Blogs

The seasons have turned, and the first chill of Winter is upon us. As such this is the perfect time to address the importance of outdoor play during Winter for your children. As Outdoor Educators, Wilderness Escape operates year-round, taking kids out on day adventures and overnight camps regardless of the season. And there is one very important reason why. It’s good for them! We understand that there is a lot of natural concern around the prospect of having your child outside during the cooler months. Parents worry about their children getting ill, or not enjoying being outside in the different weather. They even worry about them being injured as ground becomes trickier to negotiate. Over all the common supposition is that Winter is somehow harmful for children. In fact, the opposite is true. Engaging in outdoor play during winter has been shown via multiple studies1 world-wide to be very good for kids’ health. Still unsure? Let us explain further.

Skye began her career as a casual employee of Wilderness Escape in 2014 and quickly proved herself to be an extremely valuable member of our team.  In 2015, Skye moved into a permanent, full time OEM role with us. With a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation and qualifications in numerous outdoor activities, Skye is an extremely experienced instructor who can facilitate the running of your outdoor education camp or day program with ease! Skye’s 10 years’ experience in the outdoor education industry means she is able to provide our clients with their best ever camp experience.  From mountain biking to sailing to rock climbing, you can rest assured you are in safe hands with Skye.

The April School Holidays are just around the corner! School Holidays are amongst the best and worst time for parents and kiddo’s alike. An opportunity to spend some quality time with your kids (yay!), but also the never ending quest to keep your little darling entertained. Especially when you have to head off to work. We can feel the panic from here. Relax! Wilderness Escape is here to provide you with fun outdoor school holiday day programs that will get your kids outside, having fun, going on (safe) adventures and learning amazing new skills.

Outdoor Education has become somewhat of a byword when discussing interactions with students, the great outdoors and learning outdoor skills. You might have heard it thrown around yourself when talking to your fellow teachers or parents. You may have even found yourself asking the question, what does it actually mean and why is it considered so important for student education? To put it simply, the term Outdoor Education can be defined by experiential learning in, for, or about the outdoors. Experiential learning itself is classified as ‘learning by experience‘ or ‘learning through doing‘, and Outdoor Education embraces this via organized activities that take place in outdoor environments. This does not mean however that Outdoor Education is focused solely on having fun outdoors. In fact, Outdoor Education programs focus on three major precepts; to positively transform the individuals Think, Feel, and Behave. And there is no better time to embrace these changes then during a student’s school years.

Outdoor learning experiences, commonly referred to in school environments as Outdoor Education, are becoming of greater focus within the educational curriculum. What once was considered a novel form of entertainment in the outdoors to break up the seriousness of the school year has quickly become an important factor within educational success. These days quality Outdoor Educators are expected to be able to create custom outdoor experiences that follow yearly curriculum structures with the positive outcomes the experiences provide showing long-term benefits to students and faculty alike. The positive impacts Outdoor Education has on the classroom are wide ranging. Four of the most well documented ones include –

Marc has been with Wilderness Escape since 2008 and is one of our top-rated water-sport Outdoor Education Managers. With a Double diploma of tourism and outdoor education, and industry qualifications in bushwalking, kayaking, snorkelling, surfing and challenge ropes, he is a great all rounder for both our Summer and Winter camps and day experiences.