Having worked with nearly half of the schools in the Carlisle area, many of you will be aware of the fantastic experiences that school children have enjoyed with us at Talkin Tarn. With a wide range of adventure activities, lots of schools visit us at Talkin Adventures each year, to sample one or two activities. The children and teachers who visit us have a brilliant time and leave us wanting more. Last year, we found the solution to this!

In the Summer term of 2023, a local school, Gilsland Primary School, came to us for a twelve week programme. This provided a brilliant opportunity for the pupils and staff to get out of the traditional classroom and to focus on outdoor skills, teamwork, communication, and confidence. As a small school, most weeks saw us working with 20-25 pupils from year 1 to year 6. This was a bespoke package for one school, which can be adjusted to suit any class. The children came to us for a half day session each week between Easter and the Summer Holidays. It was lovely to welcome a familiar group each week, and to see the children grow in confidence and ability. An initial reluctance to try new things, at the start, became an excitement for fresh experiences by the end of the 12 weeks.

​Activities that the pupils experienced were:

• Orienteering
• Archery
• Canoeing
• Kayaking
• Raft Building
• Team Challenges
• Fire lighting and shelter building
• Campfire cookery
• Nature Art
• Pond dipping, wildlife spotting, tree ID
• Story trails

​Some of these activities were delivered to the whole school, and some activities such as kayaking and archery are more suited to the older children in the group. The children in Key Stage Two were able to develop their kayaking skills, for example, over a number of weeks. Following an initial taster style session, which most school groups enjoy on a single day visit, the children of Gilsland School focused on water safety, learnt basic rescue skills, and became more competent paddlers.

​It was a pleasure to meet this group each week, and to watch them develop over the term. This year, we have the capacity for four half day slots, for local school groups to experience this fantastic programme.

We'd love to work with you and your school, over a longer term. This is something a little special, so we would create a package to suit you. You'll be able to focus on the activities and outcomes that are most important to you and your school, and arrange the schedule around other school commitments such as SATs week, residentials and other such events on your calendar.

Get in touch today if you think that this might work for your school or class. 

"Everything was pitched correctly, the children were engaged, all the resources and equipment you had was well-suited. The children got to have a memorable experience that, for most of them, they will never get through home life. Most of them haven't even been to the Lake District! Having it over a period of time rather than a one-off session meant that they really had a chance to build on the skills you were teaching them. It was a completely different school experience than anything you can do in a classroom." - Miss H Salkeld, Head Teacher, Gilsland Primary School 2023​

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