Get outside these school holidays

Children's Camp Kitchen

Do you have a budding chef who also loves the outdoors? Well your kids will be licking their lips over this! On Tuesday 4 October, the Bibbulmun Track Foundation will be hosting a Children's Camp Kitchen for 6 to 12 year olds. Your little foodies will get hands-on experience cooking in a beautiful bush setting only an hour from Perth. $28 member kids, $33 non-member kids, adults free. Register through their website.

Get Surfing

Ahhh yes ... summer is nearly here. Time to dust off those bathers, dig out the sunscreen and squelch your toes in the sand. Head to your local beach and fly a kite, kick a ball, throw a frisbee, or swim between the flags. If you are feeling a bit adventurous, why not try learning to surf, paddle or body board with Surfing WA? They have a new national program for 5 to 12 year olds called SurfGroms (www.surfgroms.com) and are also running lessons every morning during the October School Holidays at Trigg Beach and other regional centres. 4 x 90min lessons cost $120 or you can try a single lesson for $35. For more information contact Surfing WA on 9448 0004 or email info@surfingwa.com.au.

Nearer to Nature

Interested in some adventure caving, a canoe quest and/or maybe a bikes 'n' brunch tour? The Department of Environment and Conservation is running a whole series of cool activities through its Nearer to Nature program throughout the school holidays. Activities range in price from $8–$37. Check out their website for details, but be quick as spaces for some activities fill fast.

Hi-tech Treasure Hunting (find a geocache)

Get an iPhone app that helps get the kids outside walking and exploring. The geocaching app will turn your phone into a high-tech treasure hunting gadget! This app will help you to navigate to one of the millions of containers hidden worldwide and more importantly, hidden right near you and places you go. Some are tiny and contain only a logbook, others are filled with small toys and trinkets you can trade. Visit www.geocaching.com to learn more. To help get you started, Nature Play WA has hidden five kid-friendly geocaches over the past couple of months. Three were hidden last school holidays in Kings Park, North Perth and Woodman Point (Quack, Quack, Roar – GC2Z4WW, Lee Hop Lair - GC2Z4X5, Bunker Bonanza – GC2Z4W8) and we have just hidden two more that will be available on 1 October 2011 (Syd's Rock Den – GC34M03 and Home on the Range – GC2Z4WG). The new geocaches have great first-to-find prizes that the first kid to find them can keep!

City of Vincent Treasure Hunt

Speaking of treasure, the City of Vincent is running a Nature GPS Treasure Hunt on Saturday 8 October from 9.00am–1.00pm. Join the quest to unravel the mystery key to the code to save the planet. Work as a team navigating to find the hidden clues. It promises to be fun for the whole family. Plus if you don't already have one, you can collect your free Nature Play WA Passport on the day. Call 9273 6564 to book yourself a place.

Nature Play Activity Passport

Nature Play WA passport? What the heck is that? Well we're very pleased you asked. It is our latest and greatest initiative to help get your kids playing outside. The passports link to a series of 10 easy 'missions' kids can do whenever they have a bit of free time. The missions are free, age-appropriate outdoor activities like, 'climb a tree', 'build a cubby' or 'ride your bike' – the kind of stuff most of you did as kids. A bit like hiding the veggies, they are a sneaky way of increasing your kids' dose of free-range, imaginative play outdoors. For more information visit our Nature Play WA website. Kids who finish all 10 missions by 13 November 2011 will get a fantastic "Free Range Kid" T-shirt (while stocks last). Some of you may have already received a passport from your primary school's P&C, if not you can ask your P&C to place a bulk order with us after the school holidays.

Join the Great Aussie Camp Out

Looking for a great way to wrap up the school holidays? Get the kids psyched up to join thousands of Australians for one big night camping out under the stars. The 2nd annual 'Great Aussie Camp Out' (GACO) is happening on Saturday 15 October, so get your mates together and pitch your tent ... in your backyard, a park or a caravan park. Better still, why not head to the Department of Sport and Recreation's Ern Halliday Recreation Camp in Hillary's? They are celebrating the event with a special offer that includes camping fees and participation on its 80m flying foxes, archery, rock climbing, floor ball, basketball and kite making for just $30 for a family of five. For more information contact Ian Sprigg via email ernhalliday@dsr.wa.gov.au or call on 9492 9788. Either way, don't forget to register for free to GACO and you might even win some great prizes.

Explore Bold Park

If you feel like a stroll through bushland, Bold Park is offering free guided walks that bring to life the park's fascinating biodiversity, geology, turbulent history and current conservation projects. They start at 9.00am from the Tuart car park (off Perry Lakes Drive) and last about 90 minutes. They have four sessions running during the school holidays on the 1, 2, 13 and 16 of October, so why not come along and see what this amazing park has to offer.

On 'yer bike – with Schweelies Mountain Bike Clinics

If zooming around on two wheels is more your style, Schweelies is offering a school holidays mountain biking clinic on 3rd, 4th and 5th of October. Sessions run for 2 hours and cost $30/session or $80 for all three. They cater for all age ranges as separate kids into age and ability groups. Book online by visiting their "What's Happening" page. They also offer a Thursday night MTB session from 5.00–6.00pm in Duncraig for 10–13 year olds. The first session is free and then costs $8/session if you continue.

Tiwest Night Stalk

Are you scared of the dark? Nah ... I didn't think so. Wait until the sun goes down then grab your torch to get involved in an amazing community conservation action called the Tiwest Night Stalk. It runs between 1 September and 16 October each year and all you have to do is head to your local forest/bushland to record all of the mammals, birds, bats, reptiles and frogs that you find, then send your log to Perth Zoo. It is a great way to become involved in and to learn about our native animals, their habitat and their threats. If you would rather join up with an organised group, there are a heap of formal Tiwest Night Stalks running, and one will likely be near you:

Sat 1 October, 5.30pm–9.00pm, Armadale Settlers Common
Mon 3 October, 6.00pm–8.00pm, Canning River Eco Education Centre
Wed 5 October, 6.00pm–8.00pm, John Forrest National Park
Thurs 6 October, 6.30pm–8.00pm, Banks Reserve, Highgate
Fri 7 October, 6.00pm–8.00pm, Gingin Discovery Centre
Fri 7 October, 7.00pm–9.30pm, City of Gosnells, Ellis Brook Valley
Thurs 13 October, 6.00pm–8.00pm, Woodman Point
Fri 14 October, 6.00pm–8.00pm, Yanchep National Park

If you are heading to the Tiwest Night Stalk in Gingin, you might want to stick around for their Marvellous Moon Stargazing from 7.00pm to 9.30pm. You'll get to see the moon up close through telescopes! Chat with expert Astronomers and discover more about our nearest celestial neighbour. Adults $39.50, seniors $35, children (6–16 years) $24.

Rio Tinto Naturescape is coming

Psst ... a little birdy has just told us some very exciting news ... Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park will be opening on 15 October! This promises to be a very special place to immerse children in a bush setting where they can explore, climb, wade through creeks, build cubbies and dams and get dirty. This new environmental discovery facility on May Drive will integrate a variety of nature-based areas where kids can really connect with nature, enabling learning through exploration and adventure. They've got a fantastic cubby building area, an upside down forest to climb, rocks for scrambling and a stream to stomp in, so pop in for a bit of fun before school starts back.

100 Practical, fun and active ideas

Still at a loss for things to do outdoors with your kids? You’re in luck. The National Heart Foundation has created a list of over 100 practical, fun and active ideas for children and families to swap screen time for active fun time. Ditto for Nature Play WA, which has a handy activity finder. It’s a simple tool that allows you to enter what time you have available (30 minutes to a full weekend), the place (backyard to regional) and the age of the kids in your care (infant to teens). Click “find activity” and voila – suggested activities!