A trip to Naturesbase in Wales for Year 5
Year 5 go adventuring in Wales
Our lovely Year 5s set off with members of staff last week from Hazlegrove on the biggest adventure of their education to date. After a long coach journey, we arrived in sunny Wales and met Gyles and the Naturesbase team, the children then settled into their dorms and tents before embarking on lively team-building games and activities. Supper was followed by venturing out in the dark with torches and maps in our teams to locate animal stamps; with some groups being much stealthier than others!
On Tuesday, we had an outdoor history lesson in the rain, learning what life was like in Wales ten thousand years ago. We learned what plants one can eat from a hedgerow and then spent the day building dens in the woods and learning how to light fires using flint and steel before boiling dragon vomit and roasting sugared slugs over the flames!
Wednesday had an ominous forecast, but undeterred, we set off on a 6-mile walk, having fed ourselves along with the chickens and sheep that live at Naturesbase. We visited an organic farm and a Victorian period National Trust home on our merry way to the coast. By the time we reached the pretty town of Aberaeron we were more than ready for a honey ice-cream, before beating a hasty retreat to the coach as the rain moved in.
After another hearty meal and a singalong in the Naturesbase Barn we retired to bed, thoroughly exhausted! All that remained on Thursday was packing and saying thankyou and goodbye to the fantastic Naturebase team before braving the journey home. The children who got off the coach at the end of it all seemed a little more grown-up and independent than before.
They should all be very proud of all they have achieved this week, most importantly making new friends and learning to work together. A huge thank-you to Mrs Spilsbury, Mrs Thomas, Miss Wickham and Mr McGeoch for all their help!
Mr D Jenkins
