Simon ParkinAs we gear up for the start of the World Cup, hundreds of young players will be heading to the coast this weekend for a festival of football. Youngsters with be abkle to get close to nature at Junior Springwatch. And it's the 50/100 mile bike ride.Simon Parkin

SOCCER ON THE SANDS

Central Beach, Great Yarmouth, June 5/6, 9am-4pm, 01603 704050

As we gear up for the start of the World Cup next weekend, hundreds of young players will be heading to the coast this weekend for a festival of football.

This annual youth beach football event - the UK's biggest youth beach football tournament - incorporates 128 teams, ranging from under-7s to under-13s, all taking part over the course of a fun filled weekend.

Now going into its seventh year, it has grown into a hugely popular gathering, again expected to attract over 1,100 girls and boys to Yarmouth's Central Beach.

The event takes the form of a Champions League-style competition.Each young player receives a Soccer on the Sands T-shirt depicting their designated club, which gives them the chance to become one of their football heroes for the weekend.

And with competition likely to be just as fierce as in South Africa, it a great spectacle to watch as well as take part in.

JUNIOR SPRINGWATCH

Wroxham Barns, June 5/6, 10am-4pm, 01603 783762, www.wroxhambarns.co.uk

Pensthorpe Nature Reserve maybe currently hosting the BBC's ever popular Springwatch, but this weekend-long RSPB event at Worxham Barns is a chance for younger wildlife fans to learn more about the countryside.

RSPB staff will be on hand to help visitors get to know all the birds and wildlife that spring brings.

There will be special birdwatching sessions in the new Wroxham Barns hide at 11.30am and 2pm - including tips from the experts - along with a treasure trail round the farm, owl pellet dissection and badge making

You can also visit the Junior Farm, which offers a hands-on experience in a real farmyard including the chance to pat the goats and donkeys, collect your own eggs from our hen houses, groom the ponies, stroke the guinea pigs and even exercise the ferrets.

Normal admission charges apply, adults and children �3.95 (under 3 free).

NORWICH 100/50 MILE BIKE RIDE

Norwich Cathedral, June 6, entry �17, 0808 1002109, www.bhf.org.uk

What better way to spend a Sunday than to get out on your bike, take in some fresh air, get your own heart healthy, and most importantly save lives.

Starting and finishing from Norwich Cathedral, this now annual British Heart Foundation family ride takes you through perfect cycling country, with quiet roads and picturesque villages.

Choose from either the 100 mile route or a gentler 50 mile option. Both routes head north to Reepham, the short route looping back past Blickling Hall while the 100-milers head up to the coast and then east to the half-way point (20-minute compulsory rest here) and taking in the broads before returning to the finish at the Cathedral.

There will be refreshments on route to fill water bottles and places to buy food and drink. Minimum age 14, riders under-16 must be accompanied by an adult and wear a cycle helmet.