Book review: Amazing Family Adventures by Jen and Sim Benson

Our book review of Amazing Family Adventures by Jen and Sim Benson.

Avid adventurers should be familiar with the Bensons. They are authors of multiple books on getting out in the great outdoors, and they encourage and inspire families to explore what the UK has to offer. Amazing Family Adventures is published by the National Trust, so of course, focuses on active and adventurous things to do in National Trust locations around the UK, but ideas could easily be replicated elsewhere.

The book is split into four sections: ‘starting out: easy adventures for everyone’, ‘the next step: bigger challenges for up and coming adventurers’, ‘a step further: Great adventures in wild places’ and ‘giant leaps: extreme challenges for the brave and bold’, so it is easy to find appropriate adventures depending on family ages and abilities. All of the ideas look great fun for adults.

There are tons of interesting and adventurous ideas, and there is a good mix of things to do with other people as well as just the family. For younger children I liked the idea of going hunting for fossils down at Birling Gap, or taking a holiday on the Jurassic Coast to do the same. As they get older, I want to make a raft to sail on, and go on an island adventure to Lundy in Devon or Northey Island in Essex, camp in the wild, and go sea kayaking. There are also some great recommendations for which National Trust places are good for different things e.g. best for beaches, best for buggies, best for camping, best for teenagers, plus some inspiring weekend away ideas.

The book is beautifully designed, easy to read, with lots of amazing photos, and it’s a joy to have a publication that flies the flag for enjoying the outdoors in the UK with the kids.