Back from camp

Wow, what a weekend it was. The weather was fantastic and we managed to fit in lots of different activities. Big thanks got to the Venturers (13 - 16 year olds) from South Bristol who planned the majority of the programme.

To start with everyone created their own personalised plate bag. While we are at camp everyone is responsible for looking after (and washing up) their own plates and cutlery so a plate bag is very much needed to help mealtimes run smoothly.

The wide game on Sunday was a big hit with the children, there was something for everyone with a bit of drama, trust games, making squares for a Bristol banner and even throwing wet sponges, a particular hit with some of the older ones.
 

 

On the topic of banners the one which the Bradley Stoke group have been busy making was on display in the marquee. The lake and the three brooks made it into the final design along with a discarded shopping trolley and some larger than life wildlife.

And of course the fantastic Tipis in the circle.

The bushcraft area was as popular as eve during the less busy times

Preperations continue

While last years spring camp was great fun it did highlight some gaps in Bristols equipment, particularly in the kitchen. This year we're expecting even more people so we really needed to make sure we had a fully stocked kitchen. So I was very pleased when this parcel arrived yesterday

New bowls, chopping boards, trays and serving tongs all ready for the KP clan to get the food ready.  We've even got new tables for them to work on.


I didn't forget the washing up clan, there are new bowls and washing up brushed for them too :-)

Trial run

We've been lucky enough to borrow  some exciting tents for the Spring camp and as it's a sunny weekend, and non of us have put them up before we though it would be nice to have a trial run in the garden.

While heavy to move around the tipi went up pretty quickly and we leant just how careful we'll need to be making sure the pole is central on the groundsheet. For a trial run though all went well and the children had a good time playing inside before we put it all away again.

Ready teddy part 2

Now that the teddies all have their own sleeping bags they need some way to get all their stuff to camp. So this week we set to work again with the needles and thread to create rucksacks for them all. 

The children worked really hard to make their stitches nice and small so that nothing will be able to fall out of the bags and the variety of cuddly toys kept me on  my toes designing the bags.


With such hard work we didn;t get time to take a photo this week, hopefully we'll get some of the toys and thier bags when we are at camp.

The banner is coming along well but we're saving the big reveal until it's completed.

Ready Teddy, part 1

Tonight was our second week of activities leading up to Spring camp. Of course no one wants to go alone so there are plenty of teddies and cuddly toys coming along to keep us company. We wouldn't want our best friends to be cold at night so this week we made them all their very own sleeping bags.

After being a little nervous about pricked fingers at the start everyone did really well, there were a lot of proud children by the end of the evening and all the toys looked ready for bed.

The first of our camp crafts

This week the Elfins go a start on preparing for camp in a few weeks by making windsocks. These streamers will come along to camp with us and help everyone remember which tents they are sleeping in.

They came up with some fantastic designs,I'm sure our tents are going to look great

I knew it would come in handy

Eventually!

Way back in 2001 Woodcraft held and international camp, with 4000+ people we needed banners to guide folks around the site. At the end of the camp I brought home several banners form the "e-shacks" we'd been running. Basicly huts with computers for people to send an e-postcard home.

Our then pioneer group recycled one of them into their own banner, I still love all those hot air balloons and remember just how much work it took to get the suspension bridge to come together!

Tonight we're setting the same challenge for Bradley Stoke Pioneers, armed with a backdrop and lots and lots of sticky back plastic well be creating a Bradley Stoke banner to take along to spring camp with us.

Watch this space to see what they come up with and look out for the banner as we hope to bring it along with us to our summer events.