The Night-Time Adventure Notebook: 50 Things to Do Before You’re 11¾

As we might expect, a book like this for The National Trust – responsible for protecting important places and spaces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – aims to encourage children’s love of and knowledge about nature.  The 50 night-time activities are divided into five sections:  Make (create a feast for a hedgehog), See (go on a bat walk), Try (sleep under the stars), Play (follow a cat) and Experiment (test your night vision). Each page sets out an adventure, provides some ‘top tips’ and leaves a space for children’s writing and drawing. The ideas for children’s creative response are imaginative and include making a moon chart, drawing the eyes of different night-time creatures  and designing a scary forest.

The authors want children to be adventurous and resourceful but it is made clear that exploring the outdoors  at night and telling stories round a fire need adult supervision.  Children aged about 8-10, and some younger ones too, will be inspired to observe and record what they see, but the book also celebrates the special, mysterious atmosphere of night time. The last page shows an adult and child with their dog looking up into the inky darkness at a full moon.