Prep 4 Cumulus

Prep 4 had a fantastic time on the Cumulus adventure.

After introducing themselves to Roxy and Paul, the Cumulus instructors, the children faced their first challenge – a competition between the girls and boys to see who could put up their tent first. This was great fun and had the children working well as teams. It was very close at the end, but the girls may have just beaten the boys! After lunch the children set off into the woods for their next challenge – making their own shelters. In three groups the children used tarpaulin and rope, together with natural materials found in the forest to construct some magnificent shelters. A great deal of imagination and effort was put into the tasks, and the shelters were super. One even had its own swing!! After some down time to relax and explore their tents, the children set about making fires, recapping skills that they had learned last year in Prep 3. Fingers, thumb and wrist sticks were all collected and fires laid, and soon we had two roaring camp fires over which the children could cook their supper – very tasty lamb fajitas. After supper we ventured back into the forest to have marshmallows and hot chocolate in the shelters before retiring to bed, either in the tents or, for the few hardy and brave, outside under the trees!

The following day, after a hearty breakfast, we set off on a fascinating nature trail, looking at plants that could be used for medicinal purposes. The children then learned the vital bush craft skill of leaving no trace. Shelters were taken down and all trace of the previous day’s activities was removed.

The children returned to camp to make their own lunch and after a great game of Predator, it was time to go home.