Walking the Viking Way with children can go either way. Some days they’re full of energy and curiosity, other days it’s a long path, a big sky peppered with a lot of: “How much further?”.
Well, have we got the answer! Two simple tools help shift things in the right direction: the 50 Things to Look Out For list and a set of I‑Spy sheets that have been specially-created for families exploring the rambling route.
Debby Braund, Countryside Access and Community Projects Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, says these activities have already changed the way families can use the trail.
She said: “Parents tell us the sheets make a huge difference. Kids stop dragging their feet. They start spotting things and they take the lead.
“It turns the walk into something shared rather than something they’re being dragged along for – the aim of the sheets was always to make the Viking Way feel open to everyone.
“You don’t need to be a seasoned walker either, you just need a bit of curiosity. The sheets do the rest.”
The 50 Things list is simple. It gives children a set of small discoveries to look for as they walk like specific wildlife, landmarks or odd local features. These are the details in the landscape that are easy to miss when you’re focused on distance rather than what’s around you and kids can tick things off as they go.
It works on any stretch of the route too, whether you’re doing a short circular walk or a longer section.
The I‑Spy sheets take the idea a bit further. There are themed sheets for buildings and features, landscape, wildlife, trees and rights of way. Children pick the theme they like and then they’re the ones scanning hedgerows, pointing out a stile, arguing over whether a tree counts or not. It gives them a bit of ownership around the walk.
But what these activities really do is slow the pace in a good way. You stop to look at a building you’ve passed a dozen times without thinking or you notice a bird call (natter about a tree shape or a field boundary – loads of things). The Viking Way becomes less of a line on a map and more of a place you’re actually in, whilst enjoying the county.
Everything is free to download from Visit Lincolnshire, and you can use the sheets on any part of the route. Go and grab them now, and get on with the spotting and ticking whilst racking up the miles!
Website links:
50 things to look out for - Visit Lincolnshire
Viking Way - Visit Lincolnshire