The purpose of this day is the personal development of the individual child combined with team building. It is an extremely popular activity and can be successfully used as a half-day or full-day activity.
The day begins with your group presenting themselves to the ‘School for Pirates.’ The tasks are presented as the entrance exam to assess whether they can gain a place at the school. The group receives instructions on putting on the safety equipment before the activity begins. (All safety equipment is checked and then double checked by an AFSC instructor to ensure that it is correctly fitted and worn).
The low ropes course stretches many of the children but uncovers hidden talents in others – often the quieter members of the group. For those who can perform the task easily, there are optional harder tasks. No child is ever forced to participate but we are extremely skilled at getting even the youngest and most timid children across. Their pride and sense of achievement afterwards is self-evident! We also operate a buddy system where the children look after each other and give encouragement.
The remaining activities – the bosun’s chair, walking the planks and shelter building rely on good teamwork. Emphasis is placed on good communication, co-operation and encouragement and this is continually reinforced throughout the day.
For the extension activity on the full-day option, groups are given a treasure map to follow a simple route through Felbrigg woods looking for clues. On their return, with the necessary information, the map is swapped for an AFSC site map showing the location of the treasure chest. This contains the prize (although sometimes a little surprise as well).
This is an exceptionally good activity for increasing self-confidence.
