Wild about Autumn Blogger Challenge: Getting kids outside! – NOW CLOSED

Why is outdoor time important for kids?

Do you remember the excitement of flying a kite as a kid, the achievement of building your own den in the woods or the fun of collecting conkers?

We do, in fact, truth be told we are all big kids at AliKats! We are passionate about the great outdoors, and whether its unstructured play time or a family camping trip, we love seeing our three children thrive when they are outside having fun in nature.

Unfortunately this is not the case for all kids, and it saddens our hearts to read reports that young kids today aren’t spending enough time outdoors. The Association of Play Industries (API) recently reported that by the age of eight, the average child will have spent one full year sitting in front of a screen. Just imagine how much of this time could have been spent outside being active, learning new skills, building self-esteem and engaging their imagination – all activities that improve a child’s mental and physical health.

Last year we were excited to discover the Going Wild authors Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield (pictured above). We were blown away by their imaginative books, which encourage parents and children to switch off their screens and get outside to discover a wealth of new activities using the simple resources nature has to offer.

This was perfect for us during the wet months in the mountains, we found lots of imaginative ways to have heaps of fun at the bottom of the garden, in the woods or fields during rainy, cold and snowy weather.

This sparked our imaginations and we invited Going Wild to team up with us to start the Wild About Autumn Blogger Challenge, to encourage families to reconnect with their wild side and get outside this autumn.

The Challenge

This autumn we’re challenging parenting bloggers with young children to come up with ideas for outdoor fun and share their wild adventures to encourage more families to get their kids outside no matter what the weather.

Going Wild authors Jo and Fiona will judge the entries and pick a winner to receive a family ski holiday in a catered chalet with AliKats Mountain Holidays (see prize details below). As a thank you for taking part, every blogger in the challenge will receive a copy of their new book Wild Things, published by Lonely Planet Kids, which includes over 100 magical outdoor adventures, like tracking dragons and making magic wands out of natural material!

How to take part (for bloggers)

• Embark on a wild adventure in the outdoors with your kids. This could be an activity from your own imagination, something inspired by a storybook or the rediscovery of an old pastime, like building a den or miniature sailboat. Feel free to get as creative as you like! Visit the beach, the woods, a duck pond, your local park or have fun in the garden!

• Create a blog post about your wild adventure. Remember we’re aiming to inspire other families to round up their kids and get outside, so make it fun and imaginative, and show how families can create this activity for themselves.

• Please make it clear you are entering this challenge by linking to this webpage and mentioning that your post is for the ‘Wild about Autumn Blogger Challenge created by AliKats Mountain Holidays and judged by Going Wild authors Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield’

• Don’t forget to share your post with the #wildaboutautumn hashtag on social media

• Email kimberly@alikats.eu with a link to your blog post before the closing date at midnight on Sunday 17^th November 2019.

The prizes

• One winner will receive a 7-night chalet holiday with AliKats Mountain Holidays:
  • Fixed dates apply, the holiday must be taken on one of the following weeks: 14^th – 21^st December 2019 or 12^th – 19^th December 2020
  • The holiday is for a couple or a family of four people ( 2 x adults and 2 x kids)
  • The holiday includes accommodation (a family room) in a luxury chalet and half board catering (breakfast and a three course dinner on five nights)
  • Ski equipment, ski passes, resort transfers and lift passes are not included, however there is the option of writing a further blog post reviewing your holiday with links to the relevant suppliers to gain significant discounts on these items.
• Flights are not included.
• All participants will receive a copy of the book Wild Things written by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield. This will be sent to the address you supply after your blog post has been submitted

Terms & Conditions

• The Wild about Autumn Blogger Challenge is run by AliKats Mountain Holidays, of 72 Chemin de la Cherry, 74110, Montriond, France
• The closing date for entry will be at 23:59 (GMT) on 17^th November 2019.
• All participating bloggers will receive the book Wild Things
• One blogger will be picked by judges to receive the top prize
• The top prize is accommodation and catering in the form of a catered chalet holiday in an AliKats Mountain Holidays chalet and excludes travel costs. Fixed dates apply for taking your holiday with the option of the weeks of the 14^th – 21^st December 2019 or the12^th – 19^th December 2020.
• Entries that are deemed inappropriate and/or offensive will not be included. You are liable for the content of your entry.
• Only one entry per blogger.
• There is no cost involved to enter. Any costs involved in purchasing items or facilitating activities for the challenge will not be covered.
• AliKats Mountain Holidays takes no responsibility for any damage to persons or materials obtained whilst taking part in this challenge. We ask you to keep your family’s safety in mind when planning outdoor activities
• The winner will be notified by email on Friday 29^th November 2019. The winner must respond by email to confirm whether they accept their prize within 7 days of AliKats Mountain Holidays sending notification. The prize will go unclaimed if no notification of acceptance is received.
• The organiser (AliKats Mountain Holidays) may vary or amend the promotion at its absolute discretion.