National Trust suggests ways to get the kids out for a winter walk in Kent

Are the kids climbing the walls after one too many days indoors? Is now the time to persuade them away from televisions and tablets in favour of a hefty dose of fresh air?

But if calls for a walk are set to be met with moans and groans then take some advice from outdoor experts National Trust.

It has shared with My Kent Family, seven ways in which to encourage the family out the door, as well as some suggestions of fun wintery events happening at its Kent properties and open spaces.

1. Who said ‘walk’? It’s an adventure trail!

What you call your walk makes all the difference says the organisation. Remember how calling broccoli ‘little trees’ served us well at tricky dinner times? Call it an obstacle race or an adventure trail if the word ‘walk’ sends them into whining mode. Finding a distraction as they walk can also work well too

The ‘Who was Winton Churchill’ family trail around Chartwell could give little ones a great distraction and they’ll soon forget they’ve been outside and walking.

2. Look for animal tracks

Mud is great for stomping through in wellies to make footprints. Before you wade in though, check to see who has been there before you. It could be a duck, deer or dinosaur!

Counting how many deer hoof prints you can find in the mud at Knole and whether you can work out which ones were made by the delicate baby deer and which ones by the big, heavy stags is lots of fun. Or what about tracking winter bird footprints in the mud at the edges of the paths around Ightham Mote – blackbirds and robins are bound to be in and out of the plants looking for berries and seeds to eat at this time of year.

3. Construct an obstacle course

Suggest a simple walk from A to B and your head may hurt from the whinging but what about suggesting an obstacle course in woodland? Use logs as balance beams, trees as slaloms and sticks laid on the ground to hop over.

For families looking for a bit of help here, there are also two different outdoor play areas to try out at Scotney Castle. Get hands mucky in the mud kitchen, get the breeze in their faces on the tree swing or let them make a racket on the natural drums in the Badger and Pepper play area. Or for something wilder, try the Wilderness Camp for den building, bug hunting or discovering what the inside of a tree looks and feels like.

4. Take binoculars

Winter is a great time for birdwatching or spotting animals scurrying around the undergrowth. They are so much more visible without any leaves to conceal them. Drop into visitor reception and ask about spotter guides, then tick off the birds and animals you manage to spot.

5. Make it a scavenger hunt

Set out on a walk with a list of items for the kids to find. The obvious things are acorns, twigs, beetles or woodlice, beech mast, conkers, crisp brown leaves or a forked stick. Who doesn’t love the satisfaction of ticking things off a list?

See what your family can forage on the ground – remember to encourage them not to pick anything that’s living.

Try creating a story stick as you walk around the woodland at Emmetts Garden. Grab a stick and skewer it with fallen leaves, wrap long blades of grass around it or cover it in stripes of different colour mud. Invent a story of fairies, elves and woodland nymphs as you gather your materials. Or try making a natural masterpiece with your scavenged collection – start with a basic star or circle shape and fan out your natural loot to make a pattern.

6. Litter pick

Buying a cheap litter picker tool off the internet can be a good investment as children love them! They can see the point of going out litter picking and it gives them things to find as well as keeping metal cans, plastic bottles and plastic wrappers away from the local wildlife.

7. Walk with a four-legged friend

Take a dose of infectious doggy enthusiasm whatever the weather; add the novelty and responsibility of holding the lead and you’ve got one huge thrill for children. Could you set up some dog-borrowing with friends?

Four legged friends are welcome at many National Trust properties but it is always worth checking specific properties on the National Trust website before you visit.