When people think action, they think James Bond, fast cars and alike. But there are plenty of activities to get your adrenaline pumping, regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. Whether you’re looking to take to the air, water, or anything in between, the UK has plenty of options. The South Coast offers fantastic surfing, swimming and sailing during the summer months, whilst up north in Scotland skiers can take to the slopes throughout winter to finesse their skills. For anyone feeling a little more adventurous, you can throw the rule book out the window and quite literally do whatever you want. Ride a zap cat, battle a zombie apocalypse, ride artificial waves, experience the thrill of kite surfing or bounce your way down a hill in a giant zorb.

With so much on offer, it can be hard to know where to start. So why not run through the checklist below and get the ball rolling.

• Have you got access to a car or other transport?

This will affect how far you can travel. Break out from your local area, see something new and take on an activity you’ve never tried before. If you’re from down south, why not take a trip up to Wales or Scotland? If you’re from the city, why not get yourself down to the coast?

• How long do you have?

There are plenty of activities that take just a few hours, and others can last a full weekend. Figure out what timeframe you have to play with and go from there.

• What is your budget?

Needless to say, action activities and adventures vary massively in price. A one-hour surf lesson is going to be more wallet-friendly than a group skydive, but if you’ve got a big budget then the sky’s the limit! Literally.

• What’s the weather doing?

Take into account whether it’s summer or winter and what the forecast is likely to be on your chosen day. Then you can decide whether to focus on indoor or outdoor activities, on land or out in the water, etc. to make sure everyone gets the best out of their day.

• How many of there are you?

Last but not least, you’ll want to take into account the size of your group. Bigger groups will usually require more foreplanning and may require splitting up into teams. Not that this is an issue – action activities and competitive spirit go hand in hand!
Not sure where to start? Take a look at some of our suggested activities below, with each theme slightly tailored towards certain types of parties. Or if you already know what you want to do then skip down to the bottom and start finding an activity near you.

Ideas and inspiration:

• Team Activities

Get a group together for the day and have a go at one of the following – all of which will have teams battling it out for victory.

– Dragon boat racing: Dragon boating is a fast, fun and furious team-based sport that involves small groups paddling to the beat of a drum in long, narrow boats. Be prepared to laugh and get a little wet.
– Human table football: This involves using a giant version of the popular pub game, where players are attached by Velcro to bars that slide across an inflatable pitch. Communication is key, as participants can only move side to side!
– Raft building: A great laugh, perfect for getting to know the group and a healthy dose of competition, where teams must build a floating raft out of given materials and paddle to or around a set target.
– Theme park – Ok, so this isn’t technically for a ‘team’ but is perfect for large groups and can be scaled up or down, or planned at short notice.

• One-Off Activities

These activities are slightly higher in price but are well worth the investment because you’ll remember them for the rest of your life. Not only that but you really will feel like James Bond or any other action hero.

– Sky dive: A high-octane activity that involves jumping out of a small airplane, followed by an exhilarating freefall and a relaxing parachute to the ground.
– Bungee jumping: For true thrill-seekers only, this involves jumping from a tall structure (usually a crane, platform or bridge) whilst attached to a long elasticated cord. Not for the faint-hearted!
– Scuba diving: Check out the ocean or lake floors as you dive down to the depths below.
– Jet skiing: Get a buzz as you fly along the water’s surface, spraying anyone that follows in your wake.

• Water-based

These activities are perfect for the summer months. Whether you’re looking for some relief from the unexpected heatwave, or just want to splash around, these could be the perfect solution.

– Rafting: Get a group together and take on the white water rapids as you surf your way downstream in an inflatable boat. Just try not to fall out!
– Riverbugs: This is another type of whitewater sport where a single person navigates a given stretch of river in their own inflatable craft.
– Banana boating: Laugh, scream and hold on tight as you get dragged around behind a speedboat on a giant inflatable banana

• Snow

Nothing says action like pacing it down the slopes, either alone or with friends, spraying up a wake of fresh snow as you go. So head to the mountains or to your nearest indoor snow dome and give one of these a go.

– Snowboarding or skiing
– Paragliding: You might have seen them in the distance above ski fields before. Pilots and passengers are suspended in a harness below a fabric wing and let you take in the views from above. Needless to say – this one can’t be done in a snow dome!

• Indoors

These ones are perfect for a rainy day or during winter, and can be done alone or in a group.
– Trampoline park: Bounce your way around the nets and try your hand at some flips.
– Indoor climbing: Scale the artificial rock walls as you test out your upper body strength.
– Track cycling: Feel like a pro as you whizz around an Olympic-style cycle track.