YIS Camping Club

Simply Glorious!

This week we thought about possible accidents that could happen at camp and action that could be taken. The children decided that learning more about how to deal with burns, minor injuries such as nosebleeds and scrapes and insect bites would be useful. Each group carried out some first aid research and created skits to illustrate the accident and the first aid to be administered.

First aid notes:

Again it was delightful to be a part of our camping experience at Sancho Koen. The weather was perfect. The children showed collaborative skills in pitching the tents and cooking as a group. We were very impressed with the variety of meals that the children had planned and then prepared. Some children cooked pasta, some scrambled eggs and some enjoyed the old favourite – cup noodle. On this trip there were children who had camped several times before and some who were on there first trip. Everyone supported each other, took initiative and problem solved as they went along. Camping in the park provided so many valuable possibilities.  The opportunity for joyful, sensory rich and adventurous play. A rich context for curiosity, wonder, mystery and ‘what if’ thinking. A perfect space to navigate and negotiate the social world of friendships.

This week the children considered how to set up and use the Trangias. For some this was a new experience and others were experts and were able to offer advice on how to do it.

Again it was delightful to be a part of our camping experience at Sancho Koen. There is much to be said for visiting the same place again, as this space holds many special memories for the campers and they feel safe and secure here and able to explore further. The children showed increased skills in pitching tents, were more adventurous in their cooking and worked closer together as a collaborative group. This was another special experience which has served to embody ways of  building relationships with each other and with nature. This is an episode that will stay in the memories of the children and teachers for a very long time.

During our camping experience this weekend I was reminded again of the huge importance of this endeavour to our children’s lives. I reflected on my own childhood play, which despite living on a housing estate, involved playing outside getting very dirty and being intimately involved with nature, whether climbing trees, stomping in mud, finding tadpoles or building a den in the bushes. This weekend, I had the pleasure to observe the children inquiring into the magnificence of spiders and their web building techniques, learning to gently handle a grasshopper, engaging with nature and relishing in it’s wonder. The children showed collaborative skills in pitching the tents and cooking as a group. Taking initiative and problem solving as they went along. When one of their friends was hurt they came together and gave reassurance, care and attention. Camping in the park provided so many valuable possibilities.  The opportunity for joyful, sensory rich and adventurous play. A rich context for curiosity, wonder, mystery and ‘what if’ thinking. A perfect space to navigate and negotiate the social world of friendships. An encounter with the natural world and an understanding of our place in it. I am very much looking forward to our next camp in November.

Today we pitched tents. The children have all been assigned tent groups, these are listed on the Blog. Some children are very experienced tent pitchers and for others it was their first time. The children all cooperated and helped each other and successfully put up the tents and then dismantled them and packed them back into the tent bags.

Our final camping trip of the season began with glorious weather and the children were able to spend hours playing together in the park as well as showing their expertise in pitching tents and cooking meals. The rain on the second day did not dampen anyone’s spirits as the children are so used to wet weather and come prepared with appropriate clothing so that they continued to enjoy being outside.

The children’s camping skills have developed tremendously and it is hugely evident in the the children who have now come out on  their fourth overnight trip.  Putting up tents has become much easier and the children are so much more confident in using the cooking stoves to prepare hot meals. It was marvelous for the teachers to observe the many wonderful things that are happening for the children during their outdoor play experiences in the park. Revisiting the same space each time provides the opportuntity for the children to feel confident in the surroundings and to be able to take risks. On each visit the children have found a new area of the park to explore and develop games in. Tremendous opportunities for cooperating, sharing, and problem-solving occur outdoors. Children’s imaginations take hold and their spirits soar. They observe nature and ask questions that help them understand themselves and the world. Through being outdoors  the mind, body, and spirit are united.