YIS Camping Club

Children seem to have fewer and fewer opportunities to get outdoors and interact with nature. One of the aims of the Elementary School camping club is to give children opportunities to experience the wonder of living in nature even if just for a night or two. There is nothing quite like a good, hard hike, stopping on the way to climb a particularly inviting tree and crawl through some undergrowth before pitching camp, cooking your own supper and sitting around a bonfire in the dark, singing campfire songs, telling ghost stories and toasting marshmallows.

The weather forecast for the trip was, typically, rain, rain and more rain. We told the children that short of a direct hit by a typhoon, the expedition would go ahead, and they should come prepared with suitable clothes. As we set off after lunch, the weather was grey but dry. The campers had a skip in their step and there was a sense of anticipation in the air. We stopped here and there on the way, as nature called to us; an inviting rock to sit on, or secret space under the branches of a tree that demanded to be explored.

We got the campsite by about four o’clock and set about pitching tents before the weather changed. Everyone was cheerful and engaged and there was a wonderful team spirit as more experienced campers worked together with first time campers to put up tents, organize kit and cook super. There was time for some night-time exploration and a few ghost stories before bed.

We were very, very lucky with the weather, and though it teemed down all night, there was a break for a couple of hours in the morning, long enough for us to cook brekkie, strike camp and start the hike back. Despite being caught in heavy downpour on the way home, everyone was up-beat and entered into the experience with true adventuring spirit. The children are already talking about the next camp!

See below for a link on why it’s so important for children to get out-doors and into nature.

Why our children need to get outside and engage with nature