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Why book a winter residential?

What’s the best time of year to go on a school trip?


Autumn is here and the days are getting shorter, darker and colder. This can make some people want to rush inside, get under a cosy blanket and put the telly on. Not at Mount Cook! We’re open 365 days of the year running school residentials, charity retreats and activity trips for all ages.

Grab your wellies and put on your woolly hat, because here are 5 reasons why winter is one of the best times to take part in outdoor activities to book your school residential:


1.      Lower cost school residential trips


Costs can be significantly lower for residential trips. Times are tough for families, so coming away between November and February can provide significantly more value for money than coming in peak seasons.


A 2 night residential with catering, activities and accommodation at Mount Cook is about 30% cheaper in the winter compared to the popular May/June/July months, to give everyone an opportunity to enjoy the outdoor no matter their budget. The activities available and time spent taking part in sessions are the same no matter what time of year it is, so you will have a great value from your school trip.


We also offer our Key Stage 2 History Packages exclusively in the off peak season!


A child in winter clothes learning archaeology
Key Stage 2 History packages will get your students stuck into hands on learning all year long

2.      Build on learning throughout the school year


We all know the benefits of outdoor learning translate back into the classroom. Improved cooperation skills, confidence to take on challenges, and increased independence are all direct outcomes of residential trips and are all invaluable skills at school.

Going on your annual residential earlier in the school year allows time to build on this, whereas going on a 5 to 6 week summer holiday immediately after the trip may cause the learning to not embedded.


The Learning Away Impact Report found that 58% of primary aged children felt that were better at schoolwork after going on a residential.

This means residentials before exams can help increase exam attainment and improve learning.


3.      Increase resilience in young people with winter residentials


Getting outdoors when it’s cold and wet may seem unappealing to children and adults alike. Following a fun but structured programme during a residential trip that takes young people through all the elements, with the appropriate equipment like waterproofs and torches, can be a great way of teaching children to overcome these doubts and preserve through mild discomfort.


Mount Cook tracks these changes through collecting data from our primary schools and producing a “Theory of Change” report. This helps us identify improvement in resilience from before and after a residential trip through asking a series of questions.

It’s free to opt into these reports for all our schools.


It’s free to opt into these reports for all our schools.

“Thank you for all the hard work, and being friendly, patient and making us all feel really safe also you made me encourage myself to push me out of my comfort zone.”

~ A year 4 student after a February residential to Mount Cook


Two children with bows and arrows playing archery tag
Archery tag is a great activity to build resilience in children

4.      Provide an alternative outdoor experience


Summer is great, there’s no denying it. We love sunshine and long evenings. However, there’s a lot of underappreciated elements of autumn and winter that can bring a lot of joy; spectacular autumn colours, frost on the ground and if we’re lucky…snow!


It’s easier to spot wildlife and birds when there’s less foliage on trees. Mount Cook has shelters with bird hides built in in our beautiful quarry, where bullfinches, kestrels, and jays can be spotted whilst waiting your turn on archery.


In the autumn, our bushcraft sessions can dive into the wonderful world of fungi and students can learn about the many uses of mushrooms. Did you know King Alfred's Cakes can be used as a firelighter?


Mount Cook low ropes course in the snow
Low ropes is a completely different experience in the snow

5.      Improve mental health and build healthy habits


Whilst there are less daylight hours, it can be easy to spend more time in front of screens, eat comfort food, and exercise less. All these factors can have a negative impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of young people, especially teenagers.


Learning to overcome winter barriers to the outdoors through a residential with an instructor can increase confidence to access the outdoors throughout the year.

Exercising in an outdoor environment, even if it’s just getting your wellies on and heading to the park for 30 minutes, can improve mood, boost the quality of rest time and increase vital vitamin D levels that are needed to fight winter blues.

The NHS recommends children should do 60 minutes of exercise per day. Active Lives Children and Young People 2023 Survey found that just under half of all children in the UK met these recommendations last year.


If you would like to book an exciting winter residential at Mount Cook for your students, please get in touch with our friendly sales teams today for prices and availability. We can offer a bespoke trip of any length for your students in our quieter season, and will work with you to find the best option for your students.



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Lets chat! Email us on explore@mountcook.uk or call 01629 823 702.



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