Useful Links
Walking, Camping & the Great Outdoors
Other Handy Walking Websites
- Accessible Countryside for Everyone – ACE is a website providing information on walks, countryside and green spaces which are accessible to those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, pushchairs and buggies, as well as info on disabled and carer organisations, accessible camp sites, holiday accommodation, sports, taxis, pubs and restaurants. ACE promotes and encourages the publication of accessibility info for leisure and recreation.
- BBC Coast – If you love the TV series Coast, then you will also no doubt love a good blast along the miles and miles of glorious coastal paths around the British Isles. The BBC Coast website has ideas for walks based on the series on this website.
- Miles without Stiles is a must for those heading to the Lake District and looking for buggy or accessible walks. Good selection of suitable routes and maps available on the site.
- National Trust Walks is a page where you can search and download walks on National Trust land by area
- Pushchair Walks is a great database of walking routes tried and tested for buggies.
- Walking Britain: walks, advice and information for walkers in the UK and further afield. Good forum and onward links.
- Walking World: good database of walks across the UK and beyond. It is a useful starting point to give you an idea for new routes based on distance, area or feature. However you will need to sign up to access full details and maps.
Useful Walks in Specific Locations
- Accessible Walks in Devon – Publication by the Devon County Council listing walks suitable for pushchairs and links to other websites with accessible walk information.
- Forest of Dean 12 Easy Walks are a collection of short trails on good surfaces, with some walks suitable for normal pushchairs.
- Walk Highlands is a great source of walk suggestions for the Scottish Highlands. Filter by difficulty, features, distance etc.
- Walking in Oxfordshire has a good selection of walks with free details and maps for routes in the county.
Resources for Walkers
- Met Office National Parks and Mountains weather forecast service is essential to check on before you head off into the wild, with or without little ones. Even the tamest and most low-lying of routes can be hazardous if the conditions are bad. Exposure to the elements is something to be taken extremely seriously at the best of times and even more so with a baby in tow.
- Ordnance Survey – the home of mapping in the UK for outdoor pursuits and a good place to buy, create or locate the right map for your next walk. Don’t forget a lot of libraries lend out OS maps too.
Walking Groups
- Ramblers is the UK’s walking charity to safeguard footpaths, the countryside and to encourage people to get out and about walking. The website offers a ‘find a walk’ function which offers the option to search for group walks suitable for young children and buggies. They also have varied walking groups all over the UK.
Camping Websites
- Campsites UK – a great website for hunting down that perfect pitch for your next camping holiday. Search by every conceivable factor with a really intuitive website.
Handy Websites for Outdoor Kit & Reviews
Other Fab Outdoorsy Blogs
- A Family Day Out – Lots of lovely ideas for things to do out and about with the family, many of which are out in the fresh air.
Travelling with Kids
Other Handy Travel Websites
- European Health Insurance Card Website – the free, official one. Don’t be conned into paying elsewhere online! Make sure all the family have an EU health card before travelling in Europe so you can receive free recipricol health care. Even if you’ve left it too late to get a card before travelling, it’s still worth applying. Once on the system you can be traced by calling if necessary.
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel Advice – get the lowdown on your destination before you go and find out all you need to know to make your visit a safe and healthy one.
- Passport Office – the website you’ll be needing before you leave the country with your newest members of the family for the first time!
Resources for Little Travelers
Other Fab Travel Blogs
- Mummy Travels – Always full of inspiration for travel near and far.
Useful Travel Kit, Books & Reviews
Wildlife & Environment
Resources for Really Wild Kids
- Nature Detectives – run by the Woodland Trust, the Nature Detectives website has loads of free downloads with everything from spotter kits to ideas for outdoor play. Find events, be inspired for seasonal activities and if you still want more, join the Nature Detectives Club.
- Wildlife Watch – Wildlife Watch is the junior part of the Wildlife Trust and is the UK’s main environmental club for children. The website is full of facts, ideas and ways to get out spotting wildlife as well as engaging children by running awards and spotter league tables! Get your children involved with a local group through the club finder.
- Buglife – Buglife helps conserve all that wiggles and wriggles in the form of invertebrates. Bugs of all kinds are really struggling now and need extra help. Children have always found insects fascinating so nurture their enthusiasm by making a bee hotel, identifying the creepy crawlies in your garden or any of the other great suggestions on the education section of this website.
- Mycokids – If your little ones are mad about mushrooms and fascinated by fungi then head to the British Mycological Society webpage for children which gives an insight into different types of fungi and fun facts about their habitats and growing habits. Also includes resources for teachers (and creative parents) for indoor and outdoor educational activities.
- Kids Gone Wild – run by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, this is a fun website with some lovely ideas for outdoor activities as well as interactive games (‘whose poo’ quiz anyone?!). Also has links to family events.
- Bumble Kids – a page for children on the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website featuring information about these engaging little creatures.
- Marine Life Information Network – the activity zone for kids on their website is perfect for budding marine biologists. There is plenty of online information and interactive fun as well as details of events the family can get involved in.
- Bat Conservation Trust – if your kids are batty about bats or you have flying friends in residence and want to learn more about them, there is a kids page on the Bat Conservation Trust with some information on these fascinating creatures.
Other Fab Wildlife Blogs
- Wildlife Gadgetman – think technology and wildlife can’t be combined? Let Jason Alexander prove you wrong. If you leave his site without wanting to rig up your garden with wildlife cameras I’ll be very surprised!
Permanent link to this article: https://babyroutes.co.uk/useful-links/
