Build a Dam
Can you beat the water?
This is a fantastic challenge for active children who like to get wet! Dam building is a feat of engineering. It’s often a pretty muddy business, but incredibly satisfying. It’s impossible to stand back and watch the kids – you just have to get involved!
Find stones, leaves and sticks to build your dam and try to redirect the water.
A small stream is an ideal spot to head for, but if there isn’t a good one nearby, you can also beetle out after a downpour and set about redirecting rain water. Building pools and waterfalls, chicanes and fast-running shoots are all par for the course and then having races with leaves or sticks or anything else lying around adds a competitive element.
Preparation:
- Identify a good spot for your dam.
- Stones, sticks and leaves are often naturally deposited along the banks of streams – these are great for dam building.
Kit List:
- Watershoes/wellies
- A towel can be useful – just in case
Can you build a series of dams across a number of weeks? We like to visit our various dams to check on how long they last for.
Need some inspiration? Learn from the greatest ever dam builders…. beavers! Maybe don’t gnaw the trees though.
Similar ideas:
Whilst you’re building your dam, why not adventure upstream a little, build a rope swing, or set an ambush!?