Our school has a wonderful little tradition in which the 3rd grade class heads up to the mountain, stays overnight in a lodge, and builds igloos. Though I confess I was more than a little hesitant about taking an overnight trip with 27 eight- and nine-year olds, it ended up being a fantastic trip and helped us to connect on a whole new level.
There were a few things that made it hugely successful (and super fun!)
There was room for everyone.
On middle school overnight trips, I’ve always been pretty careful about the number of adult chaperones. Having lots of parents around can really diminish the sense of independence that is one of the greatest benefits of trips like this. On our backpacking trip in 6th grade, for example, we had about 6 adults leading our class of 24. It was just right.
But this trip was completely different. This was our first overnight trip — our first chance to spend the night with our classmates, away from our parents. A lot of students felt nervous about this, so for this trip only, any parent who wanted to come was welcome.
It did mean that plenty of kids had an adult pack up their belongings and carry them as we hiked to and from the lodge, but having all that parent help meant that kids were less stressed and could enjoy the trip more. We also just really needed that much support for this first trip. There’s plenty of time to work on independence.
In the end, there was a handful of students who did not have a parent along on the trip and they were just fine. Their parents knew they would be because they’re the kids who have had plenty of overnights and feel pretty comfortable on their own.
We got right to work.
We took a bus up the mountain and as soon as we got there we changed into snow gear and met the igloo workshop leader. There wasn’t time for kids to mess around and run around the lodge. We got right out into the snow. It was great.
The workshop leader was one of those fantastic, kid-friendly people who really knows their stuff. He’s worked with kids enough to know how to direct them in activities, when to give a little extra motivation and when to just let kids have fun in the snow.
My students listened really well because they knew he had a lot to teach them.
Then, once their igloos were built, they were full of ideas for improvements. They dug tunnels between igloos. Some students built walls and decorations around the igloos and when they were all done, we pulled out the sleds and had a great time.
Children slept.
One of my fellow teachers, who took the trip a few years ago, recommended a failsafe bedtime routine and it worked beautifully. Here’s how it went:
- The parents went downstairs to the dining room for some social time.
- All the children gathered in one room upstairs and got cozy.
- They laid down and I read to them.
- After the story was over, they tiptoed to their beds and snuck right in.
- I began playing the flute and walking around from room to room.
- After some time I stopped playing flute and just walked around, tucking kids in, rubbing backs and whispering to remind kids to rest.
It took about an hour, but after I read the story, kids were quiet and in their beds. Just a couple of times a couple of kids tried to snicker with their friends, but they were met with a firm NO, and rolled over and went to sleep.
I happen to have quite a few students who really love their sleep, and they were tired after a full day in the snow, so it all worked beautifully.
It also meant that the parents got to socialize, which was another really wonderful benefit of this trip.
The trip ended on a Friday.
I honestly don’t know what I would have done if we’d had school the next day. I’m fairly certain that many of my students wouldn’t have come anyway.
Ever since I once scheduled our 7th grade sailing trip to end on a Tuesday, I learned my lesson. Everyone needs a little bit of time to recover from a big trip like that and the last thing I want to do when I get home that night is plan a lesson!
On the whole, it was a fantastic trip, and one I highly recommend. And if you’re in Portland and want the contact info for the workshop leader, hit me up and I’ll send it your way.
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