Year 5 @ Kilve Court, 17th - 19th April 2024

Wednesday 17th April:

Thursday morning and the sun is shining brightly. The children didn't need the sun to wake them up though....and the teachers certainly didn't need their alarm clocks!  

On arrival at Kilve yesterday, the children had their introductory tour, asked when they could eat their lunch as they were clearly ravenous and soon managed to tuck in to their lunches outside in the sun. 

Finding out the dorms was a great source of joy and the children loved unpacking and competing to see who could have the tidiest dorm.  

Wednesday afternoon took us all to Kilve beach. Cold and windy is an understatement but the children made the most of their time searching for fossils, exploring the rock pools and even managed an ice cream so they're definitely hardier than the adults! The Kilve staff commented on their brilliant walking - making sure one another were safe and always walking at a good pace with not one whisper of "are we nearly there yet?!" 

After a hearty supper, the children spent an hour running around in the outdoor maze. There was much consternation every time they met a dead end but they all made it out safely before it got too dark!! 

Sleep was fairly minimal but the children are in good spirits this morning, currently tucking in to breakfast, waiting to find out what the day ahead holds.....

Thursday 18th April:

Thursday morning activities were filled with sunshine and smiles. The children turned their hands to climbing, rifle shooting, grass sledging and mountain biking. Fears were conquered, screams were quelled and laughter abounded. It was really lovely to see the children pushing themselves and working together; the team spirit was commendable. 

Lunchtime was welcomed heartily as the children tucked in to beefburgers, salad bar, jacket potatoes and rolls. The water jugs were drained and refilled so the morning must have been thirsty work. 

After a little bit of downtime outside in the sunshine, the afternoon activity of team building began. The children had problems to solve, challenges to master and, again, worked incredibly well with one another to reach their goals. Some got drenched in the stream so a shower was definitely necessary afterwards! To finish the afternoon, the popular maze was re-opened and the children had 30 mins free time trying to navigate their own way around. It's safe to say they were well and truly exhausted before tea! 

But....the fun didn't stop there! The delicious chicken casserole or vegetable pie (followed by donuts) was a brilliant refuel before outdoor Cluedo. What a fun evening! The teachers dressed up, got in to role and dotted around the site whilst the children ran around finding the clues. Mad Chef Karen was mad about the children learning food groups; Army Jake insisted the children got some exercise; Princess Mary was desperate to marry Farmer Fred and Farmer Fred was intent on teaching the children some animal facts. All correct knowledge earnt the children clues and an hour later the mystery was solved.

Less than 30 mins thereafter, the dorms were full of tired, happy campers and not a sound could be heard. 

Friday 19th April:

The happy campers at the top of the building were up with the lark, dressed and packed before 7pm! The sleepy campers lower down in the building were making the most of their beds and needed waking up and chivvying along to get suitcases packed. Alas, by 8:30pm, most of the children were in the dining hall for freshly baked croissants and pain au chocolat. The dining room was the quietest it had been all week: there were some seriously tired faces! 

However, the brisk wind woke everyone up as the morning activities commenced. Some children were climbing, others were grass sledging, some were mountain biking and one group was rifle shooting. The mountain biking was a big hit with everyone. It was great to see the grit and determination as the children rode around the skills course and learnt to handle their bikes adeptly. The sense of achievement for all of the children was incredible. Due to our lunchtime departure from Kilve, the morning session comprised of two activities following on from each other without a break so by the time lunchtime came around, the children were, believe it or not, ready for their next meal! 

They loaded their luggage on to the coach and headed to the dining room one final time for chicken nuggets, chips, jacket potatoes, rolls and salad bar. It is safe to say there is always plenty of choice at Kilve. 

By 12:20 we were all on the coach and waving goodbye to the instructors. By 12:25 some campers were fast asleep! An active, fun and tiring three days had come to an end but the happy memories will certainly live on.