Record summer bookings for Kilgraston’s minicamps
A record number of children have enjoyed a stunning summer here at our countryside campus for Kilgraston’s minicamps.
Around 70 children a day have been soaking up our various programmes which this year, for the first time, included a Multi-Arts camp and a Dance camp alongside our ever-popular Multi-Sports camps run by Billy McNeil, Kilgraston’s tennis coach.
With the sun splitting the skies and soaring temperatures, this really was the year of the staycation. In their activity group bubbles, boys and girls took part in daily programmes, which included tennis, hockey and swimming for Multi-Sports, with weekly changes of focus for our Multi-Arts camp attendees. Children who took part in our Dance camps even did an al fresco end-of-week performance.
Kilgraston’s Summer School Course Director, Donna Douglas, said: “The children have had a wonderful time and really thrown themselves into all the activities. It has been full of fun and laughter and we are delighted with how much the children have enjoyed it, particularly after the past 15 months they have experienced with lockdown. We are already looking forward to welcoming them back on campus for our October camps.”
A big thank you to all the families who attended our camps, our October Camps registration will be open very soon, and finally a huge thank you to all our dedicated staff.
Record recruitment for Kilgraston’s summer camp programme
Fresh from getting their children back to school after months of lockdown learning, parents are now turning their attention to the looming summer holiday period in a bid to satisfy offspring’s pent-up energy.
“Bookings have only been open for three weeks,” comments Donna Douglas, Kilgraston’s Summer School Course Director, “but already they are far exceeding those of the pre-Covid summer of 2019, and there are still eight weeks to go.”
While Kilgraston’s summer camps did take place during 2020’s lockdown-easing, social distancing and higher than usual teacher-to-pupil ratio requirements capped numbers: “Demand during the six-weeks was huge,” notes Douglas, “but, unfortunately, we had to disappoint many families as rules just didn’t allow us to take the numbers we’d have liked.”
But 2021 is proving to be a whole different ball game: “We had 510 visitor days’ booked over Easter,” continues Douglas, “and summer confirmations are already well over those of 2019 levels.”
Being asked to provide packed lunches and snacks, hasn’t proved a game-changer, with parents still very keen to get kids out and about on the playing fields and equestrian centre or developing skills at the newly-announced Dance and Multi-Arts camps: “We’ve had bookings from all-over central Scotland,” Douglas says, “from north of Dundee to over the Firth of Forth. Parents are citing an emphasis on fun and energy outlets, especially with restrictions on foreign travel.”
Camps will keep age-groups together in tight ‘bubbles’, with one adult to every seven students: “Generally, children stay in small, familiar, groups all day, generating a family atmosphere,” notes Douglas, “If we reach capacity, a ‘wait-list’ is created, where additional staff will be recruited if demand dictates.”
If you’d like further information or to book a place on one of the many activities, please click here or email directly to [email protected]
Fun and smiles at Kilgraston Easter Camps 2021
Kilgraston was delighted to offer local children the chance to get outdoors and be active these Easter holidays, with our Easter Multi-Sports Camps and Equestrian Own a Pony Days. After a difficult term of online learning at home, the children came out with buckets of energy and enthusiasm and took part with gusto!
Grouped by age and ability, Multi-Sports participants took part in a range of sports: tennis, football, hockey, rounders, mini-Olympics, along with the ever-popular games of Capture the Flag and our coaches’ plentiful and dynamic variations of ‘tag’.
Over at the Equestrian Centre, our budding young riders were able to develop their horse-care skills as well as their riding skills, with trekking and games on horseback thrown in as well.
This was this our most successful holiday camp to date (550 student days booked over two and a half weeks!), and we’d like to take the opportunity to thank all our wonderful sports coaches, riding instructors, and helpers who made it such a success! Most of all – we’d like to thank all the children who participated with such positivity each day, who battled through the wind (and occasional snow!!) – they were the real heroes of our camps!
Easter camps will return again in 2022, but we’re now turning our attention to Summer 2021. Full Summer Camp information will be posted next week at www.kilgraston.com/mini-camps. You can also contact [email protected] to be added to our mailing list.
Thank you again, and see you in the Summer!