Over the years at Get Out More we have gathered a raft of ideas which make the most of the season, the weather or seasonally available materials such as leaves, berries, mud and snow as a way to connect with the environment around us.  Our mission is to help people engage with nature to feel better about themselves in mind and body, so we’re always keen to share ideas that get people enjoying the outdoors. Last year I blogged about my Microadventures in a bid to show how anybody can sneak a bit of outdoor adventure into a busy life.  This year, I’ll be blogging each month to share some ideas for ways to get out more and connect nature throughout the year.  The blog will kick off properly at the start of February with ideas to inspire you to get out, even in really awful weather, but to get the ball rolling, here’s a January activity we enjoy as a family.

New Year Campfire:  Its become a tradition in our house to see off the Christmas season with a new year campfire.  Usually the first weekend of January, we invite friends round to see off any lingering Christmas food and burn the old Christmas tree (NB a real one, not the artificial sort!).  An outdoor picnic of mince pies, cheeses, Christmas cake and the last of the Baileys or sherry, around a roaring campfire feels like a treat when the festivities are over and the days are short and cold.

This year the first 2 weekends of January were very wet so we waited for the next one and got snow instead.  Whilst the kids sledged and built snowmen we threw branches of tree on the fire and made plans for the year ahead.  I love the ritual feel of the Christmas tree burning and how this has become an annual January tradition to kick off the year.