Dadventures: Amazing Outdoor Adventures for Daring Dads and Fearless Kids

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

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Note

Key to Icons

Introduction

After-school adventures

Simple treasure hunt

Scavenger hunt

Flour/sawdust trail

Shelter with a hot drink

Set an insect trap

Make an insect aspirator

Make string

Use a penknife

Make a walking stick

Read somewhere unusual

Climb a beanstalk

Cloud spotting

Collect and cook some dinner

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Sunrise moments and sunset chats

Watch wildlife after dark

Bat hunting

Stargazing

30-minute activities

Finding north

Track animals

Discover bird-of-prey pellets

Construct a solitary-bee house

Build a tiny kite

Collect rainwater

Brew countryside teas

Two-hour missions

Light a fire

Cook over a fire

Campfire recipes

Create a footprint trap

Make a wooden whistle

Birdwatching

Make an easy bird feeder

Build a bat box

Build a hedgehog house

Half-day experiences

Build a dam

Rockpooling

Take a break

Full-day adventures

Build an ancient bridge

Make a raft

Fishing by hand

Rod fishing

Wild swimming

Overnight expeditions

Build a den

Build a snowless igloo

Spend a night in a hammock

Spend a night in a bivi bag

Pushing away from land

Climb a tree

Float on water

Eat a meal on water

Afterword

Acknowledgements

Index of activities

About the Author

About the Publisher

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For my children, Jasper, Daisy and Jesse. Here’s to making many more happy memories together under the big blue sky.

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It was a long couple of months after discovering that dad stocked that knife that I was given one of my very own. I must have pestered him relentlessly, every day going to that part of the shop and looking dreamily at the packet. Dad eventually relented and gave me my first knife lesson with my own penknife. His lesson was simple: always cut away from you. That was it. That was all I needed to know. Naturally, I’ve had to learn the hard way, but when you make your first mistake with your knife you learn pretty quickly.

As a 10-year-old boy it’s not exactly practical to carry a penknife attached to the belt of your trousers. Teachers at school don’t look altogether favourably on that. Children shouldn’t carry knives unless they are properly and sensibly supervised at all times by an adult. For Jasper’s eighth birthday I bought him his first penknife and he was thrilled. It’s a special kids’ one with a rounded end to avoid any unwanted accidents, but the blade itself is just as sharp as any adult knife. We’re starting to use it together for tasks we do outside, like carving a spoon to use to eat outdoors, cut some chopsticks, make a whistle, gather tinder for a fire and create sparks to light it, and so many other things. It’s really important to show a young child, within reason, the values and dangers of a knife. I learnt its value as a tool from observing my grandfather over the years. Using a knife is fun, but it’s definitely not a toy. A knife really must be respected.

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