Try orienteering
Tick off one of your 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 and 3/4 at Wimpole Hall on 4 January. West Anglia Orienteering Club will be setting off on an outdoor adventure through woods, round fields, down ditches and over fences, using a map, compass and a ready wit. Getting lost has never been so much fun! 10.30am-2.30pm, all tickets £2. Bring sturdy boots and old, warm clothes. For a list of all the National Trust’s 50 Things, visit the website.
Take to the ice
There’s still time to get in a skate before The North Pole, Cambridge, packs up for another year on 5 January. The huge outdoor ice rink on Parker’s Piece is open 11am-8pm Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm weekends. There are penguin buddies to help you round if you’re not that confident, plus food stalls galore and funfair packed with rides too. Tickets for skating £7.95 (under 12), £10.95 adults.
www.thenorthpolecambridge.co.uk
Pet Care Club
We all know that a pet is for life, not just for Christmas – and a chance has cropped up for young pet owners to become experts in looking after their furry friends at a new Pet Care Club, organised by Wood Green. Five weekly sessions will run at the Tesco Bar Hill Community Room, starting this month, led by qualified education staff and packed with useful and fascinating info on your favourite pet.
On 12 January it’s small animals: build a mouse house, make tasty rodent crackers and take the fun ferret quiz! Next up on 19 January, it’s the turn of rabbits and guinea pigs; you’ll learn what rabbits need to stay happy and healthy, and how to make feeding time fun. At cat day (26 January) you’ll discover how many kittens Wood Green has to find homes for each year and make kitty toys, and if you’re more of a dog person, come along on 2 February for dog day, which includes a film screening. Finally, aspiring vets can learn more about the realities of the job on 9 February. It’s £20 per child for all five sessions, and each session takes place 4.15-5.15pm. Adults are not required to attend.
The Big Garden Birdwatch
What kind of birds visit your garden? Do sparrows and chaffinches peck at your bird feeder, have you seen a robin hopping round the vegetable plot or heard an owl calling at night? People up and down the country will be taking part in The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this month to help build a national picture of which birds regularly visit our gardens.
To join in, on 24 and 25 January, spend an hour watching your garden (or go to a local park) and record the birds you see, as well as non- birds – like squirrels, frogs and deer (dad pottering in the shed doesn’t count). You can also take part online. Last year’s top feathered visitors were blue tits, starlings, blackbirds, house sparrows and wood pigeons – but someone also spotted a yellow-rumped warbler (we haven’t made that up). Can you do any better this year?
