Night Owls

From sensory nature trails to night hikes and star gazing, our ‘night owl’ guide offers a range of camp activities that will keep your student campers occupied into the night.

Who says fun on camp needs to stop when the sun goes down?

Night time on camp brings with it a whole swag of sensory delights, from the sounds of insects clicking and buzzing, to the dewy smell of native vegetation, the taste of freshly scorched campfire marshmallows and the beauty of a dark, starry sky.

After a full-on day of camp activities, night time is also a chance to unwind, get to know each other, bond over shared activities and enjoy something out of the ordinary.

Here are some tried and tested ideas for your next school camp:

Star gazing
If you’ve ever spent the night out in the bush or forest, you’ll know that the night time sky is a far cry from the light-polluted ‘cityscape’ experience.

However, finding constellations and planets in the ever-moving night sky can be challenging. ABC Science website has a wonderful Beginner’s Guide to the Night Sky at http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/08/11/2647703.htm. The guide contains tips and diagrams to help you work out exactly what constellation those random starry dots belong to.

Sensory walk
A quiet sensory walk is an opportunity to experience the incredible ‘stillness of being’ – something we don’t get to experience often in our hectic day-to-day lives. Mark out the path you want to take earlier in the day with solar-powered tea lights. This will help you find your way and create a magical atmosphere. The secret to this walk is SILENCE, so you and your students can experience the cracking of twigs underfoot, the sounds of native animals and insects in their natural habitat and the sighs and movement of the evening air. Prepare students for the walk by having five minutes of complete silence and ‘still’ before you leave for your walk – then walk in single file. This will help reduce the temptation to giggle and chat during the journey.

Disco night
Want to burn off some excess student energy? Arrange a disco night. Mix up popular hits with a handful of international grooves and let your students lose themselves in music and dance. Keep to a tight schedule, and as the disco comes to an end, choose chilled songs with slower beats to help students unwind. Finish the evening with a light supper and refreshments.

Night walk
It’s the first night on camp, and no doubt your students’ excitement levels are at an all-time high! Help students unwind, discover their surroundings and bond with each other by organising a structured walk through the surrounding bushland or forest.

Carry out a reconnaissance trip before you leave for your walk, and stick to well marked out trails. This is not the night for exploration – it’s just a gentle walk to settle into camp life. Bring torches, water bottles, a mobile phone, first aid kit and yourselves. That’s all you’ll need.

Keep the walk short and uncomplicated and finish with a light supper back at the camp kitchen before hitting the sack.

Break of dawn experience
Camp is a perfect opportunity for students to experience the break of dawn in nature. It’s quite a different experience than sunrise in the city and suburbs.

Have an early night the night before, and set out for your walk an hour before dawn breaks.

If your camp is in an area patrolled by national park staff, you may be able to arrange in advance for an environmental officer or park ranger to accompany you on the walk. He or she will be able to point out flora, fauna and other unique features you and your students might otherwise miss.

With a bit of luck, your pre-dawn walk will be a wondrous sensory combination of the still of night, the rustling of fauna, the wetness of morning dew and the beauty of a sunrise.

If you can enthuse your parent or teacher helpers – and the camp cook – arrange to be greeted back from your walk with hot muffins, fresh bread rolls, fruit juice and hot chocolate.
You might even want to set up chairs and tables in a clearing at the end of the walk to enjoy your breakfast while watching the sun rise.

Campfire activity night
If you’re in an area where you are allowed to build a campfire, organise a special campfire activity night.

Collect a few bags of marshmallows, warm jackets, portable stools and matches, and head for your campsite.

Start by building a roaring campfire (but before you do so, it is critical you check with local council and the local country fire service that it is safe to do so). To build a campfire, start with dry tinder, wood shavings and scrunched up newspaper. To keep the fire going, add kindling, i.e. small twigs and branches in a teepee arrangement. Once the fire is well established, add larger pieces of firewood – again in a teepee structure.

A visual how-to guide for building a campsite can be found at http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Campfire.

Your students can help gather the tinder and logs you will need for the fire. However, it is important they respect the environment by not breaking branches off of living trees. Instead, they should only gather bits and pieces they find on the ground, or bring from the campsite (such as wadded newspaper or bags of kindling purchased from a hardware store or service station).

Once you have your campfire started, the fun can begin! Gather long thin branches for marshmallow toasting, have sing-a-longs and story time, guitar playing and star gazing.

Concerts
Camp concerts – generally held on the last night of camp – are a rite of passage popular with students and educators alike.

Concerts can follow a wide range of formats, from group presentations, to theme nights or talent quests. Whatever format you choose, give students time in the afternoon to prepare their ‘show’. Bring lots of dress-ups, wigs, instruments and props – and let kids get creative!

Night time activities can add a great element of fun – and education - to your camp. Don’t try to fit too many in, however, as students could become over-stimulated. The key is to alternate between active night time activities, and quieter activities, such as movie nights and craft nights.