culture

How do I know if my teenager is ready for Teen Travel?

21 March 2023

13 to 17 and everything in-between!

L&E Teen Travel is for 13 to 17 year olds.  However, we all know that there are many different types of 13 to 17 year olds!  This is a trip that we think every teen should experience and we want to make sure they are equipped with all the skills they need to set off on their own (not completely on their own!).  If your child has previously attended camps then this is a good start.  They have spent time away from you being independent and making their own decisions.  As they get older, teenagers will naturally want more independence.  This is a great first step to travelling without their parents but in the care of experts.  Let’s be honest, no one knows your child better than you… but if you need advice or want to talk to one of our experts then you can schedule a call with one of our experts.

Speaking the language

The common language that will be spoken is English so will your teenager be able to communicate effectively in the group?  We try to limit each nationality to ensure we are all speaking English.  Therefore your child may not be with someone who speaks their mother tongue (if not English!).  If your teenager is looking to improve their spoken English then we can think of no better immersive experience!  

What type of skills will they need?

Teen Travel is about learning new things such as budget management and how to organise an itinerary.  Each member will bring their own individual skills that will help the group.  One of the most important things the teens will have to figure out early on in the trip is what they each bring to the table.  Is there an A+ maths student in the group – they can take the lead with the expenses, does someone enjoy writing – they can assist others in writing the daily blog.  No matter what skills each teenager has, they will all have to work together as a group.  Each person’s skillset to make sure they get the most out of the trip.  

What happens if my teen gets upset or homesick?

This trip could potentially be the most exciting and challenging thing your teen has ever done.  Our Travel Mentors are fully aware of this.  They will be monitoring each child throughout the trip to ensure they are happy and getting the most out of the trip.  If any teen is upset for whatever reason the Travel Mentors are there to listen and to help them.  We can safely say that 9 times out of 10 it is simply tiredness that makes someone upset.  This is easily fixed by a good nights sleep or an additional rest day.  The Travel Mentors will manage the itinerary.  If it looks like the teens are travelling too often (changing locations every day) then they will step in before anything is planned and offer some sound advice.  

Want to know more?

We can offer advice to you and your teen.  So please get in touch with us if you have any questions about Teen Travel.  You can schedule a call with one of our experts who can talk you through the trip or email teentravel@learnandexperience.com with any questions you may have.

Teen Travel really is an adventure of a lifetime – take the first step, get in touch!  

Why a Multicultural Environment is Good for Young People?

15 November 2022

What Does Culture Mean?

According to Oxford Dictionary culture is ‘the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society’ and in addition to that – ‘the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of a particular social group’.

Culture in Early Years

Jennie Lindon describes in her article ‘Cultural diversity in the early years’ that by young children developing a sense of their own identity through their family life they can then learn about other cultures out with the family unit. These experiences away from the family are of great importance and help broaden the understanding of other cultures.

https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/cultural-diversity-in-the-early-years

Learning Languages

Learning a second language is easier for a child as their brains are designed to absorb new information unconsciously.  Check out this TED Talk where Patricia Kuhl explains how babies listen to the sounds around them. 

Multicultural Workplaces

Tim Cook, CEO of apple has been clear that he sees diversity as vital to the future of Apple. In 2013, he used an article in the Wall Street Journal to share his belief that “people are more willing to give of themselves when they feel that they selves are being fully recognised and embraced”. In 2015, he said that diversity “is the future of our company”.

https://www.apple.com/diversity/

What a Multicultural Environment Means to L&E

Learn & Experience have a very clear vision. Creating experiences to bring together young people from around the world while keeping to a simple principle: Happy Children Thrive!  L&E offer experiences for young people which include World Camps, Teen Travel and Open Minds and we have been bringing the world’s youth together since 2009.  We firmly believe that being exposed to people from all over the world and from many different backgrounds at a young age is hugely beneficial.  Each one of our programmes is designed to allow young people to have an amazing experience whilst being surrounded by a diverse group of people.  Want to join one of our programmes click HERE to read what we have in store for 2023!

L&E Parent Talks About the Importance of a Multicultural Program for her Children

Learn & Experience programmes include World Camps, Open Minds and Teen Travel

The Learn and Experience Podcast

Check out our Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and all the other usual places. We put a spotlight on remarkable young people and explore the world they live in. Subscribe and get your weekly fix of youth related chit chat. 

Autumn update 2022

27 October 2022

The Big Return

2022 has been a big year for L&E.  We hadn’t been able to offer any in-person programmes since 2019 and we were desperate to get back to doing what we do best.  It has been tough time for everyone but particularly young people.  Cultural and adventurous experiences have been few and far between these past couple of years and so it was incredibly important that we were able to operate.  This year certainly wasn’t without it’s challenges but with the energy and enthusiasm of both staff and students we were able to successfully navigate a wonderful year!

World Camp UK

World Camp UK at Aysgarth School returned this summer and was a huge success.  Lots of old and new faces connecting from all over the world.  We had over 20 different nationalities from 6 continents all embracing and learning from each other.  A lot of old activities returned as well as some exciting new ones including the Open Minds course and Wilderness experience.  Our older teens were challenged to investigate and interrogate the world around them, challenge themselves creatively and consider new perspectives.  They also experienced an incredible night under the stars on their Wilderness Experience.

All our International students embraced the British culture and improved their English and our local children learnt so much about other cultures.

Soccer Camp

L&E continued the tradition of working with professional football clubs and this summer we were delighted to work with Manchester City.  Tzeachten Under 16 Girls Football Club from British Columbia, Canada were lucky enough to be coached by ex-pro and Manchester City Academy coach Ian Fitzpatrick.  The girls had elite sessions every day plus 2 matches including the Manchester City Under 17 Educational Team at Manchester Regional Arena overlooked by the Etihad Stadium.  The girls enjoyed a tour of the stadium plus a unique opportunity to see the training facilities.

Teen Travel

Teen Travel UK was also back and our tours were a triumph.  We had teens from the US, Canada, France, Thailand, Italy, Spain and UK all gain invaluable life skills and gain a love for the history and beauty of Britain.  Our travellers learnt how to manage a budget, how to negotiate and how to adapt to different situations all whilst making sold friendships along the way.

It was also the first time students were able to combine the Teen Travel and World Camp experiences which made for a unique experience.

About L&E

2023

Following a successful return we are delighted to announce our 2023 schedule. 

  • 25th June – 8th July, 2023: Teen Travel UK Tour, England (14-17), Scotland & Wales
  • 9th July – 22nd July, 2023: World Camp UK (8-15), Aysgarth School
  • 23rd July – 5th August, 2023: World Camp UK (8-15), Aysgarth School
  • 6th August – 19th August, 2023: Teen Travel UK Tour (14-17), England, Scotland & Wales

All experiences are in 2 weeks blocks and our 14 and 15 year olds can combine Teen Travel & World Camps.  All transfers are included between programmes.  

A 15% Deposit is due to confirm the reservation. Payment plans are available.

Limited places

To ensure the highest quality of experience we will be strict on limiting the amount of children from any one non-English speaking country so please be aware that countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy will sell out very quickly.

Early Booking Discount

If families make the reservation before 1st December, 2022 they will receive a 10% discount.

UK, Canadian & U.S. Schools

During the past year we have helped many families find a suitable school for an international educational experience.  We have a thorough knowledge of UK Schools and have placed dozens of students since 2009.  Now we have an office in Vancouver we have developed relationships with a few select schools, not just in Canada but also the U.S.  

This is a free service to families who have attended an L&E programme.  We are able to offer a unique service with our personal experience of both student and school which is invaluable and beneficial to all concerned.  Consultancy can be extended to friends and family so please feel free to make referrals.

L&E back on the road

Now that we are able to travel a little more freely again we will be returning to making a few trips throughout the year visiting countries to talk to families about our programmes and services.

  • Berlin: 30th October – 1st November
  • London: 2nd November
  • Dubai: 13th – 16th February
  • New York: 15th-16th April

If your children have attended and enjoyed an L&E experience please “Spread the Word”.

Sharing this email, website link, instagram etc all helps.

We are also always happy to add locations and dates to our “Road Trip” so if you have friends and family interested in meeting with us then let us know!

North Camp 1 Blog 2019

7 July 2019

Sunday, 7th July, 2019

Once the parents had left and the children were checked in, everybody met outside. 

The children were drawn in, as if hypnotised, towards the luscious smell of a crackling BBQ. Burgers that would melt in your mouth were complemented by a beautiful green salad. Many of the children had been to the camp before and were hugging and catching up. Many were new and had never been to the camp before, but got involved in the games straight away and were introducing themselves. We always remind the children to look after each other, especially when they’re nervous. BE KIND, BE KIND, BE KIND.

THEN, the games began…

Stuck in the Mud was the most exhausting game. Everybody was sweating and running for water. I am expecting that all of us will be very fit by the end of the week, even the children that pretended to be tagged so that they could hide from running. This was very funny. We also played some new games like “Captain’s Coming” where children pretended to be pirates scrubbing the decks and had to had to get into groups of 2, 3, 4, or 6. British Bulldog was probably the most fun game. The children had to run between a wall of tutors and reach the other side of the field without getting caught. They were very good at this because many children are very very fast, ESPECIALLY Fred. 

After an evening of fun and games, we were rewarded with hot chocolate and marshmallows. YUM. 

Then, the children went to their bedrooms, got ready for bed and started relaxing together. Some of them were doing face masks, some were reading, and some were just laughing together. I really look forward to the rest of the week. 

Click for more photos

Monday, 8th July, 2019

After a night of getting to know each other the kids enjoyed their first breakfast at L&E! There was lots of choice, including good ol’ English crumpets (an English delicacy). 

To get warmed up, we played a big game of dodgeball while listening to fun music. Lots of dance moves were made. 

Then after, the kids could segregate into the Creative, Adventure, and Sport activities. For Creative the kids could make themselves a superhero and do yoga (as taught by the expert Hayley). For Adventure there was den-making! The kids really got into making their stick-dens as homely as possible. One of the dens had a shelf with plants and decorations. Some of the dens had doors… or even toilets! For sport there was ULTIMATE frisbee and rugby. The kids really got stuck into this and were very quick learners. 

Biscuit Time at morning break was very funny. Some of the children (not naming any names) were using very intelligent tactics to get more biscuits than they were allowed, including creating silly diversions. 

In the afternoon, Horse riding started – which was “AWESOME!”. Dexter was as reliant as ever so Valentina was very happy. Blue is a new horse and Carla feels she’ll be able to jump really well.

For the BIG event of the day there were EPIC Ice Breaker Games. A personal highlight was wearing a pair of tights on our heads that was filled with a ball. We then used the hanging ball to knock over cups. We all looked like hilarious anglerfishes (definitely worth a Google by the way). Sam performed an excellent demonstration. 

Afterwards, lots of pictures were taken with volunteers who were wrapped in toilet paper to look like funny mummies. Chubby Bunny was another highlight. This involved children squishing as many marshmallows into their mouth as possible, while saying “chubby bunny”. There was lots of laughing. The record holder of L&E Chubby Bunny squeezed a ridiculous 22 marshmallows in their mouth! However, the funniest faces were pulled in the Chocolate Challenge where volunteers would have to only use their face to move an After Eight Chocolate from their forehead into their mouth. 

The kids have now had their hot chocolate and are in bed, ready for tomorrow!

Click to see more photos

Tuesday, 9th July, 2019

Day two kicked off with a scrumptious combination of eggy bread and baked beans which seemed to go down a treat. That was followed by an intense, yet friendly game of dodgeball which was perfectly accompanied by the soothing voice of Leona Lewis in the background. 

The morning activity of forest art gave the kids the opportunity to get some fresh air and be creative, while the scuba diving allowed the children to try something new. Due to the slightly damp conditions, football was played in the state of the art sports hall facility for our sportier campers. Nobby the chef pulled out all the stops with a lovely chicken curry to round off the morning activities. 

Hockey and camp fire building took place in the afternoon, alongside another thrilling scuba diving session. The kids then enjoyed a panini for the evening meal, before we all gathered round the camp fire for some hearty songs from around the world with some delicious toasted marshmallows. Finally, the day was rounded off with some hot chocolate which ended the evening on a high before bed time.

Click for Day 3 Photos

Wednesday, 10th July, 2019

The sun rose upon the grounds of Aysgarth for the first Wednesday of camp following an overnight rainfall that could only have been summoned by Thor premeditating his upcoming theme night appearance. A uniquely British serving of a platter of various meats and rolls provided the fuel for the high-octane day ahead.

Bucking the age-old L&E dodgeball tradition, we started the morning with a game of musical statues, with shapes being thrown by the campers that frankly defied description. The morning adventure activity was extreme capture the flag, a tactical game which engulfed the campers in physical and mental strategy. In our English lessons the campers were testing their skills of description and communication with various character themed games, before cooperating by following a traditional English recipe and baking a Victoria sponge cake which rumour has it would have earned a Paul Hollywood handshake. Wimbledon fever hit North Yorkshire, as our campers channelled their inner Heather Watson’s and Rafael Nadal’s in a riveting tennis session, whilst the creative stars showed their urban side by producing both indoor and outdoor chalk drawings that would rival Banksy’s finest work.

All the while, throughout both morning and afternoon we had a special off-site adventure activity of canoeing, with campers breathing in the full magnificence of the Yorkshire countryside from an unusual waterborne viewpoint.

After a classic burger and salad lunch, the afternoon got underway, and my word what an afternoon it was. Our creative option was a one stop trip to Karoakeville, with a relaxed and familiar sing song session that everybody got really involved in. The on-site adventurers went scavenger hunting, solving a combination of riddles and anagrams to find an avengers themed solution. The basketball participants had the honour of being mentored by a former North Wales champion, and the level of skill shown in the session resembled Dylan Hughes in full flight.

To conclude another action-packed day, campers further embezzled themselves into tomorrows theme night spirit by watching The Avengers. Movie night provided a calm end to the third day of what has been a brilliant start to our 2019 L&E adventure, and post hot chocolate the campers snuggled in bed looking forward to the exciting possibilities ahead tomorrow.

Click for Day 4 Photos

Thursday, 11th July, 2019

The day began with everyone excited to start the 5th day of camp! After an early night following movie night, we were raring to go for theme night! But before that, all the days exciting activities needed to take place! Morning began with a scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs to help fuel the first decision of the day – Bench ball, Water polo and the chance to make some gorgeous chocolate truffles! 

Bench ball was tremendous fun, being the goalie is boring though! You’re not allowed to move and have to stay on the bench! The kids just want to run around! The kids got to test out their baking skills as well, by making chocolate truffles! They ended up being really nice and fluffy, with exciting toppings like coconut and chocolate sprinkles. Water polo was great too, the kids pushed Jack and Connor in the pool, but it was such a success that we decided to do it again in the afternoon! 

The afternoon began with a yummy roast dinner. It gave the kids an opportunity to try some traditional British food. Honestly, it’s the best!! Badminton provided the kids the chance to test out their racket skills, with Emma, who used to compete competitively, providing her excellent expertise. Excitingly, with the sun shining, the opportunity for the first waterslide of camp! It was so so much fun and everyone got really really wet, and a little bit soapy too! Everyone needed a shower after…

As an alternative to Badminton, there was also the first L&E Strictly Come Dancing lesson! This involved Sophie teaching a Cha Cha Cha, Waltz and Samba to some keen dancers, who had loads of sass and style. Paul and Simon were the star pair, having a Cha Cha worthy of a 10/10! 

All throughout the day, Sam was taking people climbing! It’s a bit scary hanging off a rope that high, but it’s incredible fun.

After a dinner of chicken pasta, we got to participate in theme night, all the tutors were dressed as their favourite Avenger – Jack got painted all purple, he was Thanos, the bad guy of the evening. After competing challenges testing our strength, speed and mind, we proved we were better than the Avengers, and got to throw water balloons at Thanos (purple Jack). After this, a big water fight broke out, a silly end to another fantastic day at L&E!

Click for Day 5 Photos

Click for Horse Riding Photos

Friday, 12th July, 2019

Life is not about the amount of breathes you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away, this was the belief the L&E campers had throughout the day. With the end of the week lingering, the anticipation for the L&E Oscars evening was at fever pitch. The only thing holding back the excitement was the fear of missing out on capturing the grand prize of star camper.

Dodgeball in the morning was naturally not met with any boredom even if it was the fifth session of the week, dodgeball enthusiasm shows no sign of decreasing at this rate with these happy campers. An extreme and very safe adventure activity of tree climbing was only ventured by only the very elite campers.  Creating a better Oscars presented by names such as Chris Rock and Jimmy Kimmel is no easy fetch, thankfully our most creative campers were on hand to create an event with more ambiance than a candlelit dinner. France is known for wine, cheese and weird cricket rules; therefore, it was a shock to see the enjoyment and satisfaction from an interesting game of French cricket.

Another week, another chef, but dinner will never be the same without chef Nobby’s famous curry and charming wit. 

In the Afternoon, the campers evolved into Alastair and Johnny Brownlee, when everyone participated in a well scheduled triathlon, even though nobody has heard of the Yorkshire heroes. This tiering event was a perfect assist to the main event of the night, all the camp needed was a dashing host, stepped up Sam Ridgway.

With many awards being handed to the most deserving nominee, the only thing left to do was to hand out the star camper award. Deservedly Morten welcomed the award with open arms, while the audience were animated with raucous applause.

Click for Day 6 Photos

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th

What a lovely weekend we’ve had! Trips to York, Lightwater Valley Theme Park and a trip around the Dales villages.

It all happened over an extraordinary English weekend of sport where the very traditional game of Cricket World Cup Final was being held plus The British Grand Prix and The Wimbledon Final.  England became cricket World Champions for the first time in history – a memorable experience for the the children who watched.

We ended Sunday evening with a lovely BBQ sat in the sunshine.

We’re incredibly excited for the week ahead…the Young Global Leaders Course and the Football School starts on Monday!

Click for weekend Photos

Monday, 15th July, 2019

We launched into week two with some eggs on toast and hunger games dodgeball. 

For creative, there was Strictly Come Dancing with Sophie (samba, cha-cha-cha, and more) in the morning. Slowly, but surely the L&E camp is becoming more flamboyant. ULTIMATE frisbee was repeated (due to previous popularity). The most compelling activity (the adventure one) was Campfire Cooking. This was led by the expert fire-maker Jack. Little chocolate-chip cakes were cooked in oranges that we heaved into the fire (that had a chair burning at its centre). I felt epic. 

In the afternoon the artsy kids did some graffiti (wash off – we’re not delinquents I swear). For the more sporty children there was volleyball. This was Very popular. Sardines (a curious form of hide and seek) took place in the L&E building, which was followed by SUMO WRESTLING. 

The Young Global Leaders course started today! We did a lot of teambuilding activities (including detangling ourselves in groups, passing along a hoop while holding hands in a circle and “Two Truths and a Lie”. There was discussion about other global leaders and what it means to be a good one. The kids were also presented with the power of planning the night’s evening activity.

Football camp also started today which, as I heard, went very smoothly. Regarding technicality, dribbling was the centre of attention. The camp tutors leading it (Matt and James) made it known that they were really impressed by energy and commitment that their group had. There was also a fun, competitive game at the end.

Monday FUNDAY was this evening’s activity (as planned mostly by the Young Global Leaders). I may be slightly biased, but this was an really really legendary evening.  There was apple bobbing followed by finding a Malteser in flour. The outcome of this decision was soggy, flower-covered children who looked like small Santas. A binbag fashion show also took place (photos will be on Facebook). The outfits were FABULOUS, but the catwalks were even better. An L&E Egg-drop was the big finale of Monday FUNDAY. We all chanted “scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs”. This was a nice circle ending to the beginning of the day with the eggs on toast. EGGCELENT :,) 

Click for Day 9 photos

Tuesday, 16th July, 2019

As the campers rose on a sunny 52nd birthday of Will Ferrell they enjoyed a classic English breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.  After filling themselves up and running back upstairs to brush their teeth, they pattered down to the sports hall to play the traditional L&E morning warm-up… dodgeball.  All the kids followed the five rules of dodgeball… dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge and the standard of dodgeball in everyone (staff included) has improved massively since the start of last week.

The morning activities chosen were basketball, den building and papier mâché. In basketball, after doing a few testing drills, the participants were then separated into 4 teams; Dumplings, Team 3, NBA and Ragamuffins.  After a round robin tournament, they then played semi-finals and ended with a final of the dumplings verses the Ragamuffins ending in a sudden death penalty shoot out which lived up to the exciting billing, with the Ragamuffins just edging the contest.  Our adventure team ventured off to the woods to build dens.  The creativity and survival instincts of the campers was inspiring, and they made seriously impressive dens in the amount of time that they had to work with.  Finally our creators made some papier mâché sculptures which rivalled the 7 wonders of the world!

After a delightful traditional roast beef dinner and ice cream, the campers were treated to an impressive range of activities; a final instalment of this weeks campfire cooking where we made the biggest fire yet and today made chocolate muffins with white chocolate chips. This, like yesterday, went down like a house on fire. Our keen sportspeople took on a joint task of rounders and it’s american friend, baseball.  Everyone hit a home run with this activity and caught, hit and threw with great aplomb.  Finally our budding Picassos went to the art room to design and create props and posters for our upcoming theme night; ‘The Greatest Showman’.   

The day ended with the weekly L&E campfire, which showcased the immense talent of all the campers. Many of the campers got up to perform, highlights included some impressive quick rapping, impressions of the staff by campers and even a series of ‘opera offs’.  Ending with the delicious melted marshmallows and hot chocolate, the campers snuggled up in bed, chatting about  the excitement that tomorrow may bring. 

Click for Day 10 Photos

Wednesday, 17th July 2019

Today camp rose yet again with the sun shining, which surely promised joy and happiness for yet another wonderful day at L&E. Breakfast this morning was a treat, with Beans and Sausages on the menu, Connor loved them so much he had 4! The choice for activities was equally exciting with Water Polo, Tree climbing and old style poster making on the cards. 

For those who did Water Polo, they were given expert coaching by Jack. It was such great fun that the kids were given a chance to do it again in the afternoon. Tree climbing was fantastic fun too, it’s exhilarating getting up to those heights, and it’s so exciting that we’re allowed to do it too! The Poster making was cool too, the kids learned how to use a tea bag to make the poster looked old fashioned! Some were so good that they’ll be used for our Greatest Showman theme night tomorrow!

Lunch was delicious as usual, everyone was treated to Hunter’s chicken and little mini roast potatoes. It was so so so good! The Hunter’s chicken was really tangy while the potatoes were super herby. For dessert, we had a chocolate muffin with a whipped cream filling, which was superb too. 

After lunch, along with the aforementioned Water polo, we also were offered the option to do either Tennis or the chance to make our own dream catchers! Tennis was cool to do – with Wimbledon having happened last weekend it was fun to recreate the Finals!! The quality of the tennis match between Andrea, Paul, Connor and Emma L was so high that we had to call in Caroline Flack to inform which couple was announced the winner. Making dream catchers were awesome too, Hayley taught us how to transform a few twigs of wood into a really cool dream catcher. On top of this, Sam was running trips backwards and forwards to a lake to do some Kayaking. This was super cool too, although falling in the water was really cold!!! 

This evening kicked off with a delicious meal of Pasta. We were given 3 choices, Spaghetti Carbonara, a Cheesy bake or Green Pesto Pasta! On top of this, we were given some yummy garlic bread! All this set the scene for watching the Greatest Showman ahead of tomorrow’s theme night. The soundtrack is so so good, we were all singing along!

We’d also like to give a mention to the Young Global Campers, who tonight are out camping. Unfortunately for them, it’s raining tonight, the first time it has done since arriving to camp. Despite this, let’s all hope it’s a fantastic experience for them – and they learn some valuable skills from it all.

To finish today’s blog, we unfortunately said goodbye to Zara today. Zara has added to everyone’s time at camp and really impressed all the tutors here. She was a fantastic student and she will be missed by all her peers, let’s hope we see her again next year!

Click for Wednesday’s photos

Thursday, 18th July 2019

The Young Global Leaders returned from their wilderness adventure, enthusiastic to begin the day with the rest of the campers but rather tired from a night of sleeping outside and learning survival skills. The activities for the morning were hockey, climbing and cheerleading which was a new activity for lots of the campers and members of staff too! Hockey saw the kids take part in a tournament which was fiercely competitive but a lot of fun too. There was also the option of rock climbing which was also extremely popular because allowed them to go into the Yorkshire Dales and experience rock climbing outside.

In the afternoon the campers had the option of playing rugby or yoga. Some of them who didn’t have the chance to go climbing in the morning went in the afternoon and others helped to create props for the theme night. Thursday is always an exciting day at camp because its theme night! This week the theme was The Greatest Showman.

The night began in the dining hall with face painting, magic tricks and fortune telling. We then all went to the performing arts centre where the staff preformed an opening dance number to ‘This is Me’ from the film. The kids were then split into teams and undertook a series of activities including a game of charades, juggling and acrobatics. The night’s finale was a dance competition between the teams. Each team had to create a short dance routine to the song ‘The Greatest Show’ and the performances were incredible considering the limited amount of time they had to do it in. The competition was a tie between Paul and Jack’s team and so they took part in a dance battle which crowned Paul’s team as winner. All in all Thursday was a great day and theme night was a huge success!

Click for Thursday Photos

Friday, 19th July 2019

Breakfast was met with a surreal feeling from both campers and staff, the last full day of these spell bounding two weeks really had arrived. The keen footballers throughout the week made a sharp turnaround post breakfast to head to Manchester United’s world famous stadium Old Trafford for an exclusive stadium tour. The tour included a pitter patter around a museum full of memorabilia regarding United’s illustrious history before being escorted around various sections of the ground including the dressing room, the tunnel, the press room and out on the pitch side to sit in the dugouts. The children were left inspired and enthused come the end, what an experience!

Meanwhile the Motley Crew back at camp got on with karaoke throughout the day, while those who fancied a run about began playing indoor football. GOAAAAAAL GOALL, always believe in your soul.

The evening activity consisted of the much anticipated beloved L&E Oscars, a perfect way to round off every week, reflecting on days gone by, rewarding those who have shown their true colours. This Oscars night was an emotional one above all others, a fortnight had gone by with few campers leaving and the group is closer than ever. The disco followed, a favourite with the campers, an opportunity to showcase your rhythmic spirit and get your groove on. 

Come the end of the Disco, the tears began to flow like Alice in Wonderland when she falls down the rabbit hole. Many of the staff took a moment to step back and observe the contrast between the emotions from some of the campers at the start of camp to the emotions from all but few campers come the end of camp. Tears of angst and reluctance regarding the weeks ahead had transformed into tears of angst and reluctance to leave their fellow campers behind and return to life before camp. Sad, but simply beautiful.

 Learn & Experience 2019 Group 1, regrettably, signing off!

Click for Friday’s Photos

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

2 April 2018

Here at L&E we firmly believe that ‘Happy Children Thrive’ so that’s what we try to create a happy, inclusive, fun and unforgettable camp.  We want your children to return to you with a new found sense of adventure, a long list of new friends and with a MASSIVE smile on their face!

1. To have many ‘firsts’

There are many firsts at camp.  Some children have never been away from home before, some have never scuba dived or abseiled and some have never sang songs under the stars.  Enjoying a ‘first’ is special enough but doing it whilst away from home is even more special.  Your children will come back with many stories of camp and every story is an achievement and with each achievement they grew slightly taller as a result.

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

2. To develop social skills

All throughout camp children find themselves in new situations with children they have never met before.  Not only will they learn how to effectively communicate they will learn leadership skills and how to work in a team.  With new responsibilities they will work with their new found friends to get the most out of camp.  Our three rules at camp are ‘be kind, be kind, be kind’.  We feel that children become more understanding after spending time within the L&E community.  

3. Physical activity is on the schedule!

Each and every day the children have the opportunity to spend time outdoors.  The L&E day is split into 3 parts which gives children the opportunity to be outside doing activities – some of the children even use their downtime to play outside.  This structured and unstructured time spent in the fresh air is just what the doctor ordered.

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

4. Unplug from technology

We know how important limiting screen time is and here at camp we fully understand that.  Your children are very welcome to bring their phones to camp however we will look after them for the duration of their stay with us. Each day after dinner for around 30 minutes there is an opportunity for every child to get their phone to call home – this is the extent of the children’s phone use over the week!!

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

5 reasons why every child should go to summer camp!

5. Gain a sense of adventure 

There are so many different types of activities to choose from at camp, from abseiling to climbing, scuba diving to kayaking, geocaching to scavenger hunts.  And it isn’t just during the activities where that ‘spark’ can occur, a song sung around the campfire can be just as magical.  

The list could go on and on!!!  Summer camps truly are a special place for children to learn many skills and make friends for life.

Julie Dickson, April 2018