Roman Bath and Chester, the Eden Project, London’s Christmas markets, Edinburgh Castle; all these and more are bursting with learning opportunities for your pupils.
Based at your chosen primary school activity centre, choose your itinerary of inspiring local excursions. Between excursion days, challenging adventure activities make for an action-packed experience. Bring home happy, excited children who have seen more, experienced more and learnt more too.
UK Explorer programme overview
- 5 day programme of excursions and adventure activities
- Based from any of our UK primary school centres
- Pick and choose the excursions most relevant to your students
- Enjoy enriching adventure activities between your excursions
- 3 delicious, nutritious meals per day (packed lunches provided for excursions)
- Evening entertainment/activity programme
- Fully insured
Select your group type
Learning Outcomes
A Typical Day at PGL
Wake up, get ready and enjoy a delicious breakfast into the dining room. Your Groupie will then take you for some adventurous PGL activities on centre.
Time to refuel! Enjoy a hearty lunch in our dining room, and then set off for an exciting afternoon excursion with your group.
Once back on centre, you’ll head to the dining room for a hot tasty dinner. As the evening draws in, you’ll enjoy one final fun activity with your group. After this, everyone should be well and ready for a good night’s sleep, ready for more action tomorrow!
Wake up, get ready and enjoy a delicious breakfast into the dining room. Your Groupie will then take you for some adventurous PGL activities on centre.
Time to refuel! Enjoy a hearty lunch in our dining room, and then set off for an exciting afternoon excursion with your group.
Once back on centre, you’ll head to the dining room for a hot tasty dinner. As the evening draws in, you’ll enjoy one final fun activity with your group. After this, everyone should be well and ready for a good night’s sleep, ready for more action tomorrow!
Activities
Abseiling
The tower is over 10 metres high. The task – to walk backwards off the top, gradually working back towards ground level, suspended only on a rope. It’s all about trust, courage and confidence. It’s also a very dynamic way to learn calculating and controlling risk. Some children deal with heights more easily than others, but the support and encouragement of the rest of the group is important for each individual’s success and will help strengthen peer relationships.
Aeroball / Airball
A cross between trampolining, basketball and volleyball - it’s an exhilarating, high-energy sport. Four players learn the basics required - then spring into action! The aim is to get the ball in the opposing player's net. As well as being lots of fun, your group will develop team tactics and improve communication skills along the way.
All Aboard
All aboard is all about building trust and strengthening peer relationships – at the top of a 6 metre pole! Teams of up to four pupils scale the pole to reach the small platform at the top. Balancing on the platform becomes more difficult as more team members arrive to share the space. The challenge is to cooperate and support each other. The task is complete when all four team members successfully stand together at the top of the pole. Weight limit: 150kg
Aqua Park
Our inflatable obstacle assault course, situated atop our very own on-centre lake will be sure to challenge your group as they attempt to make their way across without getting wet...who are we kidding, it's all about getting soaked! Available May to October, exclusive to Newby Wiske Hall
Aquafun
Have a splash with inflatable fun in the pool
Archery
Our Archery sessions offer the chance for every pupil to experience success. Accuracy, control and a steady hand are vital for achieving the best results and many children discover a talent for a new skill. Handling bows and arrows may be a brand new experience for your group and presents a variety of new challenges! We encourage safety awareness from the outset and teach the basic skills on an indoor or outdoor range.
Archery Tag
Let the battle commence! Archery with a twist - you are aiming for each other! In this game of skill and teamwork you are equipped with foam tipped arrows to battle it out in action packed games. You will do some basic skills training before entering the arena to see who comes out victorious! Available March to September
Beach Games
Life's a beach! Fun games and activities on the coastline near to your centre.
Beach/Coastal Walk
Explore the area and discover the natural environment while our instructors lead activities or games along the beach or coastline close to your PGL centre. If appropriate to your choice of course, there are various practical tasks that you can carry out during your walk. There are opportunities to examine coastal features, compare local beach profiles and begin to explore marine ecology. *Exclusive to Bawdsey Manor*
Bridge Abseil
New and exclusive to Ford Castle! The ultimate abseil experience! An exhilarating and unique Bridge Abseiling activity from the top of the bridge into the stunning valley below. This is sure to be an experience to remember for everyone! Watch pupils' courage, self-belief and confidence build as they walk backwards off the top, gradually working back towards ground level, suspended only on a rope. Some young people deal with heights more easily than others, but the support and encouragement of the rest of the group is important for each individual’s success and will help strengthen peer relationships.
Burn Walk
Groups explore a nearby burn, waterfall and a dam and learn about the impact of erosion, water filtration and the flora and fauna of the burn environment. On their way along the burn, groups participate in a number of activities designed to encourage communication, teamwork and leadership. The session ends with a review of what has been learnt and what the group will take back home with them from the experience. *Exclusive to PGL Dalguise*
Canoeing
Canoeing is exciting, challenging and fun. It’s also a great opportunity for students to learn new skills such as paddling and steering in order to control their craft effectively. Communication skills also play a part as students work together and encourage each other.
Challenge Course
The PGL Challenge Course is legendary – it’s a well-loved and popular activity with plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved; it can even get quite competitive sometimes! As your pupils negotiate the various obstacles that lie ahead, it’s an experience that will promote teamwork, lateral thinking, problem solving and decision-making – as well as being physically challenging too.
Climbing
Your pupils will need to combine different skills including perseverance, strength, an ability to deal with heights – as well as trust in their belay partner and equipment. Those who have never tried it before will find it an exhilarating experience. Climbing at PGL may take place on indoor walls or outdoor climbing towers; whichever it is, we always use a top-rope belay for safety. Weight limit: 140kg
Crate Climb
The crate challenge is a test of innovative thinking, construction, balance, courage – and above all effective teamwork. Your pupils’ activity group is divided into two teams that compete against each other to build the tallest tower of crates. With two pupils standing on top as the tower grows, each team has to come up with ever more innovative ways of getting more crates to the top, as the pair on top become more and more precariously balanced! Weight limit: 150kg
Dragon Boating
Manoeuvring and racing a dragon boat demands good coordination and communication of a large team - as many as 24 pupils learn to paddle rhythmically and effectively together in a race across the water. Ultimate success depends on tactics, technique and brute effort - but in the end there are no losers– just a lot of fun, laughter and mutual support along the way.
Fencing
Fencing is a great workout for both body and brain. It’s challenging, exciting and involves good eye-to-hand coordination, fast footwork, lightning reflexes and even quicker decision-making. It’s a sport that offers huge potential for the enthusiast to learn more and progress at club level, but it’s also accessible and great fun for beginners too. Our qualified instructors will teach your pupils the basic principles and safety procedures before they progress onto outwitting their opponent in this great Olympic sport.
Forest Walk
Our staff lead a walk into the forest around the centre to discover the natural environment through activities, set tasks and games that will help your pupils get the most from their experience.
Giant Stand Up Paddleboard
The giant stand up paddleboard is a fun and relaxing way for your students to enjoy being on the water. It's a great activity for building confidence on a board through teamwork, balance and coordination. Available May to October.
Giant Swing
The ultimate test of nerve and joint decision-making. Two or three of your students are harnessed into the swing, while other members of the group haul them up to 10 metres into the air. After the group in the swing decide together how high they want to go, a pull on the ripcord will send them plummeting earthward. It’s a fast and exhilarating drop, but good communication will get the right balance between fear and fun! Weight limit: 150kg
High Ropes Course
The high ropes activity is designed to help your pupils improve levels of trust and co-operation amongst themselves. Essentially it’s an individual challenge course involving balance, passing obstacles and holding your nerve, because the whole event takes place 12 metres (40 feet) above the ground. The encouragement that comes from the rest of the group can make all the difference to their success – so the challenge is ideal for promoting teamwork and the value of mutual support. Weight limit: 150kg
Jacob’s Ladder
It’s an exercise in teamwork and friendly cooperation. Your group’s objective, in teams of three, is to climb to the top of a suspended ladder of logs. The gaps between each log become wider, the higher you go. Pushing up, pulling up, standing on shoulders – it’s all about working together to achieve a joint purpose. The activity promotes friendship, communication, discussion, leadership and decision-making as each team progresses to the top. Weight limit: 150kg
Laser Tag
The wide-open landscapes at our adventure centres offer the ultimate backdrop to a team laser tag battle. Working in teams, your group will head off equipped with their own laser gun and vest. They'll develop team tactics, communication skills, and a steady hand as they duel to come out the triumphant team!
Orienteering
Orienteering makes an excellent introduction to practical map-reading and is an exciting way to get to know your surroundings on centre. Pupils work in small teams or in pairs to locate control points across the grounds of the centre. As it’s essentially a competitive activity, the idea is for your group to find all the controls more quickly than the others. The activity helps them to improve decision-making, map reading and correctly judging distances.
Problem Solving
Problem solving sessions test your pupils’ initiative and ingenuity. Children work in small teams to solve puzzles and complete set tasks - it’s a great way for your pupils to get to know each other really well. By the time they finish they’ll have an appreciation and understanding each individual’s ability (including their own!) when it comes to planning, communicating and making decisions – skills which are all key to achieving the objectives of each task.
Quick Jump
Attached to a harness, step into the air and enjoy the adrenaline rush of free falling until a giant fan sweeps you into flying mode, bringing you gently to land! *Exclusive to Newby Wiske Hall
Raft Building
Down to the water’s edge and your pupils’ challenge is to design and build a robust and working raft. There’ll be a number of components available, including large plastic barrels, ropes and poles. Our staff can give as much or as little support as you’d like but it’s a great teamwork exercise and will help your pupils improve their communication, problem-solving and decision-making. Once rafts are ready to launch, the fun begins on the water!
Rifle Shooting
Shooting our lightweight air rifles tests individual skill and requires high levels of concentration and physical control. Children need to control their breathing, keep a steady hand, concentrate hard and focus on accuracy. Do all this, and there’s a good chance of being rewarded with the success of a good score!
River Raft Challenge
What’s more adventurous than building a raft and testing it on the river? Well that’s what happens on our River Raft Challenge. It’s a great activity that promotes teamwork in your group as they work together to design a successful raft to compete with others. *Exclusive to Ford Castle
Sensory Trail
The sensory trail is a challenge in more ways than one. During the activity your pupils will negotiate a series of obstacles – blindfolded – with the other members of their group for guidance. It’s a challenge, which raises questions about our abilities and assumptions, and demands mutual trust, self belief, and effective communication to complete the course successfully.
Stand Up Paddleboard
SUP is a fun and relaxing way for kids to enjoy the water, build confidence on a board, and learn a new skill - this activity has quickly become a favourite!
Street Surfing
It doesn’t take long for your pupils to master the art of Street Surfing and experience a great sense of achievement, which is a wonderful confidence booster. Although the equipment and technique are entirely different, street surfing does resemble skateboarding a little. The technique is said to be a combination of snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing and it’s increasingly used in training for snowboarders and surfers.
Survivor
Once the ‘wilderness’ scenario is set, your pupils need to develop effective teamwork to build their shelter. Basic navigational skills and meteorological skills help them decide the layout of the site. They will have to identify and share out the key responsibilities for getting each task completed, and communicate well to get the most from the project. Work as a team to build a wilderness shelter on centre, and learn how to stay warm and dry using whatever you can find. You’ll need to plan your camp taking into account the prevailing weather and then share out the tasks to get the shelter built before time runs out...
Trapeze
Each stage of the trapeze counts as a success and requires courage and determination. The challenge starts with a climb to the top of a 6 metre pole. Next, a climb onto the small platform will require balance as pupils stand to make that leap for the trapeze! It’s an exhilarating and heart-pounding activity that will bring your pupils together in their support for each other. It also gives each participant a very real sense of personal achievement. Weight limit: 150kg
Treeclimb
Our qualified instructors help students to recognise and control the risks and then teach the basic skills and techniques needed for them to complete their climb into the treetops! Weight limit: 150kg
Tunnel Trail
On their own or in small groups, your pupils can discover a series of underground tunnels. The tunnels vary in size and they have various tasks to carry out during their exploration. Completing the tasks will improve pupils’ self-confidence, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Please note this activity will only be available between May and September at some centres due to weather.
Vertical Challenge
Vertical challenge offers a chance to use all those skills you would use in any ground-based challenge course – but it all takes place at height! Your pupils will be harnessed and instructed on how to belay each other. They make their way up a course of suspended obstacles that include climbing walls, cargo nets, crates and ropes. The Vertical Challenge develops physical skills as well as transferable skills including climbing, communication, cooperation and lots of group support. Weight limit: 150kg
Zip Wire
Once at the top of the zip wire platform, pupils are securely attached to the overhead wire before making their flight across the sky! Their route may take them through a forest or even over a lake. It’s a hugely exhilarating experience that requires personal courage and determination – it pushes most children beyond their natural comfort zone. It’s also a chance for the rest of the group to offer support and encouragement. Weight limit: 90-120kg (varies by location)
Ambush
If you love hide and seek, you’ll adore Ambush which takes this popular group game and ramps it up an extra notch! After sundown your group will split into small teams, with one team hiding within the centre grounds, leaving a trail for their competitors to follow. Great for developing strategic and team building skills. Ambush is usually run in the dark, and torches are advised. Available September to March
Archery Tag
Let the battle commence! Archery with a twist - you are aiming for each other! In this game of skill and teamwork you are equipped with foam-tipped arrows to battle it out in action packed games. You will do some basic skills training before entering the arena to see who comes out victorious! Available March to September
Balloon Splash
Each team completes a series of challenges or games to earn coins that will allow them to purchase items from a mystery box! Teams will then work closely together to create the best contraption to protect their water balloon from destruction.
Campfire
The ultimate way to enjoy the great outdoors as a group! Enjoy a campfire tailored to your requirements. Get hands-on constructing your campfire during the day, and it will be lit ready for you to enjoy in the evening. If your group loves to sing or simply relax with some games around the campfire, our team can cater for all ages in the idyllic settings of our campfires.
Cluedo
Team PGL need help to solve a great mystery onsite! Groups are given a map with locations of characters on, and a score card to find out who committed the crime! In groups they’ll work to locate the character somewhere onsite and have a task to complete to receive information about the suspect. This game can take place in the evening, so torches are advised.
Creation Station
After a busy day in the great outdoors, our Creation Station session offers the perfect chance to relax and socialise with friends, while creating a keepsake to take home. Choose from a selection of arts and craft activities; from rock painting to creating friendship bracelets. The ideal way to unwind and flex your creativity!
Disco
A popular last night choice, guests learn the moves to popular hits with “follow-the-leader” sessions, plus lots of unique PGL dances! A fun and sociable evening.
Highland Games
Don your kilts to enjoy a selection of traditional Scottish games such as caber tossing and haggis throwing! Your team will create their very own Clan name before taking part in a series of thrilling challenges, before ultimately crowning the best Clan
Laser Tag
The wide-open landscapes at our adventure centres offer the ultimate backdrop to a team laser tag battle. Working in teams, your group will head off equipped with their own laser gun and vest. They'll develop team tactics, communication skills, and a steady hand as they duel to come out the triumphant team!
Movie Night
Lights, camera, action! Our on-centre cinema experience offers groups the opportunity to chill out with friends after a long day of action-packed adventures, and enjoy a film! Perfectly coupled with a trip to the on-site shop to grab a movie snack!
Passport to the World
Hop aboard PGL airlines to take a trip around the world! Here, groups are given a map with a mixture of country flags located around the site. Each country has a plaque located on the point on the map. The plaques have questions to answer related to that country, which must all be answered correctly before returning to base. It might be dark when this activity takes place, so torches are advised.
PGL Tournament
At PGL Tournament guests will play a series of exciting team games and complete a selection of individual challenges to determine which team is the best! Challenges include: Basketball Shoot, Human Skittle and Ultimate Frisbee
Pool Party
Have a splash in our heated outdoor pool. Enjoy fun poolside games and music with your Groupie, and under the supervision of a PGL Lifeguard
Quiz
In teams, guests are set Q&A-style challenges with lots of interaction and plenty of variety to keep them motivated and to maximise their participation. As well as general knowledge, rounds may include dressing up, dancing and miming.
Silent Disco
Party the night away without the noise of a disco. Every guest has their own set of headphones, where guests can select music from a number of channels to find the tunes they enjoy. Then spend the evening dancing away with friends or trying to guess what song your friends are listening to.
Programme Available at
Dorset – Osmington Bay
Located on the spectacular Jurassic Coast, enjoying views across to Weymouth, Osmington Bay is an incredibly special place to visit. It boasts all the land-based activities that you would expect to find at a PGL centre, along with thrilling water sports at the nearby Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.
Explore Osmington Bay
Isle of Wight – Little Canada
Nestled between 56 acres of woodlands and the inlet waters of Wootton Creek, this unique centre on the Isle of Wight is bursting with challenging activities on land and water, and is instantly recognisable by its charming log cabins on the riverbank.
Explore Little Canada
North Yorkshire – Newby Wiske Hall
Newby by name, Newby by nature! Previously a police training centre, this historic 17th century country house opened its doors as a PGL activity centre in 2023 after a huge transformation. The centre is surrounded by beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, known for its rolling hills, lush green landscapes and scenic beauty.
Explore Newby Wiske Hall
Northumberland – Ford Castle
A breathtaking castle in the rolling Northumberland countryside where old meets new... historical fortifications bursting with modern facilities and exclusive activities!
Explore Ford Castle
Perthshire – Dalguise
Dalguise activity centre is set in the breathtaking Scottish Highlands. Nestled in a beautiful wooded valley, just five miles north of Dunkeld.
Explore Dalguise
Shropshire – Boreatton Park
With 250 acres of countryside, woodland and multiple lakes, our biggest centre is one of our most popular destinations for the adventure of a lifetime.
Explore Boreatton Park
South Devon – Barton Hall
At the heart of the English Riviera with views over Torquay and blue flag beaches, it's easy to see why this beautiful centre in Devon is so popular with schools and groups.
Explore Barton Hall
Suffolk – Bawdsey Manor
This impressive mansion house is located on the Deben Estuary and has panoramic views across the Suffolk Heritage Coast. The centre has over 140 acres of beautiful grounds, packed with a huge range of adventure activities to inspire and motivate your group.
Explore Bawdsey Manor
Surrey – Marchants Hill
With over 45 acres of beautiful grounds, Marchants Hill is a vibrant and bustling centre nestled in the ‘Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, within walking distance of the Devil’s Punchbowl. This centre offers the best of both worlds – green spaces and fantastic transport links!
Explore Marchants Hill
Sussex – Windmill Hill
Welcome to Windmill Hill, an impressive Grade II listed mansion house on the beautiful Sussex Downs… where big adventures, new discoveries and unforgettable experiences can be found around every corner!
Explore Windmill Hill
Wiltshire – Liddington
As one of PGL’s largest centres, Liddington is bursting with outdoor activities and sports facilities. Buzzing with activity and packed with challenges to conquer with your group. Situated on the ancient Ridgeway track bordering the North Wessex Downs, yet conveniently located just minutes from the M4
Explore Liddington
Why book with PGL?
#1 in outdoor educational trips
Industry experts in care & safety
Options for all budgets
All activities & instruction included
Age-relevant Programmes
Dedicated PGL ‘Groupie’ to support you
