Whether it’s for one meeting, going on a Night Away event or taking on the Outdoor in 24 challenge, we’re hoping to get young people trying something new in the great outdoors throughout the year. There’s even an extra 24 hours from the leap year for you to be outdoors.
Our Outdoor in 24 challenge is a bucket list that can be completed throughout the year. The activities on it can be adapted to you age, group, ability and location. How many can you tick off to earn the blanket badge?
You can also use our blank bucket list to come up with your own challenge and complete the badge.
You could complete 24 new outdoor activities, have a sleepover over for 24 hours, or learn 24 new skills. It’s up to you!
For volunteers, we’re encouraging you to look into getting your Nights Away Permit and Adventurous Activities Permit if you want to.
Here are 24 things you can do to get outside in 2024:
Build a den: Work with your friends to make a strong and interesting den from natural materials. What will you create?
Sit round a campfire: Songs, stories, skits, and s’mores might feature, but what really makes a campfire special is the people around it. Learn how to build and light a campfire, then sing campfire songs or tell stories around it. Take a look at our carbon monoxide guidance.
Sleep in a tent: Sleeping in a tent gives you the chance to connect with nature and build your independence. Remember, you can sleep in a tent in a back garden or indoors too!
Cook something outdoors: Whether it’s on a campfire, barbecue or camp stove, try cooking something tasty outside. Make sure to keep the area well-ventilated and extinguish the fire after use. Remember to never take a campfire, barbecue or camp stove indoors and be carbon monoxide aware.
Go fruit picking: Forage for some brilliant fruits, such as blackberries or strawberries, in safe locations, then create a fantastic fruity crumble or snack.
Make some wild art: Make some art using nature. You could create natural paintbrushes from leaves, use leaves and natural items in a collage or sculpture, try flower pressing or give Hapa art a go.
Go forest bathing: Forest bathing is becoming popular across the world. In Japan, they call this shinrin-yoku (or ‘forest bath’). It’s about experiencing the trees around you with all your senses. You can walk slowly be tween the trees or sit quietly with them.
Watch the clouds: Go cloud spotting. The clouds in the sky are way up high. One, two, three – how many can you see?
Go stargazing: Wrap up warm, then head outside to explore the night sky. What can you spot high above you?
Get as muddy as possible: Connect with the earth and get stuck into the mud. You go on a muddy adventure walk, a mud kitchen, an obstacle course, or make some muddy art.
Take part in a wide game: From Capture the Flag to Escape the Jail, wide games are lots of fun! Why not pick a few favourites and try playing them?
Try an activity with snow or sand: You could wait for winter and build something out of snow – or find a beach or sandpit and have a sandcastle building competition to make the perfect one!
Have a picnic: Make some tasty snacks, find a lovely location, then head off on a picnic. You could either spend it as a chill time with friends, tell some stories, listen to music or even host a Teddy Bear’s picnic!
Plant something: Whether it’s a pack of seeds, a tree or even a vegetable garden, get digging and plant something that you can watch grow.
Fly a kite: Let your kite soar into the air and try to fly it as best as you can! Why not try making your own kite too?
Go for a walk in the rain: Go for a walk in the rain to admire nature. Pop on wellies and have a puddle jumping competition to make a splash.
See a waterfall: Head out to watch a waterfall. If you’re feeling extra brave, why not try an adventurous activity, such as Gorge Walking?
Have an adventure on wheels: Whether it’s on a bike or a scooter, why not get outdoors and try one of our wheel-y good activities?
Go paddling in a safe river, lake or sea: Be careful and dip your toes in to go paddling in the sea or safe water source, such as a river. Why not go one step further and paddle a canoe, kayak, raft or paddle board?
Hike or walk with a journey stick: Create your own journey stick to hold your memories and to share your adventures with family and friends.
Watch the sunrise or sunset: Wake up early or stay up later to watch the sunrise or sunset. Can you see both in one day?
Learn to tell recognise 10 leaves: Explore a wood like a detective and see if you can recognise trees by their leaves. Can you tell 10 different leaves apart?
Do something good for wildlife: From making butterfly feeders or building a bat house to create a bug house or making seed balls, how will you help local wildlife?
Spot 10 different birds: See if you can spot 10 birds, either from the window or out on a walk. You could make a bird feeder, packed with delicious treats for our feathered friends, to see who will visit.
