Summer Spectacular Week Nine

To help keep your holidays super fun, creative and budget friendly, there will be 63 unique activity ideas to unlock. Each week, another seven ideas, plus a puzzle, will be released. This is the final week. Check out the full schedule here. We hope you find some great ideas to keep you entertained!

Can you believe that the summer is almost over? Don't worry, there's still bank holiday fun to look forward to, and your spectacular summer will go out with a bang with these final seven activities.

Plus, in case of rainy weather, there's another puzzle for you to crack. Teresa Trayals was photographing animals during her latest adventure, but she managed to hold her camera the wrong way around each time! Can you help her review the footage to reveal which animal on her list she still needs to track down? Check the answers here when you've solved it.

Here are the seven activities for this week...

Spend time outside in the evening looking for wildlife. You'll get the best data if you start looking around sunset when it's easier to see. Find somewhere where you can sit and observe for an hour or so, so you don't disturb and frighten off any wildlife. What animals did you see?

Keep your eyes on the sky as well as the ground - there's a good chance you'll spot bats and owls as well as hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. You could even take part in a national survey, like the Bat Conservation Trust's Sunset and NightWatch surveys.

While you're waiting for the sun to set, can you help Teresa Trayals track down some animals in this week's puzzle?

Make your own mini-movie. Come up with a storyline, and decide what shots you'd like to get. Will you have people as characters? Or maybe use objects from around your house?

Before you start, it's important to know what video editing software you have access to. Do you have a way to crop your clips and link them together, or will you have to record your scenes in order without any mistakes?

When you're ready, film your shots and share the final mini-movie with your friends and family!

Unearthing twisting tales and lesser-known facts can be just as exciting as discovering hidden gems and unusual sights when you explore.

Today, go on an alternative walking tour, like The London Cheese Crawl, which features a cheesy quiz and plenty of snacks, or the EDITburgh Tour, which adds a comedic twist and provides you with plenty of spoof historical 'facts'!

If you’re brave enough to venture out in the dark to see what goes bump in the night, there are ghost walks scattered across the UK just waiting for their next victim visitor, like these fantastic tours in York, Bath and St Ives.

Did you know that there used to be 2000 bottle ovens in and around Stoke-on-Trent, which were used for firing pottery? They stopped being used in 1956, and the last one was fired on 29th August 1978, 45 years ago.

To celebrate the anniversary, it’s time to get sculpting. Research the newest outdoor sculpturein your area, or find a local art gallery displaying sculptures. Visit it, and then attempt to recreate it at home using modelling clay or plasticine (you could also try papermache or other craft supplies).

Are you ready to go back to school? Can you remember all your subjects? Maybe you should brush up on your science skills by conducting an experiment!

Some easier experiments that can be done with household supplies include bouncing bubbles, chromatography and DIY lava lamps. With a few extra supplies and safety equipment, you could try elephant toothpaste or rockets. And with a little patience, you could even grow your own crystals and dye flowers!

Give yourself a badge or an award for your summer achievements! What would it be? Have you been adventurous? Are you now a history hunter, a nature lover or a culture vulture? Maybe you've been a top friend, ate all your veggies or washed all the dishes. Well, you deserve a badge for that!

Design it and wear it for the day. Think about the colours and imagery you use, and how many words will fit on it. You could also design and award badges to your friends and family, highlighting qualities you admire about them or rewarding them for the work they do in their hobbies.

Well, September is finally here. Whether you’re already back at school or are due back next week (or you're a non-teaching grown-up), there’s still time for one more summer activity and a weekend of adventures before it’s time to start winding down for Autumn.

For International Letter Writing Day, write and send a letter, card or postcard to a friend or family member. Tell them about what you go up to this summer. You could add doodles and include pictures or mementoes too. Make sure you include your address so they can reply. Who knows – maybe you’ll inspire them to make summer 2024 spectacular!

This is the final week of Summer Spectacular activities, and 63 ideas are already available - check the main page to see what you've missed!

For more ideas, head to our Hidden Treasure blog to discover even more activity and exploration inspiration, like Holiday Bingo and the 30 Days Outdoors challenge.