Red fox by Danny Green/2020VISION
Thank you for signing up to 12 Days Wild
Let's go 12 Days Wild!
You'll soon receive an email with your first activity suggestions - and lots more inspiration over the coming weeks.
Your free digital pack
Your free resources will help you to get planning your 12 wild days!
Download your pack in English
Download your pack in Welsh
Explore some wild ideas
Ready to get started with planning? Here are some things you may want to try.
A robin perched on a lichen covered branch © Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography
Want to help wildlife near you? Try some of these! We have guides to help you with all our activities.
Plant a tree
Niall Benvie/2020VISION
Winter is a great time for tree planting! Focus on native trees and use our guide to help choose the right tree for your space.
Feed the birds
Learn how to feed birds in your garden and access our activity sheet to learn how to make your own feeder!
Build a bird box
Our step-by-step guide to building a bird box also helps you to choose the best location in your garden!
Clean bird feeders
It's really important that if you choose to provide bird feeders, you keep them clean. This will help protect birds from diseases.
Provide water for wildlife
Jon Hawkins, Surrey Hills Photography
On cold winter days, water can be frozen and hard for wildlife to find! Providing a saucer of fresh water can make a difference to wildlife.
A starry sky © Ed Marshall
Wrap up warm this winter and experience nature! We've got some great ideas and ways to help you explore your local wildlife.
Try stargazing
Download our guide to trying stargazing! Clear winter nights are the perfect time to try this.
Go for a wintry walk
There's still so much to see on a walk in the winter. Discover walks near you on our nature reserves!
Have a wildlife experience
From breath-taking murmurations of starlings, to ghostly barn owl sightings, explore some of the places that you can enjoy a wildlife experience this winter.
Identify bird song
Listen to some of the most common birdsong you're likely to hear. We explain how to tell the difference between them, and what to listen out for.
Become a festive wildlife detective
How many of these festive wildlife species can you spot? Download and print out this spotting sheet and take it on your adventures.
A holly branch and berries © Ross Hoddinott / 2020VISION
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, but it can also be full of waste. It doesn't need to be, though! There's lots of ways that you can reduce plastic, and the amount you throw away, this Christmas. Here are some ideas.
Ways to have an eco-Christmas
There are lots of ways you can help the planet this festive season.
Make eco-decorations
Our printable activity sheet shows how you can use dried oranges, pine cones and twigs to make beautiful, natural Christmas tree decorations!
Make eco-crackers
Did you know you can make your own Christmas crackers? Christmas crackers are full of plastic items - most of which are never used and are simple thrown away. But you can still have the fun of crackers without the waste.
You will need:
- Brown paper or recyclable wrapping paper (A4 size)
- Scissors
- Toilet roll tube
- Cracker snaps
- Double-sided tape
- Ruler
- String
- Plastic-free goodies to go inside
How to make the crackers:
- Put your toilet roll tube in the middle of your paper
- Put a cracker snap through the middle of the tube along with any eco-friendly presents you want in your cracker. You can even handwrite a joke or a wildlife fact!
- Roll the paper around the tube and secure using tape
- Twist the paper at one end of your cracker carefully and then secure it with string. Repeat this for the other end of your cracker too
Download your printable guide (jpg)
Make a glitter-free snow globe
Traditionally, glitter is made up of shiny microplastics that are really damaging to the environment and animals, especially in our seas. Try this glitter-free snow globe for an eco-friendly alternative. You will need:
- A glass jar with a lid
- Unused small Christmas decorations
- Craft glue
- White tissue paper, cotton wool or garden moss
- White paint and long brush
- Decorations from nature, such as twigs, pine cones, holly leaves and acorns
Step-by-step guide:
- Paint tiny white dots on the inside of your jar to imitate snow, then put aside to dry.
- On the inside of your jar lid, glue down scrunched-up tissue paper or cotton wool to look like snow, or try dried moss for a natural look. Only use moss from your own garden
- Glue your decorations on top of the 'snow' or moss. This is where you can get creative!
- Screw your lid back onto the jar and turn upside down to create a snow globe decoration!
Identifying grasses © Ross Hoddinott / 2020VISION
Embrace your creative streak and try some of these activities! They're perfect for rainy days.
Make your own owl mask
Download your free template to make and decorate owl masks. Fun for the whole family!
Help birds to avoid windows
Sadly, sometimes birds get confused by the reflections on glass and fly into windows. This can even kill birds. You can help them by making bird silhouettes to hang in your windows.
Decorate a tree
Create homemade decorations for a free! Download our printable activity sheet to try this at home.
Make a winter wreath
This winter wreath will look great on your front door this Christmas! Our free printable activity sheet gives you a step-by-step guide to trying this yourself.
Make ice decorations
Ice decorations can be a great way of embracing the cooler weather!
You will need:
- Saucers
- Kettle
- Boiled water that has been allowed to cool
- Natural items like leaves, feathers, berries and grass
- String or wool
- A freezer (if the weather isn't cold enough!)
Step-by-step guide:
- Place your saucers on a flat surface and put the end of your string into the saucer, making sure a long piece of left dangling over the edge
- Lay natural items in the saucer over the string
- Gently pour in cooled water (boiling it first helps to remove any bubbles)
- Put the saucers outside on a frosty night (or in the freezer)
- In the morning put the saucers in a tub of cold water to separate the ice
- Hang them around your garden as decorations
A murmuration of starlings © Guy Edwardes 2020VISION
Fundraising is a great way to make a difference for wildlife! We've a free guide for you to download filled with lots of ideas.