PGL history has been made and a new precedent set! The children all went to bed on the first night without the adults having to intervene – Fantastic news! The children have had a good night’s sleep and are up for breakfast. The menu is always a choice of cereals, yogurt, fruit and porridge. There are also hash browns, sausages, mushrooms, beans and toast. There should be something to meet the needs of all.
It is a rainy morning in Marchants Hill, but the children are in good spirits. The activities today are Giant’s Swing, Jacob’s Ladder, Buggy Building and Rifle Shooting.
Buggy Building is a team-building exercise in which teams must work together to build their buggy to withstand a series of gruelling tests.
Giant’s Swing sees children work on nerve and joint decision-making. Two or three children are harnessed into the swing, while other members of the group haul them up to 10 metres into the air. After the group in the swing decide together how high they want to go, a pull on the ripcord will send them plummeting earthward. It’s a fast and exhilarating drop, but good communication will get the right balance between fear and fun!
Jacob’s Ladder is another great exercise in teamwork and friendly cooperation. The objective, in teams of three, is to climb to the top of a suspended ladder of logs. The gaps between each log become wider the higher you go. That is why friendly cooperation and lot of encouragement are needed.
Rifle Shooting is a test of individual skill. To succeed, children will need to control their breathing, keep a steady hand, concentrate hard and focus on being as accurate as possible.
The children make waiting between activities a time of laughter. It is all team-building, skills needed for the rigors of Year 6 and beyond.
After dinner, the evening activity was a campfire. It was a fantastic mixture of songs, dance, stories and marshmallows.
Sticky, gooey, lovely marshmallows – even better when you have toasted it yourself.
Evening reflections and prayer time done, the children settled down for the night in their rooms – tomorrow is another full day. Goodnight everyone!