On Thursday 28th June, the ARP carried out their annual Camping experience for the children, and this year we had some old and some new faces!
Many of our older children, who are now camping professionals, returned this year, with some being their final year before moving on to secondary schools! With this, we had some new children attend who have just come up to Year 3 and were new to not just camping, but also it being the very first time they have slept away from home and their parents. So this was a big deal for them.
Saying this, the new children did so well with the structure of the day and the sleeping arrangements. We were hoping that all the children would sleep well, and they certainly did! We mixed up the sleeping arrangements with some older, experienced children with some of the new faces, to help settle them and have someone who has camped before. The children were so tired and worn out by then, they fell asleep in no time!
The activities consisted of marshmallows, orienteering, archery and football, and movie/ iPad time, followed by time in their tents. Most of the time for the ARP camping, we tend to let the children have some free time with some activities mixed in if and when we feel they would enjoy them. We tend not to stick to a rigid structure, as we know that the children enjoy playing with their friends and being in the school when it is empty, so we honour that for the children.
For dinner, the children had chicken nuggets and chips and beans, with some ice cream for dessert. All the children ate plenty of food, they were most likely hungry from the running around!
When it came to bedtime, some of the children were ready to get into their pyjamas, with them asking us before we asked them! This was a clear indication that some of the children were clearly ready to settle down into their tents and relax! In the morning, the children began to wake up between 5:30 – 7:00. From there, breakfast was offered, with some of the children sitting to eat. Others were not hungry and wanted to wait until they got home to have breakfast, which was find with the staff. Eventually, the children were picked up by their parents between 7:45 and 8:15.
The children did really well throughout the camping experience. We are proud of all the children for doing really well, and sleeping through the night with no concerns. And we look forward to hosting again next year!
