National Trust outlines essential activities for under-12s

Camping has been outlined by the National Trust as one of the things that all children should do before they turn 12, BBC News reports.

In a bid to compete with rising numbers of children staying in watching television and playing video games, the National Trust has released its countdown of the 50 things all children should have done before their 12th birthday.

Among those on the list are climbing a tree, rolling down a really big hill, building a den, skimming a stone, running around in the rain, flying a kite and playing conkers.

The list was compiled out of 400 suggestions submitted by the staff of National Trust homes. They were asked to think of the childhood memories which first stirred their love for the great outdoors and made them eventually want to pursue a career in it.

National Trust director Fiona Reynolds explained that decades ago, children would run around all day completely unsupervised, a notion that seems alien today.

"Children today are completely unfamiliar with that feeling," she told dailymail.co.uk. "They need to be given the confidence and the skills to go out into the wood and build a den or climb a tree. The outdoors is a treasure trove, rich in imagination.

"It brings huge benefits that we believe every child should have the opportunity to experience. And there are huge costs when they don't.