Free & Pocket-friendly Wild Things to Do with under-14s
Plan your family adventure
Tire out the teens with running challenges, bike rides and night hikes.
1. Take the Cat's Back Challenge
You’ll need a big breakfast before embarking on this exhilarating challenge! The Cat’s Back Challenge invites you to run up a 2100ft-high peak in the Black Mountains. The rocky, knife-edge ridge is spectacularly scenic, with wide open views across England on one side and over Wales on the other. It also makes for an energetic walk. Look out for wild Welsh mountain ponies, red kites, buzzards and kestrels as you go.
Where: Start from Black Hill car park, full route available here. Free.
2. Get your cogs whirring
Bring your bikes for a total treat! Wild adventurers will love speeding off-road around Mortimer Forest and High Vinnalls. Be warned, the gravel tracks are pretty steep so mountain bikes and helmets at the ready! Afterwards, picnic at the ruins of the castle at Richards Castle, home to some rather friendly goats.
Where: Mortimer Forest, SY8 2HF. Free.
3. Spy peregrine falcons
Trek to the very top of Symonds Yat Rock to spot the resident peregrine falcons. It’s one of the best places in the country to see these magnificent birds. Keep your eyes peeled for goshawks, sparrowhawks, buzzards, tawny owls and more. Spend the day in the woods, exploring the five waymarked walking trails or riding along the superb cycle route.
Where: Symonds Yat Rock, all day parking £7
4. Go geocaching
Try a 21st-century take on a treasure hunt with a geocaching quest. Using the GPS on your phone, track down caches which are hidden in the wild. There are geocaches hidden on many of our walking routes, plus three special trails which have been put together by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust. These routes are based in local nature reserves and uncover the story of Herefordshire’s Ice Age ponds. It’s a great way to start learning navigation and orienteering skills.
Where: Two trails at Birches Farm Nature Reserve near Kington, HR5 3EY, and one at The Sturts Nature Reserve, near Leominster, HR3 6NY. Free.
5. Cook up a wild feast
Start the day with a shady trek through the trees at Queenswood Country Park & Arboretum, then get cheffing on their free on-site barbecues. For full bushcraft vibes, bring along a firesteel to spark the flames! Then sit back and relax while your wild cooks take the strain. Enjoy your feast on one of the nearby picnic tables.
Where: Queenswood Country Park & Arboretum, HR6 0PY. All day parking £4
6. Pick sunflowers & colourful summer flowers
From 3 August, everyone is invited to the The Farm Patch, just outside Ledbury, for a pick your own extravaganza. There’s jolly sunflowers and multi-coloured annuals, from cornflowers and marigolds to cosmos. Pick a beautiful bouquet, follow the family-friendly bee trail, bring a picnic or treat yourself to a tasty pizza.
Where: The Farm Patch, Little Marcle, Ledbury, HR8 2LD. Entrance £6.99 per adult (includes 3 free re-entries) Under 17s free. Flowers are charged separately: mixed annuals by the weight and sunflowers by the stem. Open weekends throughout August, including bank holiday Monday and the 31 Aug/1 Sept weekend.
7. Take a night hike
Take an after hours yomp in the Malvern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is something magical about experiencing the trail up to the Herefordshire Beacon by the light of the moon. Gaze at the constellations, spy nocturnal wildlife and take a midnight feast to enjoy when you reach the top.
Where: Herefordshire Beacon, park at British Camp, WR13 6DW, parking £4.80, free after 11pm
