Camping Craziness!

Last week, we decided to put out problem solving skills to the test with a very different and interesting challenge!

The students were placed into groups of three, and then tasked with putting up a small camping tent...WITHOUT instructions.

This was a lot of fun and quite the challenge. Some students had never put up a tent in their life, so there was (initially), a lot of discussion about what should be done first, or how each pole fitted into each sleeve. Needless to say, there were many false starts, backtracking and scratching of heads!

I am pleased to note that all groups managed to work it out in the end, and no one quit when it seemed too difficult! This was one of the key 'lessons' I wanted to get across to the students: things aren't always easy, and persistence is (by far) one of the most important traits a person can possess.

There was one group that was given an extra challenging assignment! Finn, Rosie and Fearne were all experienced campers, so knew exactly how to erect a commercially made tent. I gave them the challenge of designing and making their own survival shelter using only one tarpaulin, a length of rope and one pole. I am pleased to report they did an excellent job, and came up with a simple yet effective design. Well done!

Check out some of our photographs below!