Day 14 : Take part in magical woodland storytelling at a community farm

Sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs and cows - get up close to farm animals and see how Lawrence Weston Community Farm produces local food - they even have an apiary full of bees busily making honey. As a free outdoor educational experience there's lots to do including a secret garden, orchard and woodland walk (try to spot the water voles!)

And if all that's not enough then Lawrence Weston Community Farm will be holding a magical woodland storytelling for people to join in on Tuesday the 14th of Aug from 1.30 to 3.30pm It's FREE so just turn up on the day, further details and directions available here. Don't forget to give Bear the pig a tickle!

If you'd like to find out where your nearest city farm or community garden is then download this map from farmgarden.org.uk

Day 13 : Go cloud collecting

They're all around and constantly changing - so why not try cloud collecting?
It's an easy way to enjoy being outdoors, impress others with your weather prediction skills and you can even send your photos into the Cloud Appreciation Society. They have a quick reference guide for cloud collectors and an impressive photo gallery of unusual clouds from all around the world. There's even a gallery of clouds that look like things - so if you spot a giant mouse, teapot or battleship be sure to have a camera ready!

You can learn all about clouds, how to identify them, what causes them and what they are made of in this video and quiz from the Natural History Museum (there's also the chance to enter a competition).

Day 11 : Wildflower and Butterfly walk at Dolebury Warren

Walk through the rolling meadows of Dolebury Warren near Churchill taking in the stunning views across the Mendips. To discover all the best bits about this reserve in summertime download this walk which will make sure you don't miss any of the highlights which include an iron age hill fort, a medieval rabbit warren, prime viewpoints and meadows brimming with unusual wildflowers and rare butterflies.

You can help butterflies by stopping off along the way to do the Big Butterfly Count survey - just download this easy butterfly spotting sheet and find a spot to relax, you'll be amazed at how many butterflies pass you by in just 15 minutes! (don't forget to submit your butterfly count online later).

It's also worth keeping an look out for buzzards which are often seen soaing over the slopes of Dolebury Warren and the surrounding Mendips.

For directions and details about this special Avon Wildlife Trust nature reserve click here.

Day 10 : Balloons and birdsong for breakfast

You've probably already noticed that there's a Hot Air Balloon Fiesta going on in Bristol with nightglows and fireworks at Ashton Court between Thursday 9th and Monday 13th of Aug. It's all FREE to attend and further details can be found here.
Each day over 100 balloons make fly over Bristol towards Bath at 6am and again at 6pm. As they can be enjoyed practically anywhere along that route why not make a magical experience of this spectacle by getting up with the larks and taking breakfast in the local park as you watch all the balloons gracefully pass overhead. You'll also catch some of the dawn chorus, to know which birds you can hear check out this guide to birdsong from the Guardian.
If getting up early is a horrible prospect then many local parks hold mass picnic events in the evening to watch the balloons go over - such as Perretts Park in South Bristol who have a fantastic view of Bristol and the balloons approaching.

Day 9 : Gorilla Grubs at Arnos Vale

If you haven't explored Arnos Vale Cemetery yet then you're in for a treat - there are woodland trails, plenty of wildlife to look out for, an exhibition centre (handy for sheltering from the rain) and a cafe.
So why not pack up a picnic and head on over to Arnos Vale Cemetery on Thursday the 9th of Aug where there will be FREE minibeast activities. For details click here.

If you want to discover why minibeasts are so important and how you can attract all sorts of wildlife to your own garden then download this guide to making a bug hotel from the Royal Horticultural Society (finally an excuse for doing less gardening!) .

Day 8 : Let's go fly a kite . . .

If flying a kite isn't good enough reason to get outside in itself then you can make your very own kite with this hands on kite making workshop at the MShed on Wednesday the 8th of Aug from 2pm. FREE and suitable for children age 4 and above. For further details click here.
Whilst you are there make sure you don't miss the Urban Sports Exhibition at the MShed - you won't look at Bristol in the same way after seeing how urban sports, such as parkour, take on the cityscape.
If you want to try it out for yourself here's a handy little introduction to parkour (and where to find woods to train in) from visitwoods.org.uk

Day 7 : Fantastic Fossils at Bristol Museum

Here's a rainy day activity that should inspire a little curiosity about the natural world -
Did you know that Bristol has its very own dinosaur and it used to roam the Durdham Downs when it was a tropical landscape - You can learn more about Theco (as the dinosaur is affectionately known) and where it was found by checking out the Bristol Dinosaur Project.
You can handle real fossils at Bristol Museum and learn about what Bristol was like back then on Tuesday 7th Aug from 2-4pm  FREE ENTRY Click here for further details

Want to find your own trilobites, ammonites or sharks teeth? The Natural History Museum has this excellent fossil hunting guide for children. Local fossil sites can be found on the UK Fossils Network website which also gives each location a useful suitability rating for children. Other educational resources are available from the Discovering Fossils site. Happy hunting!

Day 6 : Explore Brandon Hill nature park

Time to take it easy and enjoy one of Bristol's best city centre wildlife havens - so pack a picnic, take the bus and spend the afternoon in the peaceful wildflower meadows of Brandon Hill nature park. Click here for directions.

1. Climb to the top of Cabot Tower to be rewarded with breathtaking views across the city. This is also a great spot to look out for peregrines which like to perch just across the way on the Wills Memorial Building. There's so much to see from up there that you'll be glad of having taken a pair of binoculars!
2. Then when you get back down to earth look for dragonflies in the pond - download this free spotters guide so you can tick off each type that you see! The pond is also home to toads, frogs and newts so tread carefully and avoid disturbing them.
3. Afterwards, treat yourself to some lovely homemade ice cream from the van at the top of the hill - scrumptious!

For an insight into what other wildlife there is on Brandon Hill then check out this wildlife map and photos from the wonderful Brandon Hill Nature Blog

Day 3 : Discover the bats of Browns Folly

Go bat spotting at dusk on Browns Folly nature reserve

Ancient woodland, quarries and wildflower grasslands make Browns Folly a great place to explore and at dusk you can discover some of its more nocturnal inhabitants.Click here to download a walk showing what to look out for - including Bat Caves! 

This extensive website tells you everything about bats and this special Avon wildlife Trust nature reserve. You can listen to bat podcasts and learn how bat detectors work on this site too. There's even a handy guide to building your own bat box for the garden to attract them to your area.

Directions and overview of the reserve can be found here