National Trust ‘bucket list’ campaign for under-12s

The glories of a 1950s-style childhood free from digital distractions are the focus of a new campaign by the National Trust.

The charity’s “50 things to do before you’re 11” campaign features stone-skimming, mud pie-making and climbing trees as recommended activities for children 12 and under who may not normally play outside.

The list comes after a report commissioned by the trust revealed fewer than one in ten children regularly play in wild places compared with almost half a generation ago, and a third have never climbed a tree.

In the age of Facebook and smart-phones, children are more sedentary than ever even when they are outside, with one in ten unable to ride a bike.

Other highlights of the list of simple outdoor pleasures include running around in the rain, bug hunting, snail racing and flying a kite.

The National Trust has recruited five elite rangers from its ranks to encourage families to get involved, including a tree-climbing expert and stone-skimming supremo.