And often the most rewarding for developing young minds and burning off energy.

Who needs expensive theme parks when you've got the whole countryside to explore? Turn off those screens and go outside for an adventure.  There's nothing healthier than getting outside exploring the natural world and all for zero pennies.  We know the health benefits of fresh air, stretching the legs, enjoying at the views, and discovering and seeing new things.  But children like "doing things" and "going for a walk" isn't usually one of them!  So make it exciting and don't call it a walk!

There’re hundreds of different ways of describing a "walk".  You can go for a ramble, a wander, a trip, a saunter, an amble, a traipse, a jaunt or a sashay or how about a tramp, an outing, an excursion, a march or a spin.  Make it a Bear Hunt, a picnic, an expedition, a bugs and beast discovery trail, go looking for wildlife, stomp along a stream, climb trees, follow animal tracks or for those staying on our farm, go on the stampbox challenge......ignite their inner curiosity and let them run wild.  However we describe it to children, once outside they will make it their own. 

But before you go be prepared!  Carry a small rucksack filled with water, snacks, first aid and possibly a towel.  You know your young and what you might need, so check you've packed it.  Also check the weather and make sure everyone is dressed appropriately.  Remember they's no such thing as bad weather - just inappropriate clothing.  

For those lucky enough to be staying here, there is the whole farm to explore.  There’re sticks to play with, trees to climb, streams to stomp through, fairy doors and stampboxes to be found.  Play hide and seek outdoors, hiding in the woods, in the tall grasses or down in the wildflower meadow.  Check the badger setts, rabbit holes and any smaller holes that mice or other small creatures make.

Spending time with the grandchildren 'walking' round the farm has taught me many things, mainly to expect the unexpected!  One grandchild has a stash of animal stamps.....enabling him to lay false trails!  Whilst another grandchild loves following animal tracks, imagining where the deer (or other animal) has gone and what was it doing.  Others gravitate to trees and try climbing higher each time they get to their favourite 'climbable' trees.

Meanwhile - there are others who are pulled by an inextricable magnetic force towards water.  Be it a puddle, a stream or the river - it just has to be explored, jumped and splashed in.  Admittedly they are well hardened to country life and very use to returning back to base in wet clothes and squelching wellies.  No one has yet made and sold wellies high enough to keep out the water - part of the challenge is always to see how far you can go before the water comes over.....and then it does.  From which point there's no going back - you might as well just swim!! 

As for mud.... they’ll spend hours sculpting the stuff.  They've discovered different qualities and quantities. To cover a branch or tree truck you apparently need a particular quality that only comes from over there!  The mud right beside you is no good for that particular purpose.  The best sort of mud though is the kind that makes you stick.  You know the sort - when you step into it, it holds your wellie so tightly that if you keep forward momentum you foot pops out and into the mud your socked foot goes!  Then you need to return to the stream!

Not all walks end in the urgent need of showers and clean clothes though.  Venture up to the woods, where the children can run around enjoying the freedom, playing on the log swings, building or remodelling dens, searching for fairy doors or taking a rest on the picnic benches.  

There are days when our time outdoors is spent absorbed in observing the incredible array of tiny critters found all over the place.  These are magical moments when youngsters make their own discoveries and spend time watching and wondering all about them.  Our beautiful wildflower meadow is currently a sea of wonder, and you can while away an entire afternoon finding a whole new world.  One of our guests recently commented on the amazing varieties of 'fields' we have.  Highlighting of course our dedicated wildflower meadow, but all the other fields have been sown with slightly different seed mixes, and with the varying soil types, each field presents differently.  As an organic grass farm, we depend on clovers - both red and white for their nitrogen fixing qualities as well as other herbs and plants for soil health. This means each field enjoys varying quantities of different species and they all appear slightly different.

Where ever you are this summer, go out and loose yourselves in nature, our glorious British countryside at it's very best.  Help make your children and your grandchildren have many happy childhood memories of whiling away their long summer holidays playing outdoors - whatever the weather and at no cost other than to the washing machine!