CREATING dens and tree houses and running free in the fields and woods were staple activities of summers past.

Children enjoyed far more freedom than they have now and the summer holidays gave them the opportunity to use their imaginations and seek their own entertainment.

In a few weeks time the schools will once again be closing for the long summer break, but these days the children are more likely to have a packed programme of pre-arranged events, days out and events rather than the responsibility enjoyed by many generations of making their own fun.

The times we live in now have certainly changed and there are many circumstances why children don't spend as much time in the fresh air.

Sadly though, in a society where exercise is emphasized as a way of keeping yourself fit for the future, the way we live now and the lack of appreciation of spending time in the great outdoors and learning about the wildlife inhabitants within is likely to impact on both health and well-being.

According to the RSPB Connecting with Nature report only one in five children are connected with nature and aren't spending a healthy amount of time outside.

It seems children in the UK are also missing out on mental and physical benefits which is why the RSPB has launched its Wild Parks initiative in collaboration with Aldi, encouraging people to uncover the wild side of their city.

Here in Bradford, one school doesn't need any encouragement to explore their outdoors and be conscious about conservation.

Situated close to one of the busiest commuter corridors into Bradford, St Columba's Catholic Primary School has spent the past four years or so creating a wildlife sanctuary within its grounds.

Staff and pupils have worked tirelessly creating The Quad, a natural square in the centre of school where children can learn about growing their own. It is educational too as sessions also tie in with the national curriculum.

Making their school grounds appealing to wildlife is imperative to staff and pupils who, more recently, have expanded their conservation environment to transform an un-used area into a meadow with a wildlife walk.

"At the bottom of school we had an un-used area. We decided not to have it cut this year and leave it to see what came up," explains teaching assistant, Linda Marshall.

Various grasses have already appeared within the area and bark-covered paths created enabling the children to wander around and look and learn about the flora and fauna they see.

According to Linda, creating spaces for wildlife to thrive is even more important now due to the decline in the insect population. To help counteract the decline, the school recently invited parents to get involved in activities such as 'seed bombing.' This will help create sporadic areas of interest for insects and other visitors.

The 'Get Your Grown Up Growing' session also involved planting; poppies, yarrow, corn flowers, nap weed and meadow buttercups were among the seeds scattered.

"There will be lots of familiar things - we also put Bluebell seeds in," explains Linda.

As well as enriching their natural environment, the children also have the opportunity to physically observe its progression - and play a part in nurturing it.

Linda says they can also identify what is growing within their natural environment. They also learn about conservation and about caring for visitors, such as insects, to help preserve them for future generations.

She says they are also hoping to produce a booklet within school for fellow staff and pupils to identify what is growing within the area too.

Since creating the wildlife walk, Linda says it is already having a significant impact on pupils. "One little girl ran out and said 'it's another world.'" It's just lovely," says Linda.

They also plan to create a mini beast bug hotel, providing another place for insects.

Linda says creating the conservation area within the school grounds has given the children an alternative way to access nature rather than a computer screen.

"They can enjoy it and learn, not from a screen, and the thing is as well they can look how it changes, the seasons that come," says Linda.

The RSPB’s ambition is for the Wild Challenge to help more families across the country to reap the benefits of spending time outside in nature.

Research has shown children who have a healthy connection to nature are more likely to benefit from higher achievement at school, better mental and physical health, and develop stronger social skills.

For more information about the initiative visit rspb.org.uk/wildparks