A self-proclaimed ordinary family gives their daughters 100 extraordinary challenges to entice them away from the television and into the great outdoors.
Primary school teachers Tim and Kerry Meek from England, were hoping they could encourage independence, resilience and a sense of inquisitive, creative freedom in their two daughters, 10-year-old Amy and eight-year-old Ella, by setting them 100 tasks that would literally take them out of their comfort zone in front of the television and on a year-long adventure of a lifetime.
The outdoor challenges included everything from adrenalin-fuelled activities such as coasteering (jumping into water from rocks) and climbing a winter summit, to survival skills that included foraging for food, tracking and mapping, and going without electricity. The girls were also set character building tasks such as make a stand and support a cause, in which they stood up in front of their school to talk about a charity they chose to support.
44-year-old Mr Meeks says he and his wife are far from adventure junkies but simply saw an opportunity to give their girls memorable and worthwhile experiences.
“We’re just normal, everyday people and not adventurous ourselves, but as we saw our kids growing up, we became more reflective as parents and wanted them to grow up with balance in their lives,” he said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
But what would inspire two parents to come up with such an extensive list of experiences?
“I think kids these days spend more time indoors than we did. They may do a lot of activities, but they don’t necessarily have freedom to express themselves or explore freely,” said Mr Meek.
“They are protected from risks which makes them very safe, but it makes them unable to take or to manage risks themselves.
“Of course, we always want Ella and Amy to do things safely, but in most of the challenges there’s an element of something could happen, they could graze themselves or trap a finger, say.
“Now, if they fall over they tend to shrug it off. Our girls have taken on a role as ambassadors for adventure.”
But what do the girls think about their year-long list?
“Our friends spend a lot of their free time watching telly or playing on computer games in their bedrooms, luckily we’ve had the chance to do something different,” said Ella.
While some of their activities were able to be completed on weekends in their local area of Arnold, Nottinghamshire, others required further trips around the UK, including Northumberland, Scotland, Pembrokeshire, South West of England and even a trip to Paris.
The Meeks have officially ticked off their final task after spending the night in a hammock-like tent suspended between two trees called a tentsile, but they are showing no signs of giving up their new found love for adventure. Both girls are already at work compiling their own list of challenges for the coming year.
Amy and Ella now only watch about three hours of television a week – they are too busy finding new adventures in the great outdoors.
Here is the list of 100 activities:
Slacklining (walking on a rope between two trees)
Scooter Safari
Caving
Spend night in a hammock
Canoe down a river
Kids: Plan and lead an adventure
Sleep in the woods
Watch rutting deer
Learn survival skills
Sleep on a beach
Forage for a meal
Make a stand and support a cause
Snorkelling
Go for a reptile ramble
Find a private beach
Trip to Paris
Kayak Safari
Camp in a city
Swim in a natural pool
Sleep in a cahutte (small wooden cabin)
Coasteering (jumping into water from rocks)
Orienteering race
Outdoor birthday party
Walk on high ropes
Make a rope swing
Sleep in a Bivvi (outdoor sleeping bag)
See a henge (stone age earthworks) from sunset to sunrise
Sleep in a family bag
Kayaking
Community work
Climb and abseil
Sailing
Walk a peninsula
Adore a puffin
Watch wild seals
Conkers (a children's game using Hirse Cheastnut seeds)
(Don't) Follow a path (go off-road hiking)
Sleep in a shelter
Plan an epic summit
Camper-vanning
Cook and eat in the wild
Wake and run
Bivvi by a river
Tag team cycle trail
Learn a constellation
Whittle (carve) while you walk
Sub-zero camping
Snow walking
Floodlit swan feed
Discover local history
Find a summit
Go without electricity
Weaseling (climbing between gaps in rocks)
Night-time descent
Eat nettle soup
Enter a race
Explore rockpools
Cook on a beach
Dam a stream
Explore a cave
Explore a wreck
Find a waterfall
Take on the elements
Ride a wave bodyboarding
Wild river swim
Mountain biking
Have a 'wild wee'
Go behind a waterfall
Coastal walk
Music festival
Visit a landmark
Walk to a tidal island
Sleep in an eco-tent
Spot red squirrels
Climb a 'matterhorn'
Walk down a river
Geocaching (GPS treasure hunting)
Clean a beach
Scramble
Walk around a city
Orienteering
Night-time wood walk
Snow hiking
Cook with snow
Visit a suspension bridge
Three peaks in three days
Climb a winter summit
Ghyll scrambling (walking through gorges)
Mother's Day meal
Play in snowdrifts
Sample backpacking
Tracking and mapping
Visit London
Build a bridge
Crabbing
Night walk in a forest
Off-peak camping
Skiing
Climb indoors
Tentsile (hammock-like tent)
Source: Daily Mail
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