Top ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities to do with a stick

A small child is adding the finishing touches to a den at Fontmell and Melbury Downs, Dorset — Den-building at Fontmell and Melbury Downs | © National Trust Images/Clive Whitbourn

It’s arguably the best toy known to man. No, we’re not talking about the latest gadget, we’re talking about sticks. Take a look at our top six '50 things to do before you're 11¾' involving the humble piece of wood.

No. 4 Build a den: Build a den out of sticks on a flat spot in the woods, cover it with leaves and voila: an instant pirate hideout or a meeting place for spies. There are countless National Trust places with perfect spots for den building just waiting to be visited.Build a top secret den
No. 13 Make a mud creation: The great thing about mud is that you can find it anywhere, and many National Trust places have lots of it just waiting to be turned into gooey creations. You can use sticks as a tool to help create your muddy masterpiece or even add them as a decoration.Let's get muddy

Children playing Pooh sticks on a bridge over the River Test at Mottisfont, Hampshire — Children playing Pooh sticks on a bridge over the River Test at Mottisfont | © National Trust Images/Megan Taylor

No. 14 Dam a stream: What could be more fun on a warm day than paddling in a cool stream and trying to dam it? Just collect twigs, sticks and branches to stop the flow of water like a busy beaver, and remember to have fun smashing it all down again.How to make a dam
No. 19 Play Pooh sticks: Pooh sticks is a simple sport that's always exciting to play. Fun fact: it was invented by the famous bear of the same name in the A.A. Milne stories. It also happens to be no. 19 of our '50 things to do before you're 11¾'. Follow our tips for a top game.Let's play Pooh sticks

Visitors to the Lake District enjoying a cooking woodland activity at Footprint, Windermere, Cumbria — Toasting marshmallows at Footprint in Cumbria | © National Trust Images/John Millar

No. 47 Cook on a campfire: Food cooked over a campfire always seems to taste better than normal. You can cook anything from fried bacon and eggs to delicious toasted marshmallows, cooked carefully on the end of a stick of course.Try some tasty campfire treats
No. 12 Have fun with sticks: There are so many other ways that you can have fun with sticks, we can’t begin to list them all here. Check out some more of our favourite things you can do with this natural toy.More fun with sticks

Children playing in the woodlands at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire

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