This year we introduced the idea
of portfolios. These included worksheets on the code for campers,
wildlife, trees, tent pitching and much more. The idea of these was so
that all children could participate and achieve something.
Charlie and Lee plan activities
to occupy the children such as rounders, volleyball and other sporting
activities and do creative things.
The children will also learn to
work as a team, erecting their own tents and learning good practice for
campers.
The code for campers, which is a
part in their test, is general information which they probably already
know such as closing gates behind them and not breaking parts of trees
and generally respecting their surroundings. Also in the test is
learning First aid and packing their kit this is also in the portfolio.
The training will be given by
the CCJ leaders.
The children are then able to
take a CCJ test if they want to - a recognised Club qualification.
We try to use fun ways to teach
the CCJ members the things, which they need to know for both their
portfolio and for their CCJ test. On a weekend at Hoar park we had a
lucky dip of different injuries which people could have, the children
kept theirs secret and then acted out how they would treat the injury.
The other children then had to guess what the injury was. This seemed to
be a huge success as they wanted to continue to play this for a couple
of hours.
The CCJ meet up every Saturday
at 4pm to do some activities – some weekends we do more than others.
These activities are optional. Most weekends we work on things in the
portfolio, which is used as a scrap- book for the children to remember
their time in the CCJ. Other weeks we might play volleyball or just all
sit around listening to music and relaxing together.
We try to teach the children how
it is best to put up their tent and where they should pitch in order to
be safe. Although we do teach things in the CCJ the main emphasis is
always on fun.
Here is a write up from one of
our members Lucy Kennings.
Camping Club Juniors is all
about sleeping in a tent away from your family. We do all sorts of
activities such as stone painting; rounder; volleyball; cricket; tennis;
dancing and all sorts of things that we can do together and have fun.We
all pitch in a little area together with our leader Charlotte - she is
fun and really encourages us to do things together. If you have
any worries you can always go to her for advise. You can always
count on her to be there for a chat. We have a great tuck shop
too! When we have camped 3 weekends we get a polo-shirt with NWDA CCJ: I
can't wait to get mine and wear it on the field.
When children have camped with
the DA for 6 nights they receive a T- shirt, which specifies which age
group they are in. The CCJ have red t-shirts and the bears – babies to 8
year olds wear blue t-shirts. These are usually presented in coffee
mornings.
At the big weekends we have a
kids corner, in this we have stalls, which are to raise money for the
CCJ activities, such as the portfolios and going on outings.
The CCJ is provided as a fun way
of enabling the children to learn about camping and also to have an
enjoyable time. Our main aim of the CCJ is to have fun and that the
children enjoy themselves.
The emphasis of the CCJ is on
fun.
To camp in the CCJ area the
children should all ready be used to sleeping all night in their tent
outside their parents unit as it is a big jump to go from in the caravan
to a tent in a different part of the field. We also ask that the parents
pitch close by to the CCJ area.
For further information on the
CCJ why not look on the website
