Rock Tots and Kids at the Crag

We all want to keep our kids happy when we are at the crag, and there is one thing I would definitely advise, it’s best to be prepared. Below you will find both suggested activities for the crag and a list of things to take for the kids.


Activities

Little ones probably won’t want to climb the whole time they are at the crag, so it is good to have a few activities up your sleeve. Here are some of our tried and tested favourites.

for some great inspiration, follow us on Pinterest and check out our

Crag Activities board

Bushcraft board

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Hammocks; great for chilling, making into swings or pirates boats, the list is endless. We tend to take one for each child and plenty of long slings and carabiners to hang them up with.

Treasure Hunt; there’s lots of great inspiration on Pinterest for natural treasure hunts.

Marble Run; take a marble or find a round stone and make a marble run out of things you find at the crag, such as twigs, bark and leaves.

Kids Pod casts or Audio Books (and headphones) although we haven’t done this yet, as my boys always seem to be far to busy with other things, I do have some downloaded on my phone, just in case we need a bit of chill time at the crag.

Making Picture; use sticks and bark to create a picture frame then make your own beautiful pictures within it, out of natural found materials.

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Animal spotting/tracking; when my boys were little we loved finding caterpillars, ladybirds and other insects. Now they are older we look for lizards and snakes, or signs of deer and wild boar.

Floor is Lava; a simple game of rock hopping to avoid the ground (as you might have guessed, is lava).

Whittling; now are boys are a bit older, they have learnt how to use a (child friendly) Whittling Knife. They have one each and they love them. We have some very clear rules, which they are clear on and good at following.

Den Building and Other Bush Craft; we have always loved building dens but we also enjoy other bush crafts, such as weaving and foraging.

Navigation; learning how to navigate is a great skill. You can use digital mapping or the more traditional map and compass. Or even the sun and stars!


Litter Picking and Conservation
It is never too young to learn about keeping our crags clean. We normally take a spare bag for the rubbish that we find, although it tends to be me that picks it up unless we have gloves or a litter picker. Giving kids the knowledge about why we brush chalk off holds, climbing with clean feet (no gritty shoes) and keeping the pads clean, is definitely a must.
Education about not climbing on wet Is very important! Wet rock becomes far more fragile, especially sandstone, where the hard crust can be erode easily when wet or after a shower.

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Things to Take

 

We are compiling a list of things to take to the crag for kids and babies. This is by no means definitive and it does not include all the normal things you would have in a nappy bag, for instance.

I’m sure we will have missed some things, so please do get in contact if you have anything you can add to the list.

 

  • Snacks/food

  • Drinks (hot flask if it’s cold) and or bottles/sippy cups.

  • If it’s going to be sunny; Sun cream, sunglasses, sun hat

  • Tarp (and cord to tie it up) if it’s bright and exposed

  • Mosquito/tick repellent bands

  • If it’s going to be cold; hats, gloves, warm socks, coat, hand warmers

  • If there is a risk of rain; all in one waterproofs or waterproof coat/trousers and wellies

  • Wipes (or toilet paper) with a Zip lock bag to take anything used tissue home with you.

  • More snacks

  • Picnic blanket (if not taking pads)

  • Extra clothes/layers

  • First Aid kit (see below)

  • Toys/entertainment (see below)

  • Climbing gear (see below)

  • Litter picking bag and gloves/litter picker

  • More snacks

Extra things for Babies

  • Carrier/sling/pushchair

  • Baby pop up tent for sleeping in

And or

  • Phil and Teds carrier for sleeping in

  • Nappy bag essentials

  • Feeding stuff

 

Toys/entertainment

  • Trucks/diggers/cars

  • Bucket

  • Marble/round pebble

  • Hammocks/sling/carabiners

  • Compass

  • Drawing stuff

  • Books (we have some mini books that they don’t have at home, we keep only for the crag, so they are not board of them)

  • (Older kids) Headphones, audio books/pod casts

  • Magnifying glass

 

Climbing gear

  • Shoes

  • Rag/carpet/mat

  • Brush

  • Tape

  • Helmets/harnesses if rope climbing

 

First aid kit

  • Sting cream/after bit

  • Savlon or antiseptic cream

  • Multiple Eye wash (saline bottles) , ( very important in Fontainebleau with all the sand)

  • Plasters

  • Bandages

  • Dressings

  • Antiseptic wipes

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Tape

  • Tweezers

  • Insect repellent

  • Antihistamine medicines/cream

  • Thermometer (small forehead strip)

  • Paracetamol medicine