The UK is quite famous for rain but that doesn’t stop it from having loads of things to do outdoors. Whether you like climbing or sailing; kayaking or skateboarding; horse-riding, cycling or hiking, there are hundreds of different out-door activites you can enjoy.

For a start the UK has a lot of parks all of which contain some great outdoor activities for young people. Wherever you live in the UK you are bound to find a local park near you, many of which will have tennis courts and playing fields that you are free to use, but check the notices first just to make sure – if you can’t find any notices then go ahead and use them until someone tells you otherwise!

You may also find that your local park has other great facilities such as skate-parks or BMX tracks, and all of them should have a playground for the younger ones. Certain larger parks in the UK will also have horse-riding facilities but if not then you may find a stable near you where you can hire horses for 1- 2 hours or take a riding lesson with a qualified instructor. Many stables also offer longer sessions where you learn how to groom the horse and look after the stables as well as learning how to ride.

Popular Activities

Because the UK is an island it has a long tradition of sailing, and you do not need to live near the sea to make the most of it. There are sailing clubs in lakes and reservoirs all over the country – you can even take sailing lessons right in the middle of London, one of the biggest cities in the world. Rowing is also a popular outdoor activity, especially as the British rowing team have won gold at the 5 seperate Olympic games in a row.

Another really popular activity in the UK is hiking, thanks to the hundreds of miles of designated public footpaths that cross the entire country. If you love the out-doors and think that hiking and camping sounds like fun, then why not think about joining the Boy Scouts or the Girl Guides? These are organisations that were set up back in the early 1900s to teach young people practical skills, such as putting up tents and orienteering. Today they are huge global organisations with associations in over 20 countries and a membership of around 360,000 young people.

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If you feel really adventurous you could head to one of the UK’s national parks where you can take part in rock-climbing courses or mountain biking holidays. You can head down to Cornwall where you will find miles of sandy beaches and some of the best places to surf in Europe, or you can stay in the city and head out to one of the UK’s world-class skateboarding parks.

Outdoor activities in the UK are fun and well-organised with lots of options for you to choose from. If you love the outdoors then there is no excuse for staying in and staring at a computer screen when the whole of the great British outdoors is waiting for you to discover it, so forget about the weather and get that adrenalin pumping!

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USEFUL WORDS

Places

national park = an area of land which is protected by the government for people to visit because of its natural beauty and historical or scientific interest

countryside = land outside towns and cities with fields, woods etc.

playing fields = a large area of grass, usually with lines marked on it, where people play sports and games

lake = a large area of water which is surrounded by land

reservoir = a natural or artificial lake where water is stored before it is taken by pipes to houses, sometimes also used for water sports

skate park = an area built for people to use skateboards with slopes, curves etc.

tennis court

BMX track = an area of rough ground where people ride strong bicycles

playground = an outdoor area where children can play

Activities

hiking = going for long walks in the countryside for pleasure

rowing

surfing

kayaking = travelling in a light narrow boat which you move along the water with a paddle

skateboarding

horseriding

grooming a horse = cleaning or brushing a horse

camping

putting up a tent

orienteering = following a route across country on foot as quickly as possible using a map and compass

rock climbing

mountain biking

Boy Scout / Girl Guide = a member of an organisation which trains young people in practical skills and allows them to take part in a lot of activities, for example, camping

adrenalin = a substance produced in the body when you are excited, afraid or angry

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Else

Else means ‘other’

What else do we need for our camping trip? (What other things…?)

Who else did you invite to play tennis with us? (Which other people…?)