50 Things to Do Before You're 11 3/4

The National Trust has developed a fantastic range of free activity ideas for children, entitled 50 Things to Do Before You're 11 ¾. However, they are just as fun for the young at heart! We think you can achieve about 40 of them in Borrowdale - how many can you do in our grounds?! You can pick up record booklets from Derwentwater Independent Hostel, the National Trust shop in Keswick (opposite the Keswick Launch jetties and adjacent to the Theatre by the Lake), or the National Trust 50 Things website. Here are some of the 50 Things that you can do in our grounds...

1. Climb a tree
2. Roll down a hill
3. Build a den
4. Run in the rain
5. Fly a kite
6. Make a sticks trail
7. Make a mud pie
8. Make a daisy chain (seasonal)
9. Make some wild art
10. Walk barefoot
11. Make a grass trumpet
12. Gaze at the stars
13. Hunt for bugs
14. Play in the snow (seasonal)
15. Pick blackberries (seasonal)
16. Play conkers (seasonal)

Some of the 50 Things that you can do in the Borrowdale Valley (most within a 20 minute walk of the hostel):

1. Camp out
2. Catch a fish
3. Skim stones (on Derwent Water, at the bottom of our driveway)
4. Go swimming (in the lake not the sea)
5. Climb a huge hill - plenty to choose from in Borrowdale!
6. Get inside a tree - a brilliant one on the west side of Derwent Water, next to the lake shore path as you approach Hawes End Activity Centre 
7. Explore a cave 
8. Visit a farm 
9. Play pooh sticks - there is a brilliant bridge for this, over the River Derwent, between the Lodore Falls Hotel and Manesty. There is even an AA Milne quote on the bridge!