St Stephen's Bangkok, Year 5 - Kayaking, Rock Painting and Low Ropes!

St Stephen's Bangkok Year 5 stayed at our outdoor education centre near Khao Yai National Park for 4 days / 3 nights. Their programme was action packed with a wide range of both curriculum-linked and adventure-based learning. The students were excited to be out of the classroom for a few days and challenged in the beautiful outdoor setting of Khao Yai!

One of the highlights of the camp for both staff and students was making nature sculptures using only natural materials inspired by the work of British sculptor and environmentalist, Andy Goldsworthy. The idea was be as creative and innovative as possible while thinking about the materials, colours, textures and patterns of the design. The judges (the teachers) were amazed by some of the artistic sculptures and the winning team did a great job with a design inspired by a bird's nest using a wide range of materials (see below).

The students also got the opportunity to work on their kayaking skills on the Lamtakhong River in a beautiful section surrounded by farmland and wildlife. All the group gave it a go and, while many students had trouble going in a straight line at the beginning, they got the hang of maneuvering after instruction and practice. Some even learned how to splash the teachers with their paddles (much to their delight!).

Another highlight was exploring ancient rock art at a beautiful cave site which is thought to be at least 4,000 years old. The students interpreted the rock paintings and came up with their own narratives about what they thought was happening in the pictures and what this might show about the lives of these ancient people. Following this the students used slates and paints to create their own modern rock art to show people 4,000 years from now about their lives in 2017.