Tablets, smartphones and similar electronic gadgets are topping children's Christmas lists across the UK this festive period. However, parents are being asked instead to consider a low-tech alternative - to root around in the back garden and give their children a stick or a stone instead, the idea being to swap "screen time" for "wild time".
The Wild Network wants to drag youngsters off the sofa and get them interested in nature and outdoor play. They have drawn up an alternative Christmas list for kids that suggests a stick makes a brilliant gift. In case you are a bit bemused as to the qualities of a stick, they are "easy to pick up, perform a thousand different uses and can be thrown away as easily as you found it. Great for helping with imaginary games, playing Pooh sticks and building things."
If you think a stick could be a bit awkward to wrap, then you could always opt for a smooth stone, "which can be skimmed or carved", or perhaps a pair of Wellington boots for "jumping into puddles, wading through streams and walking along muddy lanes".
A National Trust spokesman said, "Technology has a role to play in all of our lives but so does time spent in nature and playing outdoors - whether that's a local park, green space or a trip to the country".
The Wild Network was founded in September this year and members include the National Trust, Play England, the Scouts, the National Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Play England, RSPB, NHS Trusts, schools, playgroups, local authorities and outdoor centres.
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