Sunday 23rd July
1st Night
Monday 24th July
New week, new campers! We started the day with a nutritious breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast and, as a special treat, Tess surprised us with a side of mackerel for those who wanted to give it a try.
With full bellies we set off to the first dodgeball session of the week. After a few intense games of dodging, ducking and diving the campers were left with a difficult decision- picking their morning activities.
For adventure we had ultimate den building. The campers split into two teams and got to work fortifying their defences for an intense battle in capture the flag. After the walls were built and traps had been set, the campers fought tooth and nail to steal the other teams flag. After a long battle, one teams strategy beat the other and the flag was captured!
For sport we had basketball, Troy Bolton possessed our campers and the wildcats really took over the sports hall – some campers even managed to get a few dunks in.
For creative we made some fantastic pot like sculptures in a variety of shapes and sizes. Stay tuned for the days ahead for them to have a makeover with paint and glaze and maybe they might even make it home to a kitchen shelf near you.
After a busy morning we settled down for a delicious curry to refill our energy reserves we headed back out for a fun filled afternoon.
For sport our campers had an energetic session of rugby filled with games like rugby tennis, passing drills amongst others. After the campers had completed their training they broke out into a competitive game of touch rugby which was an absolute hoot.
In creative our artists set out on jewellery making, creating beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings to share with their new friends and show off for the rest of the day.
After a brilliant afternoon we sat down again to Tess’ delicious cooking. This time a banquet of sausage rolls, sandwiches, potatoes and salad. The campers filled their boots ready for one of our favourite L&E traditions: ICE BREAKERS! From singing games where the campers had to think on their feet to remember songs from a variety of categories to the famous chubby bunny challenge, the competition was neck and neck. The tiebreaker as always was the egg toss. With only limited supplies and their creativity save their eggs the campers got to work building the ultimate transportation to get them down safely from the second floor window. Many eggs survived the journey down however at the end there were only two teams left in the race. The decider was a game of egg toss and after a few rounds, the winner was decided, and sadly the Tesco club card team were left only with a silver medal.
To end the day the campers relaxed with some delicious hot chocolate and went to sleep ready for their second day at camp.
Tuesday 25th July
Following our ice breakers last night camp really kicked into full gear this morning. Though some campers were still riding high on their egg drop success, it was clear last nights defeat was still on the rest of the campers minds. Nevermind, all were happy that hash browns not scrambled eggs were on the cards at breakfast.
No mercy was shown at morning dodgeball with stars beginning to emerge. The dodgeball award will prove to be a hot contest at oscars later in the week. Some contestants were out early doors but proved themselves talented in other areas- the cha-cha slide in particular consumed camp, taken more seriously by some than the main event.
Tuesday meant the first visit by Scuba Steve for our new campers and the excitement was palpable. Think underwater races, backflips and frisbee!! An adventure experience that will surely be remembered by all. Our budding Picassos put their painting skills to use in creative while our future olympians took to the sports hall for a fierce morning of netball.
Our sporty campers left it all of the field at football where their competitive sides came out as they battled it out. Warm-up games of knee tag and cone flipping prepared them for an intense match which came down to the wire in penalties. Creative afternoon activities were somewhat slower paced but no less fun with campers adding to their jewellery collections. Dazzling earrings and friendship bracelets no name a few.
Our evening came to a close with the best activity of the week- campfire!! Camp songs were belted, of course, along with some individual performances, national anthems and toasted marshmallows. We finished off our night in traditional L&E style with some gordon Ramsey level hot chocolate, whipped up by our now expert level hot choc maker tutors. A final camp song could be heard sung by happy campers leaving the dinning hall. A fun filled day all round
Wednesday 26th July
As the campers get more comfortable, the early rise in the morning proves easier and easier as they show just how keen they are to start the day. All were happy when they walked downstairs to find an assortment of pastries as well as pancakes. Breakfast doesn’t get much better than that.
Starting activities for the day, we sent off our first group of brave adventurers to try their hand at kayaking. By all reports it was a resounding success, though some may have struggled to keep themselves dry during their endeavours. Those who remained at the campus had to choose between badminton/volleyball and volcano making. Those in sport showed off their skills and athletic ability in sports that were fairly new to most that were partaking. Improvement was seen across the board and many who participated will be in the running for the hotly contested prize of the sports award. We saw creativity explode as the campers split into groups to produce a variety of unique looking volcanos. The groups all coming together just before lunch to watch the culmination of a mornings hard work… the inevitable explosion of each volcano.
The afternoon saw two different groups leave their comfort zones to go either horseback riding or kayaking once again. It’s been reported that the kayakers achieved similar levels of success to their predecessors. Those who have been working on their horseback riding have been showing consistent improvement and continue to impress as they build a bond with their horse.
The variety of activities didn’t slow down in the afternoon as the campers had a choice between water aerobics / synchronised swimming and baking. Baking was a resounding success as all of the camp was treated to some delicious cupcakes. Excitement and energy levels were through the roof in the pool as the groups all formed their own routines to the song “Here comes the hot stepper”, each team vying to come out on top. That wasn’t the end for those in the pool as they performed the cha-cha slide as well as attempted a challenging run across the floats in the pool, albeit with varying levels of success.
The evening saw a more relaxed vibe fall upon the camp as we head toward theme night tomorrow. In preparation, campers followed Marty McFly as they watched the classic “Back To The Future”. Coupling a good film with some sweet and salty popcorn and there’s not much more you can ask for. As tradition states, the evening was finished off with hot chocolate and a chat before everyone made their way to bed. A resounding success.
Thursday 27th July
Our day started with yet another delicious breakfast cooked by our Head Chef Tess – mushrooms, bacon, tomato and porridge. This fuelled us for a full day of activities and fun! As the tradition of L&E, we kicked off our day with dodgeball. It was a full out war this morning, the campers and tutors gave themselves 100% for the tournament today. Waking us all up for the day ahead.
Activities kicked off as usual; creative, sports and adventure. The adventure activity of the day was a weekly special of climbing! Groups climbed huge limestone rocks that the army use as a part of their training. All campers pushed themselves to reach the highest of heights and scales these ragged rocks, all tutors are incredibly proud of them and their efforts!
Creative for the morning was improv – dramatic improvisation for those that don’t know. It was a drama extravaganza, really pushing all the campers to show their true showmanship and creativity on the stage
Sports kicked off with a British classic of rounders. Once the teams were all warmed up after a few variations of tag, the games began. The pure determination of both teams throughout the game mixed with their skill made it an incredible to watch.
A quick lunch break between activities of couscous and chicken filled our bellies for the rest of the day.
The sport for the rest of the afternoon was hockey where all campers showed their natural talent for the sport. From the beginning of warm ups to the final big tournaments campers were extremely enthusiastic to get going and win for their team!
Meanwhile in creative, the prep for theme night began. Campers painted their best props for a Back to the Future themed night! Cacti, Time Machine cars, backgrounds and all decorations were made by campers for our big evening activity.
L&E’s big theme night this week was a Back to the Future themed murdered mystery where campers made to find out who capture tutor Paul in a time warp. Each tutor was a different character from the film and campers had to interview each character to collect clues to find who the real capturer was! After what felt like hours of interrogation, the campers cast their votes on which tutors they believe committed the crime; in the end it was Sam (Biff from Back to the Future) and Emily (the game creator where Paul was stuck).
Campers chased out the criminals and ran all the way out to hot chocolate! A delicious and chocolaty ending to the day.
Friday 28th July
Our day started right with a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast, with a side of enthusiasm from our happy campers. Only the best fuel to get us going for a mighty match of dodgeball.
Dreams were made (and caught) with our dream-catchers creation in the morning. Twine and beads met as one, and colour combinations popped as our creatives expressed their artistic talent in a unique way. Friendship bracelets were also underway and new friends were made as thread was shared and jewelery came to be.
Water polo was a hoot! Two sessions of fun and two intense matches in the waters of Aysgarth school confirmed our campers as pure aquatic legends. You’d think they had gills!
Our adventure activity took place on the sports field and was a Robin Hood-esque morning of archery!! Arrows were soaring and spirits were high as bullseyes were scored like no tomorrow. A tournament took place, and the improvement in our skills made us all winners in the end.
Fish n Chip friday left us on a high – thank u Tess! Now off to an insane afternoon of a mega challenge of multiple different stations of fun. From a paper airplane competition to getting super soaked by our tutors, the campers certainly explored every corner of the school and their energies.
Our day ended with the iconic Oscar’s, and our star campers were awarded with their very own certificate & sweets to celebrate. Our disco then commenced with bangers such as Katy Perry stealing the show, and the YMCA sending energy throughout the whole room. A day of new memories, and a whole lot of campers to be proud of.
Weekend 29th & 30th July (York & Whitby)
