Spring had finally arrived and the weather had become warmer. It was nice to see the bright blue sky, white fluffy clouds and the shining sun. Plum and cherry blossoms had bloomed on the trees. There appeared to be many birds fliting and flying around singing a spring song, squirrels ran around trees and hedgehogs showed their faces whilst trying to find food. Everyone was cheerful and looked forward to all the spring activities that would take place. For children at school, it was time for school camps. Children either went to the forest or the beach for three days. People all hoped that the weather stayed fine so that the camps would be a success. 

Mummy and Daddy read through all the paperwork and laughed nervously. It made me realize that camp is a big thing. Luckily it was nearly the weekend and Mummy and Daddy decided that the time would be dedicated to getting me camp ready. I wasn’t sure what that meant but knew Mummy and Daddy would have everything under control. After breakfast on Saturday morning, Daddy went into his shed and took out a two-man tent. We stood in the back garden and looked at where it could go. Daddy tried to explain that at camp I would need to find flat land to place the tent on. Verity listened to Daddy’s suggestions and then asked, “Why?” Followed by, “Can I be your camp buddy for the weekend?” 

Daddy explained more about putting the tent up in the right spot to make sure the tent would be secure and I could sleep on the flat ground and not on lumpy ground or an area that had a slope. Daddy placed the tent in an area that he thought was good and then took a chair and sat down. Verity and I looked at one another. Daddy said, “You have your camp buddy, so now put up the tent!” We were both surprised. 

Daddy gave step by step instructions and Verity, and I worked together to put the tent up. We were pleased with our end result, and I felt confident that I knew how to put up a tent. We went inside for lunch and Daddy asked questions about what we did so to confirm I understood what to do. After lunch Mummy and Daddy packed swimsuits and we all got in the car. We took a short drive to the quay and strolled along till we reached an activities shed. We changed into our swimwear and were told to wait on the jetty. The owner of the activities shed brought out two kayaks. Mummy and Verity got in one and Daddy and I got in the other. Daddy used the paddle to push us away from the jetty. He provided instruction on how to move forward, backwards, turn and stop. Daddy gave me the paddle then to try all the moves. Mummy sat in the kayak with Verity and used the paddle to move the kayak down the river. Daddy told me to follow them.

Kayaking was fun to do but it was tiring. As I paddled down the river, I became more confident. I saw a cluster of kayaks ahead and noticed that in them was Niamh, Imi and Harry. It was obvious that their mums and dads were also doing a camp preparation weekend. We all had a good laugh. I was determined even more now to listen carefully to instructions from Mummy and Daddy and to do my best. 

Daddy showed me again how to light a match and the stove. He then took the stove apart and asked me then to put it together again and to light it. I tried to break everything down into steps and managed to successfully light the stove. Mummy had provided a pouch of food, and I placed it in the boiling water. I had to time the boiling time and then cut open the pouch to place the food in a bowl. “Good job!” said Daddy. “You have cooked your first meal!” 

Mummy came outside and joined us and brought some additional food. We sat outside and ate under the stars. Mummy said it was time for bed. Daddy said that I needed to try to sleep in the tent for practice. Verity said she would stay with me. Mummy and Daddy left the back door open in case it got too cold and we wanted to go to our own beds. I was determined to stay the night in the tent. Verity and I laughed and chatted. We could hear all sorts of noises that we would not hear by being inside the house. Verity became a little anxious and asked if we should go in the house, but I was determined to stay. We made it through the night and managed to take down the tent and pack it tightly in the tent container.

Daddy and Mummy were so pleased that we managed to sleep through the night outside. They cooked us a delicious breakfast of milky tea and cheese and tomato toasties. Daddy and Mummy helped me pack my backpack for camp and gave me some extra treats in case I became hungry. The phone kept ringing as the mums and dads of Niamh, Imi and Harry kept asking questions and wanting to know what to do. Luckily Mummy and Daddy could help them with the camp preparation. 

Monday came too quickly. Mummy managed to get my backpack into the car along with Verity and myself. Everyone hurriedly got out of their cars and walked to the bus stop. Mr Fitzgibbons was waiting in the bus as he was the designated camp driver. It was nice to see a familiar face. Miss Trees Are Green marked off people’s names and moved bags under the bus. It was a relief to see Imi, Neve and Harry and we all hugged and jumped up and down. We were all excited but cautiously anxious as well. Miss Trees Are Green called everyone to say goodbye and to get on to the bus. I hugged Mummy and Verity and said goodbye. It seemed very strange to do this as I had never left my family before. I got on the bus and sat at the window and looked out. Mummy and Verity looked nervous and gave me a wave.  

Before long the bus pulled away, and we were on our way to camp. The bus left Buckleberry and moved in a direction I had never been before. We passed through small towns and villages and saw lots of farmlands. Miss Trees Are Green made a point of explaining everything. She taught us some songs to sing and we all joined in. We stopped at a lake for lunch and Miss Trees Are Green gave us a sandwich lunchbox. The sandwiches were tasty; the fruit drink was a little sweet and the piece of chocolate cake proved to be the class favourite. We returned to the bus for another few hours before arriving at our campsite. 

The campsite was not what I expected. It was a very flat field with a few buildings. Large trees and bushes seemed to resemble a fence. We off loaded our bags and equipment from the bus and Mr Fitzgibbons said goodbye. He would return to collect us from camp to take us home. Everyone stood silent as this was it, it was camp. Miss Trees Are Green confidently said, “Let’s set up the tents!” We all gathered our bags and equipment and moved to areas that were flat and not lumpy . Both Harry and I had practiced putting up a tent over the weekend, so it was an easy task to do. Imi and Niamh struggled, so we helped them and others too. All the tents were erected, and bags were stored safely inside. Miss Trees Are Green called us all to the community centre. The camp leaders, Paul, Em, and Peter, gave us a short talk about safety and camp expectations. They went over the schedule and then played some games so they could learn our names. 

Peter and Em gave a demonstration of how to use a camp stove. Luckily, it was the exact same one I had used at home. We were all asked to get our pouches of food, and we all attempted to cook dinner. Harry, Imi, Niamh, and I helped one another, so we were able to get our dinner cooked and served in no time. Some of the other children didn’t cook their food long enough and it was cold. Em used a microwave to heat the food for them. Some found the handle of the saucepan was too hot and used a tea towel that accidentally caught on fire! Peter had a special glove and tool to put the fire out quickly. Everyone was relieved that we had survived the cooking task. Paul gave everyone a hot chocolate and a smartie cookie afterward. It felt like the best thing of the day.

We went outside and sat around a campfire. Paul, Em, and Peter told us stories about the history and animals of the area. We all huddled together to listen to their tales. Before bed, they gave each one of us a number, saying we would need it the next day. We all reluctantly went to our tents and snuggled into our sleeping bags. Strange animal noises could be heard nearby, but because I had slept in my garden, I knew exactly what to expect. We could hear chattering in other tents until Miss Trees Are Green came to check on us and suggested we all try to get some sleep.