Go Wild with the family this summer holiday!

Your Wild Family Summer Holiday starts here...

The school summer holidays offer the perfect opportunity to get outside and get wild! For many of us, this year’s school holidays will be spent close to home, and we’ve got plenty of ideas to keep the kids (and adults!) feeling wild & inspired.

We challenge you to do one wild thing each week this summer holiday. We’ve listed some ideas below to get you started.

For the younger kids (up to around 13 years)

The Wildlife Watch website is your go-to place to find endless ideas & resources to make this your wildest summer yet.

For teens

You may wish to explore the “Actions” page of our website, which is crammed full of different ways you can help wildlife from home. From creating a container garden to taking part in citizen science projects, there is no shortage of ways to stay wild this summer.

Hummingbird — Photo © James Wainscoat via Unsplash

For adults

Have you been wondering what your family could do to help the Climate Crisis? Be inspired by the 7 Rs of carbon reduction and plan as a family how you can make a difference together. We would love to hear what you come up with.

Keep Up With Our Events

Our list of family-friendly events is ever-growing – keep an eye on our events webpage and social media for up-to-date additions.

We’re already excited for the Farndon Family Walk on August 6th! [NB already fully booked!]
Stop by Idle Valley on August 15th for Idle Summer. Trust staff and volunteers will be there to talk about the plans to reintroduce beavers to the area! There will also be a preview of the Lockdown Postcard Show featuring art inspired by local nature, guided walks and much much more!
Be sure to check out the two Holiday Club events we're running at Attenborough Nature Reserve! The Meadow Safari on August 25th and Pond Dipping on the 27th. They're especially suitable for children ages 4-11.

Follow the Shepherds

The Shepherds' Pond Project - Part 1 is now live!

Look out for more posts coming soon by local Nottinghamshire family, the Shepherds, as they build a wildlife pond in their garden this summer. They’ll be providing regular updates and hope you’ll join them as they create a little wildlife haven right in their backyard.

Visit our Nature Reserves

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has some fantastic nature reserves just waiting to be discovered. We love exploring new sites, as well as visiting our old favourites! Here are a couple of ideas for kids of all ages:

A view of Attenborough nature centre and reserve from the end of the walkway — Christopher Terry

In the South

Become a River Bird spotter at Attenborough Nature Reserve, or keep an eye out for Woodland Butterflies at one of our Woodland sites, like Ploughman Wood or Old Bunny Wood.

Idle Valley Rural Learning Centre & Nature Reserve - DSC_0215 - Edited - Heather Keetley — Heather Keetley

In the North

Learn the difference between male and female birds at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve (and take a peek at the work being done to reintroduce Beavers to the site later in the year!). If you’re seeking some shade, Treswell Wood is a great place to look out for foxes and stoats and has some of the best examples of oak, ash and maple trees in Nottinghamshire.

Top tip: If you have a camera or phone it can be helpful to take photos and identify birds and insects when you get home. You could even start a big family summer birdwatch list and see how many different species you can spot by the end of the summer.

Be sure to check out Nature Counts, our new system for recording wildlife sightings! Whether you've seen a common or rare creature, at home or at one of our reserves, every record is important and helps the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to decide where to put our efforts to help recover wildlife.

Join the Big Butterfly Count

Turn your family into Citizen Scientists for the day by participating in this year’s Big Butterfly Count, which is running until the 8^th August. Choose a place to spot butterflies and moths for 15 minutes, record your sightings online and hey presto! You’ve done a wonderful thing for wildlife and have helped assess the health of the environment in the UK!

Make an Insect Hotel

You can attract wildlife in even the smallest garden or outside space. How about building an insect hotel? How to make an insect hotel

Become a Shoreline Detective

Planning a trip to the coast this summer? Try out rockpooling with these fun tips or print & use this worksheet to become a shoreline detective!

Shoreline Detective wildlife watch activity sheet

Try Composting

Looking for an activity you can do every day from home? Consider Composting! It’s a brilliant way to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. At the same time you’ll be providing a home and food source for a range of minibeasts, who help the decaying process. In turn, these minibeasts are delicious food for hedgehogs and other animals. Once you have made compost you can then use it to help plants grow as it will be jam-packed with super nutrients!

Use Less Plastic

Challenge the family to make a difference for the environment. On a rainy day how about making a list of all the things in your kitchen and bathroom cupboards that is made of or packaged in plastic. Compare it with ideas on how to use less plastic and agree as a family what changes you might be able to make.

Reducing plastic use wildlife watch activity sheet

Have a Litter Pick and Picnic

Nottinghamshire has some lovely places to go for a picnic. Why not plan a family day out for a picnic and litter pick? You could invite some friends, too!

You will need some gloves, something to collect the rubbish in and be happy to take it home with you to dispose of. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after you’ve finished picking litter.

Litter pick wildlife watch activity sheet

Join the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

If you are not already a member of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, you could make a huge difference by joining us as family members. You'll get all sorts of wildlife goodies - posters, magazines, stickers, a badge, a membership card and more! And, best of all, by being a member you'll be helping to protect your local wildlife. Fantastic! Join here today !

We hope you have fun and would absolutely love to hear about your wild summer holiday. If you have photos and stories to share, please contact our Supporter Care team by using our contact form and selecting 'Membership enquiry' for the subject!

Emily Hallam

For the younger kids (up to around 13 years)

For teens