Go for a walk in the forest
It’s free. It’s healthy. And it’s a lot of fun. A walk in the forest is a good experience for the whole family.
The forest is open at all times of the year. As the seasons change, there are new things to see and experience in the forest. Everyone can take part in and enjoy a good walk. The Danish Forest and Nature Agency has published leaflets with suggestions for routes that can be walked, including routes that are suitable for disabled persons and thus accessible for wheelchairs. See more here at: Danish Forest and Nature Agency

The forest is a treasure trove of adventures
You can pick berries, wild mushrooms and other things that can be used as decorations, or else you can collect any conkers lying on the ground and use them as building blocks for a miniature zoo. All you need is a box of matches and a little imagination.

Nature’s necklaces
Many trees shed their fruit in the autumn and you can use many of these fruits as pearls – and thus make the most beautiful necklaces. You can also use leaves, feathers, snail shells, pieces of wood, stones and other things you find on the forest floor.

Autumn images using the leaves of the forest
The forest floor is covered with attractive autumn leaves which can be put together to make beautiful autumn collages. Collect some autumn leaves, small twigs, acorns and beech nuts in the forest. Dry any leaves on a newspaper or in a telephone book between two pieces of kitchen towel if you want to make them flat. Glue the dry leaves, acorns, etc., onto a piece of black cardboard and then frame this example of nature’s art.

Be active in the forest
You can also sail on lakes and watercourses – but remember that you must sail in a boat without a motor. You can ride on horseback, run in an orienteering event, ride a mountain bike or take part in an orienteering competition on a mountain bike, make food at a fire ring, go hunting, go fishing, have fun at a nature playground, watch and take part in role-play activities and much more besides.

Go mushroom picking
Hunting for wild mushrooms is an incredibly enjoyable family pursuit. Who can find the best, the most delicious or the greatest quantity of mushrooms – and at the same time you’re sure to learn a lot about the countryside as you go.

You can pick mushrooms at all times of the year in Denmark, but the best time of year is from the beginning of July until the end of October before the frosts get too severe. The harvest may be disappointing if the weather is too dry – mushrooms grow best when the weather’s warm and wet.

Many people regard chanterelles as the best of the edible mushrooms. They begin to appear in July and the season lasts until the autumn. They are followed by many other delicious mushrooms, e.g. the exquisite porcini. They are primarily found in deciduous and coniferous woodland, whilst field mushrooms, as the name suggests, grow out in the fields.

Picking mushrooms is an inexpensive hobby – a small sharp knife, a brush and a basket for whatever you harvest is all that you need to take with you. It’s also highly recommended that you take a pocket mushroom guide with you so that you can identify which mushrooms are edible and which are inedible, or perhaps even toxic.

Let the kids loose in National Park Thy
There are two forest playgrounds in the national park – in the dune plantations of Tved Klitplantage and Vilsbøl Klitplantage – where the kids can enjoy the natural surroundings and make dens as if they were small Tarzans.

In the clearings between maple, ash and beech you’ll find swings, slides, a climbing net and zip wires – all constructed in wood – where you can have a lot of fun. Everyone in the family gets the chance to use their head, their body and all their senses.

Large tree trunks lie on the ground and offer the chance to test your balance or as a place to take a short breather. At tables and benches under covered wooden pavilions you can enjoy your packed lunch. Small fire rings can be used to make a barbecue or bake twistbread or just to light a cosy bonfire.