Year 4 Visit to Kingswood Activity Centre, Isle of Wight

‘Kingswood. Kingswood, is the best!’ was the heart-felt shout-out from Year 4 on their final role-call for activities before leaving the Activity Centre in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.

At the beginning of the week, despite the nervous reservations of several children, they boarded the bus filled with excitement and trepidation for the five day, away from home, residential activity course; a daunting prospect - no home comforts except maybe a teddy or other cuddly friend, and who was going to do everything for them?

The journey to Portsmouth, the ferry crossing to the Isle of Wight and the subsequent bus journey to Bembridge were perfect and we all arrived travel-weary and ready for a little chill-time; not a bit of it! Introductions, a fire-drill, a tour of the site, taking bags to rooms, unpacking (well, some of them did!) choosing bunk-beds and making them all happened before you could blink - the bed-making took up rather a lot of blinks as the complexities of putting on fitted sheets, duvet covers and pillow-cases were soon discovered; this was the point of course where they realised who was going to be doing everything for them! (‘Mum, where are you?)

We had hit the ground with feet running and quickly learnt that time was of the essence; a session of fencing, aeroball or sensory ensued, followed by dinner and then fun and games around the camp-fire before finally retiring to beds at 9.00 pm.The first night was a little chaotic but all were eventually pyjama-clad, washed and tooth-brushed and apart from a little extra TLC needed for a few of them, they were soon asleep; (well, not that soon!)

Morning did arrive very soon however, when the pattering of little feet and excited voices, welcoming in the new day, could be heard at 4.30am before the birds could raise themselves for the dawn chorus! We were not fazed by this; old hands at the game, we knew it wouldn’t last and it didn’t; we were prising them out of their beds on subsequent mornings!

The week was packed with a full programme of a variety of challenges for individuals and groups; even the teachers! The most popular were zip-wire, abseiling, balance-beam, climbing, caving, go-karts, quad bikes, orienteering and night-line, to name but a few. The Kingswood ‘challenge by choice’ maxim enabled everyone to achieve their personal best; fears were confronted and many were conquered.

Meal-times were greatly looked forward to and these were challenging too - so much to choose from! Bucket-loads of fresh-air and exercise required bucket-loads of sustenance, and the catering staff supplied this well with both child and adult-friendly food.

Friday came all too soon. As the bus nosed its way out on to road home, there were even tears from the Kingswood Team Leaders who had found our children, not only a wonderfully happy and energising group to work with, but also so caring and supportive of each other.

We have all come away with memories that will last for ever and Mr Shimmons, as always, has produced a phenomenal photographic record of the week on dvd. He relentlessly raced from group to group capturing epic moments at every activity, leaving nothing and no-one out; we are indebted to him that he has provided evidence proving that we didn’t all come home and tell whoppers about what we had been doing!