Fifteen years ago a dinghy sailing and camping group started with three families who were members of the same yacht club. It met every two years in the Lake District. It is now forty families. It was over a camp fire as the wine boxes and whisky did the rounds that the first glimmering of ‘Family Adventures’ flickered.
Start Your “Adventure Group”
Let’s say we’re going to organise a group of ten families for three days (and nights! – It’s often the night aspect that is most exciting/challenging/memorable) of camping and sailing.
Lovely idea but beware the spikes?
If it is a Club already formed then hopefully it will be full of compatible and reasonably compliant folks.
How will you deal with the crazy makers ?
Forces being forced to together can cause friction, so let’s ease in.
We’ll say we have friends who want to camp, bicycle and play about in water with canoes, SUPS and a dinghy or two.
Still a tall order?
Location, location, location.
Some might suggest each family sits down and comes up with a location or two.
Then, the ten (or so) sets of parents sit down and discuss the best location.
(Are there any Grandparents with a field you can use to camp?)
CAMP SITE Questions to guide your camping choices
Letting everyone choose is a good and egalitarian way of proceeding. The best way is for one person to choose a place. It will save a great deal of time and discussion. You could choose a place, and diplomatically include other choices, but push comes to decision, one person makes the decision, and one person shoulder the good-bad-ugly repercussions. Have helpers of course.
- How long?
- Over a Bank Holiday?
- Perhaps you want to all go to a Festival? Latitude? Bestival? Hay?
- Or choose five days during half term or holiday.
- For the first gathering plan a year, at least, ahead. Everyone has a holiday, Wedding, various tickets or sports seasons planned in advance.
Elsewhere in this site that maybe useful.
- Pick of the Picnics What to have, Where to go. Favourite places for a picnic. Scotland, England and Wales. Add your own in Comments.
- England, Scotland and Wales. Signposts for Biking and Walking.
There maybe a few capsizes along the way …. but keep going.
On Point
At this point we must ask, who is going to be point person responsible for booking the site and emailing the group. Usually one person volunteers or is the obvious choice.
Let’s say, you’ve set for the second week in August, say Friday 15th, in a year’s time.
Now, the camp site is booked, or at least we are first in the queue to book when next years booking opens. Relax.
If you are the organiser you may want to draw up, “Joining Instructions”.
- How to get there.
- When to arrive on day one.
- A map of the camp site.
- The Agenda for the weekend.
- Suggestions of what to bring.
- Extras for decoration the camp e.g. flags, banners.
- Extras for games or dressing up e.g. rope for tug of war, rope for balancing.
For our yacht club-dinghy-camping weekend at the August Bank Holiday the ‘invitation’ was sent out in January and the camp site booked with the National Trust, soon after, although the ‘booker’ had already been in contact with the camp site, the previous year, and the year before, etc.
Seems a long way, away, you’d be how fast it comes up.
So you have spent the summer preparing. The weekend is upon you. You have packed your camping gear, (see below), sorted your provisions, (see below) found where you are going on the map, and are setting off in good time, or not. After a long drive, perhaps in heavy traffic, you arrive.
High stress situations such as parking the car, pitching a tent, (unloading the dinghy), and preparing supper in the drizzly rain with grizzly children, can create high stress reactions so it is important that the group understand the ground rules of how best to make the experience work for the best of all.
Be aware that those who are new to group are going to take bedding in. One parent who was the life and soul of a gathering at home, took a long while to relax because he was totally out of his comfort zone in a camp site, he had never been camping.
It sounds obvious but it can be difficult if one family or parent feels they are obliged to join in, and do not want to join in. Try and find ways to make the ‘tricky’ situation smooth out. It sometimes leads to that family leaving early.
Are Grandparents, friends or cousins, (etc.) around to ‘help’ or join in?
Who has the qualifications required for activities? First Aid. Swimming? Dinghy? Canoe?
Can everyone put up tents?
Below are ideas for CAMPING.
EQUIPMENT
Tents – for family, and one-man for the children.
Sleeping Bags/pillows
Sleeping matts,
Blankets
Deck chairs or chairs for sitting
Tables for dinning
Table with racks or baskets for
Cups/saucepans/knives/forks/spoons
BBQ
Pizza Oven, Example of David Russell terracotta tiles and upturned (big) terracotta plan
Torches and batteries
Cool boxes
Foil
Provisioning for camping gives more information.
FOOD
Tins of beans
Bacon
Sausages (on sticks)
Digestives/chocolate digestives marshmallows
Sticks for marshmallows
Tins of soup
Potato’s wrapped in foil and cooked in the base of the fire
Bread dough on sticks
Hot chocolate
Provisions
When Winnie the Pooh was going on an ‘Expedition’ with Christopher Robin, he noted that he needed ‘Pro-things’, provisions. (I know this is also in Provisioning for camping but I really love it.
IMPORTANT: Let the kids do the cooking!!
Grown Ups
Box of wine
Box of beer
As many out door veterans point out there is rarely the wrong weather, as long as you have the right clothes.
Clothes
Outdoor trousers
Waterproof trousers (‘breathable’)
Waterproof jacket (s) (lightweight and heavy)
Wellingtons
Crocs/easily slip on-able shoes
T shirts
Skins – tops and bottoms, long and short
Hats – beanies and sun hats
Warm and waterproof gloves
(Wet suits
Wet suit boots
Dinghy gloves
Floatation vest
Spray vest
Specialist gear – ‘Dryrobe’
Games in campsites
Treasure Hunts
I have found with Treasure Hunts I spend an inverse amount of time to setting them up, compared to the time they take to play. I spent an inordinate amount of time creating clues, and maps, and hiding clues compared to the time it too twenty children to charge around the garden, figuring, guess, following the trail. However, if you have several clue creators and clue lay-ers it is a lot of fun.
Man Hunt (always popular)
Fox and Goslings
Bull Dog
Human Knot
Blind Square
Charades
Sharks,
Viking Chess,
Mr Wolf,
Rounders.
Tightrope.
Tug of War
Over a bridge: Pooh sticks
Football
A football is a great way to occupy numerous children however, do make sure you have enough clear space, preventing nearby campers being accidentally hit or unseen tree roots ‘tackling’ the striker as he goes for goal.
Boules
Boules, the French game of bowls and croquet can become remarkably competitive and entertaining.
Swing tennis can use up extra energy.
If you are near paved surfaces dig out the roller blades, roller skates or skate boards with the safety equipment.
A useful book is Games for Scouts and Scouting Games
National Trust Challenge.
The National Trust Challenge of “50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾”
Where ever in the world you maybe reading this, you can join in the 50 things. They include ‘roll a really big hill’, camp outdoors’, ‘play conkers’, ‘damn a stream’, ‘set up a snail race’, ‘go paddling’, ‘get up for a sunrise’, ‘explore the wonders of a rock pool’, ‘go on a nature walk at night’, ‘find your way on a map’, ‘take a friends on an adventure’ and ‘keep a nature diary.”
I am hoping to grow this website and am keen for readers to contribute their camp ‘sight’ ideas. If you would like to please send your thoughts to Contact.