatched to the great outdoors for the day

SnowballsA child’s first instinct when he sees snow is to pick up a handful, pat it together and chuck it at the nearest person. Simple snowballing can actually be developed into a surprisingly complex array of competitive games. One thing you can do, with sufficient snow, is to ...

Author and mother-of-five Amanda Soule has always enjoyed the different elements that come from each new season, from spring flowers to warm summer sunshine, autumn's harvest and snowy days of winter. Her new book The Rhythm of Family explores how families can make the most of li...

1. Collect nuts, berries and pinecones to look for signs of feeding. Follow any trails of food and try to identify which animals have been nibbling on them.2. Find a quiet spot in your local woodland to sit and listen to the sounds of the local wildlife. Bird chirping and insects...

Bird Nests And Foxes(or hedgehogs or meerkats, or any other egg-eating predators)Ages four and up, suitable for up to 30 players, allow about an hourReadyThe object of this hide-and-seek based game is for the nest makers to make a nest o the ground to hide in and for the foxes to...

TrampolineFast becoming the latest family status symbol, the mantra is “the bigger, the better”. Why we love it It’s impossible to bounce without a smile; it’s brilliant exercise; a wonderful way to release tension as you feel your blues melt away. The downsideHaving to wait your...

The sun is shining (on-and-off!) and school's out for summer, so the timing couldn’t be better for Love Parks Week 2011. From July 23–31 everyone can enjoy the best their local park has to offer with a whole host of outdoor activities up and down

When it comes to hosting woodland gatherings, bears have attained a certain reputation. But eccentric sporting challenges? That's a new one on us...In the name of fresh air, exercise and outdoor play, healthy snack purveyor BEAR and the Forestry

. In the words of leading lothario Lysander, 'the course of true love never did run smooth', and confusion reigns as the excitable Puck manages to mismatch two sets of Athenian lovers along with a whole host of forest fairies.With three beautiful outdoor sets

Organic Farm Playset (12x50x50cm) by EverEarth £39.95 from ByNature