The age of 5 seems like a big milestone, probably because children enter education after this and our view of what they can do changes. I have been looking back on all the things the children managed to do in their early years and created our own list of 50 things to do before you’re 5.
If you are looking for ideas for older children, we now have this list of 100 adventure challenges for children. Or you may be interested in earning challenge badges such as this list here.
Table of Contents
50 Things To Do Before You’re 5
There are so many different attractions to see around the UK, but I wanted to focus on the things young children can do ANYWHERE in the UK or even around the world, simply adjusting the activity to suit your country/climate (visit an indoor snow experience or change to sand!).
Without any further ado here is our list of 50 things to do before you’re 5 (downloadable PDF available at the bottom of the blogpost)
Before You’re 5
- Discover minibeasts on a bug hunt
- Ride a bike (either with or without pedals)
- Fly a kite
- Toast marshmallows on a campfire
- Go camping
- Read at least 10 of Julia Donaldson’s books
- Paddle in the sea
- Ride in a steam train
- Make a musical instrument
- Plant and grow seeds
- Bake a cake
- Make a mud pie
- Climb to the summit of a hill
- Dance with your parents (includes silly dancing in the kitchen!)
- Build a sandcastle
- Admire the night sky
- Go pond dipping
- Find a geocache
- Forage for wild food
- Dam a stream
- Build a snowman
- Sledge down a hill
- Meet some friendly farm animals
- Make a bird feeder
- Create a mini garden
- Find frog spawn
- Go on a boat trip
- Visit an island (this can even be in a loch/lake)
- Try rock pooling
- Make a mini raft from twigs and leaves
- Get lost in a maze
- Visit a castle
- Create your own board game
- Make a sofa fort
- Bake bread
- Paint a giant masterpiece
- Create art with nature
- Climb a tree
- Jump into a big pile of crunchy autumn leaves
- Eat your own home grown fruit and vegetables
- Learn about another country
- Take off your socks and go for a bare foot walk
- Watch caterpillars turn into butterflies
- Ride a flying fox (zip-line)
- Explore a cave
- Make a wormery
- Feed the ducks (check out these guidelines for what to feed ducks)
- Visit a museum or two
- Paint with your feet
- Invent a game
Click here to download the PDF of 50 things to do before you’re 5.
What else would be on your list?
Louise | Squished Blueberries says
What a great idea and what a brilliant list! My eldest is 4 so I think I will go through this with her later and see what we have already ticked off and what we want to do. Ooh we could make a ‘before 5 bucket list’, oh I’m excited! Great post!
Rachelswirl says
Love this! It’s far better having a bucket list at
Five than at forty ! Lol
Leandra says
Love this! It’s a great idea, T and I are going to go through them to see what we need to do to achieve them all by his next birthday!
Helen says
This is such a lovely list of things to do before 5 years old. It’s nice to have a list, as it’s easy to let life pass us by without letting our children experience so many enriching experiences 🙂 #picknmix
Helen x
http://treasureeverymoment01.blogspot.co.uk/
crummy mummy says
What’s a geocache when it’s at home?!! I better swot up before attempting this list!! #picknmix
Sarah says
Ahh I love this!
This is such a good idea, I am definetly saving this.
Thank you so much, I will be referring to this often 🙂
Sarah xx
http://www.whimsicalmumblings.co.uk
Joanna @mumbalance says
You’ve managed to come out with quite a few things!
I would love for my toddler to get an opportunity to dam a stream. I used to enjoy it a lot during my country holidays 🙂
#thelist
Hannah G, The 'Ordinary' Mum says
Fab list! Like it, our 2 and half year old can tick 21 off the list so just 29 left to do in the next 2 and half years ? I seriously love posts like this, I’m always trying to think of things to do with the littles and this has given me lots of new ideas! Thank you lovely x
Plutonium Sox says
Oh what a lovely list. It reminds me a bit of the national trust list that my two are slowly working through. I think learning to swim would be top of our list!
Nat.x
Hannah says
Pleased to say both mine have done a lot of those I think all children should play pooh sticks too!
Sam says
What a great idea. Our oldest is 5 in July and done roughly half which is great. Might try a few more before his birthday x
Maria says
Ooo this is a fab list! My eldest is 6 in a couple of weeks and has done quite a few things off the list. We’ve not thought about the geocache thing but I imagine it would be something he would really enjoy.
I would probably add Build a Den and Have a Sleepover to my list! #PickNMix
@livingwithlayla says
What an amazing list and lots of fantastic free things to do! Will defiantly be keeping this to do when my little one is older!
mummy and monkeys says
I love this, it reminds me of the National Trust one which we are trying to tick off. I actually think both of my boys have done most of these if not all at 5 and 8. Great mix of ideas. Thanks for linking to #PickNMix
A Cornish Mum says
Brilliant list lovely, I love stuff like this even if my two are wayyyy past age 5 now (sob)
Stevie xx #PicknMix
Roisin Fitzgerald says
Love this idea! Is it too late for an adult tho!! x
Jodie says
This is brilliant, would love to do something like this with my son X
Me, You and Magoo says
Love this list & I’m really chuffed that my daughter has done most of them! The only thing we have never tried is geocaching…although I’ve heard a lot about it 🙂
Olly Cator says
Lovely list, I’d like to add using your living room as a shark infested sea, and scaling the sofas and tables to safely cross it 😉
Mrs Hible says
Love this what a fabulous idea my older two are past 5 my oldest turns 11 next week. But I will definitely be using this for our youngest he’s only 7 months old at the moment. My oldest two have been following the National Trust things to do before your 11 and 3/4. I think lists are a fab way at encouraging kids to go and do things they may not ordinarily want to do.
Phil says
Genius! I’d STILL like to do a bunch of these.
Five in the hive says
Yay! I was well chuffed to discover my kids have done most of these. Great list! X
Jenny Eaves says
Yay! Well done! I found it great to get more ideas for ideas for things to do with the kids! 🙂
Julia says
This is so cute and clever, what a clever idea!
Julia //
Kim Brockington says
I think I might be in the minority and I apologise for my reaction….but Really???? Its bad enough seeing 50 things before 50 but these are children – do parents as well as children need this pressure? Just a thought xxxx
Jenny Eaves says
It’s not pressure, nobody thinks that they have to do everything on the list, it’s simply a list of ideas that would be great for under 5’s. Most are free or fairly cheap ideas that the majority of children will do when they are little.
Ross says
Not a bad idea. Might do something like this with Isabelle.
Typical Mummy says
I love this list! Fabulous!
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you! Have you managed many together?