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When Angus mum Alison Reid became a parent she quickly discovered how difficult it can be to keep young children entertained.

Even when she found classes and groups that assisted her son Mac, now three, he would take a  developmental leap and his wants and needs would suddenly change.

Realising there was not a resource collating everything on offer she built one herself.

Adventure Sprout – available as a website and app – details almost 800 activities across Scotland.

Alison, from Monifieth, said: “I’ve always found it amazing since Mac was teeny that there’s not a place to find activities to do with kids.

“The answers can be scattered across dozens of websites and social media pages.  It’s very easy to revert to the same places and even when you know an area well, you blink and your child is in a new stage.  I thought I could create something better.”

Adventure Sprout allows users to browse via map or calendar, filter by age, cost, or type of activity, and add their own listings for free.

The vision is a community noticeboard that grows with every contribution, supporting families as well as local businesses.

Its development saw Alison spend countless hours collating the information.

She added: “I’d love to actually know how many hours I’ve put into it but it’s been great building it.

“A lot of the information has been collated from Facebook groups and word of mouth.

“The key thing is I want it to be community led.  Like a community notice board, it’s actually quite easy to add your own now.

“If a business just wants to add themselves they can.

“I hope it represents business in a good way.  This year will be about going out and meeting them.”

She was keen the keen the platform worked for all caregivers, not just mums, who Alison thinks are typically over-represented in parent social communities.

“So many dads told me they don’t scroll Facebook groups or message threads,” she said.

“But they still want to be involved, plan days out, and take their kids to great places.  Adventure Sprout gives them the information instantly – no trawling needed.”

Alison took part in Techscaler’s Catalyst programme, which supports early-stage tech founders across Scotland.

She credits it with accelerating her progress and sharpening the product’s focus.

Although Adventure Sprout lists activities across Scotland, it has an initial focus on Tayside and Fife.

Alison said the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s early days,” she added, “but the goal is simple: help families make memories without the endless scrolling, and give local organisers a place to be easily discovered.”

To visit the website go to https://adventuresprout.co.uk/

This article appeared in The Courier on 2 January 2026