What is the National Trust 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 and 3/4

Are you looking for an activity to keep the kids busy during the holidays but don’t want it to cost the earth? Use the National Trust 50 things to do before you’re 11 and ¾ to help with ideas at a pretty low membership cost. 

In this post we’ll introduce the 50 things to do so you can join us as we tick off each item at National Trust sites across England and complete all of the activities on the list. 

What’s in this post? 

If there’s an activity that you’re particularly interested in you can skip straight there by clicking on that section in the contents below. If not, then continue reading for a full review of the National Trust 50 things to do before you’re 11 and ¾. 

What is the National Trust?

The National Trust is a conservation charity who aim to protect our natural and historic landmarks through volunteers and donations. They own and maintain over 500 historic properties with activities to suit all ages and are mostly dog friendly.

Visit one of their sites and you’ll find yourself exploring castles and stately homes, strolling through stunning gardens, or hiking through picturesque landscapes.

What is the National Trust 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ list?

The National Trust 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ is a list of free activities you can complete at a National Trust site. 

From camping outdoors to watching the sunrise, or even taking a turn at map reading. Each item on the list encourages children to explore nature and create unforgettable memories. 

You can find the full list with tips on how to complete each item on the National Trust website, or you can buy the outdoors adventure handbook that has space to keep a track of all of the activities you complete. 

Is the National Trust 50 things to do list free?

It’s free to complete the activities and you’ll find the full list with tips on how to complete each item at no cost on the National Trust website. You will have to pay a small fee though if, like us you want to buy the outdoors adventure handbook.

What activities are on the National Trust 50 things to do before you’re 11 and ¾ list?  

No 1. Get to know a tree

Climb a tree, examine the roots or draw a picture of it. To take a part of the tree home with you do a bark rubbing. This is where you hold a piece of paper against the bark of the tree and rub a crayon across the paper to get an imprint of the bark. 

No 2. Roll down a really big hill

The National Trust has many manor or stately homes set on acres of rolling hills which means there is plenty of opportunity for you to tick this one off your list! One of our favourite places to do this is Stowe Gardens as they have a huge lawn in front of the house – great for running around or rolling down!

No 3. Camp outdoors

Did you know that the National Trust isn’t just days out, there are plenty of overnight and camping options too. From hotels to cottages and even camping, you’ll find something to fit your budget. Check out their options for a camping holiday to tick off camping outdoors

No 4. Build a den

Tons of National Trust sites have specific den building areas so this one is an easy activity to tick off. Our favourite place for this is Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire as their den building area is huge with benches for you to sit while the kids finish off the den. 

No 5. Skim a stone

Visit one of the National Trust beach sites to learn how to skim a stone across the waves. Once you’ve mastered the right technique count how many times you manage to skip the stone and have a competition with yourself and your friends. 

No 6. Go welly wandering

Peppa Pig has a lot to answer for and one of those things is a kids obsession with jumping in muddy puddles! Keep the kids entertained by grabbing the welly’s and jumping in puddles, squelching through mud and run around in the rain. 

No 7. Fly a kite

If you visit on a windy day it’s the perfect time to try flying a kite. Just make sure you visit one of the National Trust park or beach sites so you have plenty of space to fly and avoid getting your kite caught in a tree. 

No 8. Spot a fish

Wild fish love to swim in fresh or salt water in the sea, rivers, canals, lakes and streams so you’ll have plenty of options to go fish spotting! See how many different types of fish you can spot and the different markings or sizes. National Trust don’t have any lifeguards around their water, even if it’s open for people to paddle so make sure you take extra care of the whole family around the water. 

No 9. Eat a picnic in the wild

There’s nothing better in the summer than having a picnic. Grab a blanket, some food and find a good picnic spot to enjoy your afternoon. Canon’s Ashby in Northamptonshire is great for this as they have a large flat lawn with space for blankets and picnic benches, and loads of room for the kids to run around while you relax. 

No 10. Play conkers

Playing conkers is a fun and simple game that anyone who grew up in England will know how to play. Try and hit the other person’s conker with yours and whoever’s conker cracks or breaks first is the loser. 

Try and find conkers that are hard and aren’t cracked. Once you’ve found the right conker you’ll need to put a hole through the middle with scissors or a screwdriver (and an adult’s help), and thread a shoelace or some string through the middle that is then tied at the end.

No 11. Explore on wheels

With plenty of trails throughout the sites you’ll be able to whizz around and explore on wheels – whether that’s a scooter, wheelchair, bike or even skateboard. While the National Trust website does tell you if the site you’re looking at is suitable to explore on wheels we’ve found the reliability of this info to be a bit spotty! Make sure you check out the images of the site beforehand so you don’t end up carrying a scooter or bike! 

No 12. Have fun with sticks

There’s so much fun you can have just with a few sticks – build a den, have a sword fight or make a wand. Our favourite thing to do is each grab a stick that looks as different as possible and have a stick race. All you need to do is find a stream or river with a bridge over it and drop your sticks into the water upstream – then you can cheer on your stick as it flows down the river. The winner is the first stick that comes out the other side of the bridge.

No 13. Make a mud creation

This is one that’ll be easier to do when it’s been raining and the mud can be easily mixed. All you need is some wet mud, a big stick to mix it up and some other bits to throw in there like some stones, twigs or leaves. 

No 14. Dam a stream

If you see a small stream, have a go at seeing if you can block the flow of water using sticks, stones, rocks and twigs. Once you’ve had your fun make sure you take the dam down so you don’t impact the flow of water.

No 15. Go on a wintery adventure

National Trust sites are open all year round and they can be just as fun to visit on a cold and snowy day as they are when the sun is shining. Just wrap up warm and go see how different the landscapes look when it’s icy outside. 

No 16. Wear a wild crown

You can make your crown out of so many materials including bendy twigs or daisies for the shape, and leaves, grass or feathers to decorate it. Just in case you need some extra support plan in advance and bring some hair ties, string or ribbon with you. As always, take home what you bring with you so you’re not littering and harming the nature around you. 

No 17. Set up a snail race

You can find snails in most green spaces that are cool, wet and out of the sun. Once you’ve found your snails, set up your track using twigs and set them off on their race. Look after your snails by racing them on a wet track, handle them carefully, and put them back where you found them at the end of the race. Also remember that snails don’t move very fast so make your race track short enough that you won’t be waiting for hours! 

No 18. Create some wild art

Take some paper and glue with you then as you’re walking around the site you can collect different bits of nature to create your art – rocks, twigs, leaves, pinecones, flowers, feathers or even mud. Once you’ve collected everything you need, find a quiet bench or picnic table to start building your art. Make sure you take your art and any supplies you bought with you home rather than littering with them and endangering the nature around you. 

No 19. Play pooh sticks

This was a family favourite of my childhood and is really easy to play. Everyone who’s playing just grabs a stick, then find a stream or river with a bridge over it and drop your sticks into the water upstream. Run across to the other side of the bridge and cheer on your stick as it flows down the river. The winner is the first stick that comes out the other side of the bridge.

No 20. Go paddling

This is one for those rare warmer days we get! Find a good spot that isn’t going to be too difficult to paddle in – you want to avoid areas with stones or slippery surfaces. The best place to do this is at one of their beach sites where you can paddle in the water and run away from the waves as they chase you. 

No 21. Forage for wild food

Foraging is when you search for and eat plants, fruit, and herbs to eat, You can find food almost anywhere including trees, hedgerows and even on the ground. Certain food you find growing outside will be poisonous so only eat what you recognise, and if in doubt then avoid! 

No 22. Find some funky fungi

On your walks you’ll find some weird and wonderful mushrooms with different names, structures and colours. Funghi love to grow in damp and dark places so look for them around the roots of trees, or around old or fallen trees in the woods. While some are perfectly safe there are a lot that are very dangerous to humans and animals so dont touch or eat anything you find on your walk unless you’re with an expert. 

No 23. Get up for the sunrise

This is a great one to do if you’re camping but there are some sites you can access early enough to see the sunrise. Set your alarm to make sure you’re up and out in time because depending on the time of the year you may have to be up early! For an extra activity take some crayons or colouring pencils and paper to draw the sunrise as it happens. 

No 24. Go barefoot

This is another great one to save for that beach trip as there’s less chance of you standing on a sharp stone, stick or bug! It really is as simple as it sounds – just take your socks and shoes off and see what different kind of textures you can feel under your feet. 

No 25. Join natures band

Stop for a few minutes, and sit and listen to the sounds of nature. From bird song to the leaves rustling or waves crashing. There’s such a variety of sounds in nature. You can try to imitate the sounds of animals you hear and if you’re really good they may even do it back!

No 26. Hunt for fossils and bones

No 27. Go stargazing

No 28. Climb a huge hill

No 29. Explore a cave

No 30. Go on a scavenger hunt

No 31. Make friends with a bug

No 32. Float in a boat

No 33. Go cloud watching

– Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire

No 34. Discover wild animal clues

No 35. Discover what’s in a pond

No 36. Make a home for wildlife

No 37. Explore the wonders of a rock pool

No 38. Bring up a butterfly

No 39. Catch a crab

No 40. Go on a nature walk at night

No 41. Help a plant grow

No 42. Go swimming in the sea

No 43. Help a wild animal

No 44. Watch a bird

No 45. Find your way with a map

No 46. Clamber over rocks

No 47. Cook on a campfire

No 48. Keep a nature diary

No 49. Watch the sunset

No 50. Take a friend on a nature adventure

Final thoughts on the National Trust 50 things to do before you’re 11 and 3/4

The National Trust is a fantastic place for families to explore and have fun together and with so many locations you’re sure to find something to enjoy. 

The National Trust 50 things to do is a great way to experience everything the National Trust has to offer while keeping the kids entertained and giving them something productive to focus on. 

For us it’s a way to connect with nature while keeping two very active young boys engaged. They love choosing which activity we’re going to tick off the list and we’ve found things to do at every site we’ve visited.