Take a different route
Explore a familiar area from a new direction. Choose an accessible route and notice five things you usually miss.
IT IS MY YEAR · BEGIN ANY DAY
A year of small adventures.
Fifty-two ways to make a little more room for life. Try one each week, in any order. Choose free, low-budget, mid-budget or higher-budget ideas to suit your plans.
52 ideas
“Together” works for a partner, friend or relative. Adapt any idea to your needs. Free assumes access to the everyday items mentioned. Paid bands are planning guides per person, not provider quotes; prices vary. Include travel and extras, and multiply per-person costs for couples or families. Spending more is optional.
Opening your year…
Cook a new recipe
Pick an affordable recipe, check dietary needs and use ingredients you already have where possible.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Cook something special together
Set a budget for a new cuisine, buy a few ingredients and make an evening of preparing a meal together.
Higher budget · £100+
Try a cookery class together
Look for a hands-on class in a cuisine you both want to learn. Check the full cost, dietary options and what is included.
Make a tiny photo story
Take five photos that tell the story of an ordinary day. Ask permission before photographing people.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Learn a new photography skill
Choose a short photography workshop or guided photo walk within your budget. Your existing phone or camera may be enough.
Higher budget · £100+
Make a photography day of it
Plan a dedicated workshop or one-to-one lesson with a photographer. Agree the equipment requirements and full cost before booking.
Have a games evening
Choose a card, board or word game and make an evening of it.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Take your games evening out
Look for a board-game café, bowling session or family games venue. Add admission, food and travel before deciding.
Higher budget · £100+
Plan a family activity day
Choose a larger activity outing such as an attraction or a guided family experience. Check ages, accessibility and the total price for everyone.
Visit your library
Browse a shelf you do not usually visit and borrow something that catches your eye.
Share a favourite song
Each choose three songs and explain why they matter to you.
Try a sketch walk
Take a notebook outside or draw the view from your window. Aim to notice, not to impress.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Join a drawing workshop
Try a short drawing or painting class and find out whether materials are supplied. Choose for curiosity rather than expecting a perfect result.
Higher budget · £100+
Spend a day learning a creative skill
Look for a full-day art workshop or a one-to-one lesson. Check materials, duration and the cancellation terms.
Make a breakfast occasion
Use what you have to turn an ordinary breakfast into a shared moment.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Make brunch an occasion
Choose a breakfast or brunch venue you have wanted to try. Agree an overall budget and leave time for a relaxed conversation.
Higher budget · £100+
Plan an overnight breakfast escape
If it fits your budget, arrange a short stay with breakfast somewhere you both want to explore. Check accommodation, travel and extras together.
Discover local history
Find a local history trail or read about the street where you live.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Bring local history to life
Choose a paid heritage attraction or guided history outing suitable for everyone. Check whether tickets and activities are charged separately.
Higher budget · £100+
Plan a heritage weekend
Build a short family trip around a place or period you want to explore. Add accommodation, tickets, meals and transport before booking.
Write a letter
Send someone a handwritten note about a memory you value.
Have a picnic
Pack food from home and choose a suitable spot, indoors if the weather disagrees.
Learn a simple phrase
Choose a language and learn how to greet someone and say thank you.
Plan a no-spend date
Take turns planning an hour together using only what is already available.
Make a family timeline
List memorable moments and let everyone add their version of the story.
Watch the sky change
Set aside ten minutes to watch the clouds or sunset from a comfortable place.
Explore a free exhibition
Look for a local free museum or exhibition. Check opening times and accessibility before leaving.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Explore a ticketed exhibition
Choose an exhibition, guided gallery visit or cultural event within your budget. Check opening dates and accessibility.
Higher budget · £100+
Make a cultural day away
Plan a day or short stay around an exhibition or performance you both care about. Include tickets, travel and meals in the total.
Build a blanket den
Create a cosy reading corner with cushions and blankets.
Try a new writing prompt
Write a page beginning with: If I gave myself permission…
Swap a skill
Teach each other something small: a recipe, a knot, a shortcut or a craft.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Learn a skill together
Book a short beginner workshop in something you would both enjoy, such as pottery, crafts or cooking. Ask what is included.
Higher budget · £100+
Try a full-day shared workshop
Choose a longer creative or practical course together. Check skill level, materials and the overall price before committing.
Grow something
Try growing herbs or seeds with suitable supplies and space.
Make a personal playlist
Collect songs for a new chapter of your life.
Take a curiosity walk
Let each person choose something to investigate along a safe route.
Try a new café ritual at home
Make a drink, put the phones away and ask each other a question you have never asked.
Learn a paper craft
Try origami or make a handmade card from spare paper.
Have a themed film night
Choose a theme together and use a film you can already access.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Make it a cinema date
Choose a film and cinema that suit your budget. Include tickets, snacks and any travel when planning.
Higher budget · £100+
Make a night of a live performance
Choose a theatre show, concert or other performance and plan a meal or stay if your budget allows. Check the full booking total.
Make a time capsule
Write messages to your future selves and choose a date to open them.
Explore a local market
Browse for inspiration without needing to buy anything.
Read somewhere different
Take a book to a park, a quiet room or a different chair for twenty minutes.
Create a scavenger hunt
Make a short list of things to spot at home or in a suitable public space.
Ask about a favourite memory
Give someone your full attention while they tell a story from their life.
Try an unfamiliar ingredient
Choose one within your budget and dietary needs, and find a simple way to use it.
Make a shared vision page
Collect words and sketches showing experiences you would like to share.
Have an indoor camping evening
Tell stories and enjoy a picnic on the floor, without needing outdoor equipment.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Try a campsite night
Consider a suitable local campsite using equipment you already have or can borrow. Check pitch fees, facilities and the forecast.
Higher budget · £100+
Plan a cabin or glamping stay
Choose a family stay with facilities that suit your needs. Check the full cost, sleeping arrangements and cancellation terms.
Learn a short poem
Choose a poem you can freely access and read it aloud.
Visit a nearby green space
Spend time in a suitable park or garden and notice the season.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Visit a garden or nature event
Choose a garden, guided nature walk or seasonal event. Check admission, parking and any event fees.
Higher budget · £100+
Plan a nature break together
Arrange a short countryside or coastal stay if it suits your budget. Choose an accessible itinerary and total the travel and accommodation costs.
Create a family recipe page
Write down a favourite recipe and the story behind it.
Spend an hour offline
Choose an enjoyable activity and put your phone aside for a manageable hour.
Try a two-person drawing
Take turns adding to the same drawing without deciding the outcome in advance.
Make something from packaging
Use clean, safe spare materials to build or decorate something together.
Find a new podcast
Choose an episode from our topic pages and note one idea to explore.
Plan a dream day
Describe a day you would love, then choose one small part you can actually do.
Play tourist nearby
Find one local place you have never stopped to look at.
Write a thank-you list
Name five people who have helped you and thank one of them.
Try a shared reading hour
Read separately together, then share one interesting idea.
Make a mini talent evening
Everyone can share a joke, a drawing, a song or something they have learnt.
Learn one local nature fact
Identify a common tree or bird using a trusted guide. Leave wildlife undisturbed.
Recreate a happy memory
Choose a small element of a favourite day and bring it into this week.
Do a helpful act together
Ask someone what would help them and offer a manageable amount of time.
Make your own postcard
Draw or photograph a place you love and write a message about it.
Plan next season together
Each suggest one realistic experience to put on the calendar.
Create a year-in-moments page
Collect words, drawings or photos from experiences you want to remember.
Celebrate your year
Choose your favourite experience, reflect on what it meant and decide what to try next.
Optional mid- and higher-budget versions
Mid budget · £25–£100
Celebrate with a special outing
Choose a meal, activity or performance that marks what this year has meant to you. Agree your spending limit together.
Higher budget · £100+
Celebrate with a short break
Plan a memorable short stay or larger experience together. Choose for what matters to you and check the whole cost before booking.
Explore places and check current costs.
Use these official guides for ideas, then check availability and the full price with the organiser.
A little adventure, in a box.
The physical 52 Experiences card deck is in development. These digital ideas are free to explore now.