An honest, unbiased guide to booking your schools outdoor activity day.
This guide is not to convince you that Everyone’s Adventure is the only choice and best choice for your school’s activity day.
Because in some cases, we’re not.
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But none the less, we are on a mission to provide you with all the information you need to make an educated decision:
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Reasons to book an outdoor activity experience for your students.
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The 3 different “types” of outdoor bookings.
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Mobile activity providers VS Outdoor activity centres.
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How to choose the right provider/centre.
Being a teacher involves a lot of work, which means you’re a busy person, so I will answer the above questions in a short, sweet, and factual structure.
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Reasons to book an outdoor activity experience for your students.
The reality is that you probably already know why you want to book an outdoor activity event for your students, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this.
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But…
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Just to reinforce your decision, I have summarised a study on benefits of outdoor learning for students and teachers. It was first published by The Conversation back in June 2019.
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The pupils felt a sense of freedom when outside the restricting walls of the classroom.
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They felt able to express themselves.
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They felt more engaged and positive during their learning experience.
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Their well-being and memory started to improve.
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Teachers stated “how it helped engage all types of learners”.
Here at Everyone’s Adventure we believe that outdoor activity experiences offer a metaphorical level playing field.
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Everyone starts at the same point; it doesn’t matter who completes the challenge first or scores the highest or gets the lowest number of faults.
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The result really doesn’t matter.
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It’s the participants performance that really matters.
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The event allows new friendships, new skills, and positive behaviours to form.
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2. The 3 different ‘types’ of outdoor bookings.
This section isn’t talking about the different types of activities you can choose from, it’s about choosing the right type of activity booking.
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“What do you mean by ‘type’ of booking?” I hear you ask!
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In the interest of keeping this short and sweet we can break down all outdoor activity bookings into 3 different categories.
These are Experience – Discover – Development.
Experience
This is the choice you would pick for a Year 6 farewell, a Year 7 icebreaker, or a school teacher social. The session is about providing participants to try something different, have lots of fun, and make new friends.
This could involve 1, 2, or even 3 different activities.
Discover
This means the provider would imbed your desired learning outcomes into the session. Examples of your imbedded learning outcomes could be effective communication, self-reflection, teamwork, mindfulness, and supporting others.
You might choose this option if you have noticed a class or year group which are struggling with emotional and social issues, or you would like a school team/club to create a bond.
This could involve 1, 2, or even 3 different activities and tends to take place over a half/full day.
Development
This booking type usually takes form in a series of progressive outdoor sessions.
These sessions are perfect for students who are struggling to engage with a traditional educational curriculum.
This bespoke booking type encompasses the schools desired outcomes, the students’ individual needs, and the students’ interests.
These sessions are usually 1 to 2 hours long and take place weekly over a half or full school term.
3. Mobile activity providers VS Outdoor activity centres.
I thought the best way I could effectively and efficiently display the pro’s and con’s of both different providers would be to pop the information into the table below.
What activities can I expect to choose from:
4. How to choose the right provider/centre.
Now the easy thing would be for me to say the best option for you to choose is Everyone’s Adventure.
But…
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While this may be true for most schools, it would be biased and untrue to say that Everyone’s Adventure is the right choice for everyone or the only choice out there.
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And…
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The purpose of this guide is to inform you and then to take a step back so you can make your own educated decision.
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So…
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Step 1 – Centre or Mobile Provider?
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Answering the below questions should help you make your choice.
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Will you have less than 75 students participating in activities at the same time?
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Does your school have enough space to host a mobile event? (Roughly 100m by 75m)
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Are you looking to book Archery, Bushcraft, Team Challenges, Battlefield Live, Pioneering, or Problem solving?
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Do you want a bespoke service/experience?
If you answered yes to all the above questions, then a mobile activity provider is the right choice for you.
However, if you answered no to any of the questions above then an activity centre might be a better fit for you.
Step 2 – Choose your booking type.
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Experience, Discover, or Development, what do you want your students to achieve?
Step 3 – Your Location.
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Most mobile providers service a larger area, for example Everyone’s Adventure works with schools throughout Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.
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Again, the selection of activity centres all depends on your location and how far you are willing to travel. But I can recommend a few great centres located in the Hampshire area.
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New Forest Activities
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Woodmill Outdoor Activity Centre
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Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Activity Centre.
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That’s all folks!
I hope you found our whistle stop guide to booking your schools outdoor activity day beneficial.
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If you are interested on how outdoor activity providers and centres set their prices, then check out our ‘Outdoor Activities – Let’s Talk Money’ page. (Coming soon).