After a blustery start to the day, a train ride and a stroll through Cuffley and then the woodland beyond, we arrived safely at Cuffley Outdoor Centre, which will be home for all of us for the next three days! The children thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with their new pod-mates and getting unpacked in the pod. Putting their own sheets on the bed and putting the pillowcases on caused some a few issues, but they all seemed to master it in the end!

Next up was lunch and we are just about to start some afternoon activities, including construction on the field area and an SOS activity in the main building - with many of the more adventurous activities set to take place tomorrow when the winds have died down.

Construction involved two separate, but equally tough challenges for the children to take on in groups - with the first being to make a bridge that they could safely walk across. This one certainly tested their ability to work in teams, to be able to tie knots and, in some cases, simply to actually connect two pieces of wood together! But nobody gave up and, with perseverance in full view, every group managed to create a bridge that held the weight of each of their team members in the end! 

The second was to make vehicle that could transport some of them across the field. The most enjoyable part of this for each group was, of course, the testing out of the vehicles at the end and, to their credit, the vehicles not only moved, but moved at pace while carrying children as well! 

The SOS course was a great way to learn new and key skills for life. It covered basic first aid and survival skills. One of the most enjoyable parts was when the bandages came out and there was an opportunity to practice on each other - this seemed to be very well received and enjoyed! It was almost as much of a hit as when their teachers sustained felt tip pen injuries that needed to be treated!

After dinner there was time for some games on the field, before we all gathered round the campfire for some songs and some marshmallows - a lovely way to bring day one to a close.

As day 2 began, there were a lot of excited and energised faces around the camp and at breakfast - which was a good thing as today is set to be packed full of exciting activities! All of the groups started the day with physically demanding activities. Some took on the gruelling vertical gladiator trail, with so much determination on display and just a great desire to give it a go!

 

The other groups started the day with the climbing wall and, again, there was determination, commitment and courage in abundance! Some fantastic personal achievements and so many children wanting to have a second go to climb that much further than their first attempt - with many doing exactly that!

The fun activities continued into the afternoon with an entertaining game of crate stack, in which children had to work together as a team. There were climbers, rope anchors and builders with the aim being to create the highest stack before the time was up and it was knocked down!

There was also an opportunity for the children to sharpen their archery and axe throwing skills! 

 

Later in the afternoon, fire making activities took place, before we all enjoyed an outside dinner in the forest in the Pizza Palace!

After a last night when the children seemed to fall asleep much earlier than the first night - as the day's adventures finally caught up with them! Day 3 has started with breakfast and a hopefully not-too-wet set of activities today before we head back to the station to catch the train back to Stevenage. We are currently expecting to arrive back at Stevenage train station at 4:20pm.