The week long spring bank holiday has arrived almost without people noticing.

It slipped in under the radar, taking advantage of cold days and indifferent weather that had us thinking we may have got the dates wrong, and wondering why we still needed the central heating on.

“Are you sure it’s May? It feels more like February.”

It’s here and schools are out, parents are wondering how to entertain their children with fresh-air activities while the kids themselves just want to be left alone to watch TV and play video games.

And in the background of every mum and dad’s mind is the knowledge that this is just the precursor: a seven-day test run for the main event which are those endless six weeks of summer holidays.

Gurus with diplomas on how best to raise other people’s children decry computers and the cult of the small screen that they say will fry young minds.

They urge families to get out more, encourage their sons and daughters to engage in physical activity, interact in real time rather than virtual, and have a picnic in the park.

There is some sense in what they say. There has to be more in a young life than sitting in front of a computer all day answering the Call of Duty or building a nation in Clash of Clans.

“You should be outside on a day like this, Kate.”

“I am outside. I’m feeding the hens, then I have to buy some sheep and organise the harvest in the bottom field. It’s all go on Farm Ville.”

Times were different not that many years ago, before the small screen, android, tablets and iPads began to rule the world.

Mums and dads will remember spending their youth in the park or the woods or on the recreation ground during summer holidays, socialising, playing games, being active. How times have changed.

An Enid Blyton Foundation study found that six out of 10 of today’s children spend less than 1.4hours a day outside and that eight out of 10 under 16-year-olds, plan to play video games or watch TV in the holidays.

What? When there are the great outdoors to explore and lashings of ginger beer to drink and picnic feasts to consume?

Actually, put a hold on the ginger beer: the sugar content will rot their teeth, and check the picnic for crisps; you know salt has a bad health rating. In fact, just give the kids a bottle of liquorice water and a margarine sandwich, like I used to have, and the job’s a good ‘un.

Tell them it’s an old fashioned picnic from the age of dinosaurs like me, which is long before the Mario Brothers burst onto the scene.

The Foundation is trying to evoke the feel good memories of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories to encourage parents to make this a summer of adventure for their off-spring by suggesting a list of simple outdoor activities.

Have a picnic tops the list, ride a bike, walk a dog, go camping, climb a tree (and try not to fall out of it) stargaze, swim outdoors, explore with a map and compass, visit some ruins and build a sandcastle.

Parents should plan and test their campaign now, with all the care of a video strategy game. And may God go with them.