There are all kinds of wild animals living in the UK that you very rarely see in your day-to-day life. Discover which creatures live in your local area by using

traditional tracking techniques. You will need: a book or the internet for researching animals.

Other signs Keep an eye out for bent grass or fur on the ground to see if a deer or other animal has passed through the area. Nibbled leaves or fruit tree buds and torn

bark can be signs of a feeding omnivore, while carnivores such as foxes often leave a trail of bones or half-eaten animal carcasses.

Do your research Go online or visit your

local library to find out about your area. Discover the nearby places where wild animals are known to live, such as woods, local nature trails or around ponds.

Look for droppings If they are moist then

the animal has been there recently. If they are dry the creature has moved on. Use a stick to investigate. Bones show it’s a carnivore (meat-eater) and seeds show it’s an omnivore (plant-eater).

Examine tracks Mud or soil is best for

animal prints. Look at the shape to tell the difference between canine and feline. For example, canine prints have claw marks above the toe pads and the two front toes are side by side.

Warm up Prepare your body with

jumping jacks and stretches. Be sure to pay extra attention your wrists. Make sure you have enough space – clear away any furniture or put a mat on the floor.

Start your cartwheel Lead with your arm and kick

your legs off the ground. Balance your weight on your arms, as if in a handstand – your legs should be straight in the air in a v-shape and your back should be straight.

Get ready Place your feet hip-width

apart and stretch your arms above your head. Imagine a straight line and look down at the spot where you’ll put your hands to help you control your aim.

Finish Land in the opposite way to which you started – push off with your hands and your feet will land back on the ground. Bend your knee as you

swing each leg back to the ground. Stand up straight and give yourself a round of

Gymnasts make their performances seem easy but it takes a lot of practice to look so effortless. While not everyone will be able to execute a hands-free backflip, most people can achieve a cartwheel. You will need: space; comfortable clothing.

There’s something very satisfying about skimming a stone across a lake. Once you’ve learnt how to do it, all it takes is a bit of practice to improve. The world record for stone skimming is 57 skips. Think you can beat it? You will need: a body of water – lakes or

calm areas of rivers are best; a flat, skinny stone about the size of the palm of your hand.

Get a gripHold the sides of the

stone with your thumb on one side and your index and middle fingers on the other. You want a good grip so that you can send it spinning in a straight line.

Skim your first rock Keeping the stone parallel

with the water’s surface, flick it across the top of the water with a sharp movement of the wrist. It should bounce on and off the water.

Stand properly Stand sideways with your

feet shoulder-width apart. Your stone-throwing hand should be furthest away. Squat down so that when you throw, your stone is close to the water

Practice practice practice Experiment with different stone sizes and shapes, and your wrist movements. If the stone bounces off, try throwing it so the first skip is further away from you.

Find a tree Choose a big, sturdy

tree with branches that can comfortably support your weight. Lots of branches mean you have more places to put your hands and feet.

Touch the sky! Climb until you run out

of branches or as far as you feel comfortable. Now enjoy the view. Look down below (if you feel brave) or look up at the clouds and birds.

Get off the ground Choose a sturdy place for

your foot and look for a branch to grab. Imagine the climbing actions of a monkey. Seek out the tree’s knots and holes where you can put your hands and feet.

Start your descent To get back to the bottom of the tree, go slowly and take your time. It can help to climb down facing the

tree rather than trying to climb outwards. The slower you go, the less chance you have of falling.

Climbing a tree gives you a different view of the world. And getting up

there is half the fun! It shouldn’t be dangerous if you go slowly and stay

within your comfort zone. You will need: a tree; comfy clothes;

comfy shoes with a grippy sole.

Find a stick You can use a shop-

bought wooden skewer, or find a fallen twig. Choose a thin hardwood stick, not an evergreen one – you don’t want resin seeping into your marshmallow.

Toast itYou don’t want to set your

marshmallow on fire, so instead of putting it into the flames, hold it over low coals instead. Rotate your stick to evenly heat the marshmallow. Toast until it turns a golden colour.

Add your marshmallow Make sure that the end

of the stick goes through the other end of the marshmallow to prevent it from slipping off when it gets hot. You can add more than one if you feel particularly hungry.

Eat it (eventually…) Let the marshmallow cool down for 30 seconds to a minute before attempting to eat it. Burning your tongue will spoil the

experience so be patient. Then enjoy your own home-toasted treat.

There’s something extra delicious about marshmallows cooked over a fire in the great outdoors. They couldn’t be easier to make and taste great sandwiched

between two chocolate digestive biscuits. You will need: marshmallows; a long stick; a fire; water (just in case!).

Test yourself Draw a short route on a map. Go to the starting position and use your new skills to complete the route. Make sure the red needle remains inside the orienting

arrow or you’ll find yourself travelling in totally the wrong direction.

Study your compassThe red part of the

compass needle always points towards magnetic north. It’s not the same as the ‘north’ symbol, which is there to help you find ‘true north’.

Start walkingHolding the compass, turn

until the red needle is aligned with the orienting arrow on the housing. Follow the travel arrow, adjusting your direction to keep the red needle inside the orienting arrow.

Add a mapMark your location and

where you want to go on a map and align the compass edge between the two points. Rotate the compass housing until the orienting arrow is aligned with north on the map.

Using a hand-held compass is a fun and easy way to learn about navigation. When used with a map, it can help you work out how to get between two

points, and can even help you find your way if you get lost in the wild. You will need: a compass; a map.

It’s fun being in a club and it’s even better if you create it yourself. A secret society gives you a chance to talk about things that you

find interesting with your friends. You will need: at least one other friend; a meeting place; stationery to make membership cards and draw up rules.

Have your first meeting To keep your society secret

you could meet in a new place each time or meet in someone’s den. To gain access all members must use the secret password. Set a dress code, such as wearing a certain colour, and make sure badges are worn.

Choose a theme Are you an animal-lover? Do you like books by a certain author? Are you mad about a particular sport? Create a society that will allow you to talk about your interest, share photos and tell stories.

Initiate members Make invitations or find a

quiet moment to ask others to join your society. Hold an initiation ceremony. This could be reciting a poem or a pledge. Give out membership cards and badges, decide on a password and create a secret handshake.

Set some rules You and your closest

friend should discuss what to call your secret society. Once you have a name you might like to make membership cards and badges. Write your rules on a large sheet of paper so no one forgets.

You can make a den out of almost anything, and make it as simple or sophisticated as you like. Remember to leave the woods the way you found them.

This means tidying up and taking your litter with you. You will need: fallen branches; bendy sticks; leaves; string and old rope; a tarpaulin or old sheets.

Choose an areaWoods and forests are the

ideal location for a den, thanks to all the natural building materials you can find there. To make sure your structure is solid, choose a dry, flat spot.

Start buildingTo create a structure start by

leaning larger sticks against a tree trunk or low branch, like a wig-wam. Fill in gaps with twigs and leaves. Keep your den lightweight so it won’t hurt you if it collapes.

Collect materialsUse branches, leaves and

twigs found in the woods or take along some extras to make your den fancy. To make it waterproof you’ll need plastic dust sheets or a tarpaulin.

Settle in Now the hard work is out of the way, it’s time to enjoy your creation. Lay a sheet or blanket on the floor inside and get inside. Eat snacks, read comics

or invite a friend to come and play cards.

Go online and find the caches

Find a UK geocaching website, such as gagb.co.uk, and look for local caches. Prepare some goodies for when you reach a cache – a small toy, keyring or trinket.

Open the cache Browse the goodies within

the cache and decide if you want to trade. You should always trade something of equal or greater value to keep things fair and honest. Make a new entry in the logbook within the cache.

Track it downUse your GPS to navigate

your way to the cache. Once you find the cache, take note of how it has been hidden. You will need to put it back in exactly the same way as you found it.

Treasure hunting just got high-tech! Use a handheld GPS receiver unit to guide you to a destination, where a hidden container (or cache) is stored. Once found, you log your visit and trade one of the goodies inside for one of your own. You will need: a GPS unit (many smartphones have a built-

in GPS function); a small item for trading at the cache.

Log your finds Return home and log into your chosen caching website. Find your cache and make a digital log to record what you’ve found. Enjoy your cache treasures!

Choose the best placeLocate a narrow part of

the stream. This will be the best place to build a dam as there is a smaller amount of water flowing through.

Construct the damUse stones, sticks, gravel and

mud to create the base, placing large objects on the outside, then filling in with smaller stuff. Water pressure is greatest at a dam’s base, so it must be wider here.

Divert the water Use a shovel to dig a trench

upstream from where you’d like to build your dam. Make sure the channel goes around your dam area and back into the stream’s original course downstream.

Have you heard the story of King Canute, who tried to tell the sea to go back? You’d be just as unlucky if you tried to turn back the sea but you can control the flow of a stream by building a

dam. You will need: a small stream; a shovel; gravel; rocks; sticks; twigs; Welly boots.

Test it out Fill in the channel you dug earlier, starting upstream, and watch as the stream returns to its original route. Once this diversion channel is blocked,

the stream should return to its natural course and be blocked by your dam.