School Camp Planning

We aim to make school camps as easy as possible and accessible for everyone 

School Camp Teachers are our Heroes

Without the effort teachers put into school camps many students would miss out on an important part of their education.

The Lodge was designed and built to make it as easy as possible for teachers to access and teach about Northland’s native forest.

We recognise planning a school camp can be a daunting task. Issues such as venue, menus, recipes, cost, health and safety, adequate supervision and transport all have to be considered and dealt with before the actual teaching and activities begin.

Designed with school camps specifically in mind

Operating for nearly 40 years, the Tangihua Lions Lodge facilities make planning and running a school camp significantly easier. On this website you can find suggested menus, activities, schedules and a list of what to bring.

Once you have decided on a venue, try to make it a regular event. This will make future trips much easier. You and your helpers will know what to expect. Parents with several children will have been there previously. It is a good camp site (especially in wet weather) so word of mouth will ensure goodwill and enthusiasm amongst staff and students, a major factor in the organising.

For a suggested schedule of activities try TLL – General Program for School Camp.

Accommodation at the Lodge

On each side of the main dining area there is one five and one twenty bunk room, sleeping a total of 50 people. Normally it is boys to the left of the main room and girls to the right – parents in the five-bed room, students in the 20 bunk room. The five-bed room has been designed with parents and teachers in mind. It is separated from the larger bunk room by a 3/4 wall which gives some privacy but also allows for monitoring of activities in the other room.

It is common to have some groups camping in the surrounding clearings. Numbers can be boosted to 80 without putting a strain on the lodge’s resources.

There is also the auxiliary lodge with two king single beds, one with a trundler bed underneath plus a single bed. There is room for additional people to sleep here.

Across the enclosed deck area from the bunk rooms are the male and female ablution areas which each have 4 showers and 4 toilets plus a separate disabled shower/toilet. The auxiliary lodge has a small bathroom with shower and toilet.

Parents or adults at School camps

In order to get the required ratio of supervisors at school camps, parents are often called upon. Most parents find this to be a fun and rewarding experience.

There will be many skill sets available amongst the parents. Food preparation and the ability to be in the background keeping things ticking over are the two most needed. We suggest parents take a look at this website.

Parents, while participating in many interesting activities, get to know the teachers and the students. Meeting informally and chatting with teachers and other parents and seeing how the class interacts is always an interesting and rewarding experience.

A newsletter with information for parents, sent out prior to permission slips, is a good idea. A meeting of parents prior to the camp will allay some fears and is often a quicker and easier way of dealing with any issues that may arise than talking to parents individually. Often parents know about the camp or have been there and this “word of mouth” really helps.

To help parents understand their role we have created this one page sheet to provide them; TLL – The Role of Parents on School Camp

What to take in School camp

Here is our checklist of what to bring on a school camp at the Lodge; TLL – What to Bring on School Camp

Security and safety

Missing students can be as big a problem as unwanted visitors. The lodge gate can be locked and the access road is 3 km from Omana Rd.

There is not really anywhere for students to go. Teachers will have standard rules, here are some pertinent to this site:

• Use a buddy system
• No running, jumping, or tussling indoors
• No leaving the grassed lodge area without an adult
• Kitchen is out of bounds unless on duty
• Fire is a risk – no bush fires or BBQs (a large hotplate is provided)
• Leave bush areas, including bivouac zones, as found

Wet weather

Planning for wet weather is essential.

Have a Plan B that is quick to implement and pack away. The lodge has undercover areas and a drying room (for clothes, not students).

Indoor activities like art, map work, talks, and games can keep the group engaged. The lodge remains accessible in bad weather, but take care with streams when tramping.

Time out

Time out for staff is important. The LCIF lodge, separate from the main lodge, is ideal for stepping back.

The disabled bathroom or one of the adult bunk rooms can be used for student time out if needed.

For further information

Phone Michelle: 0275500611 or email tlionslodge@gmail.com