About
Retreats for Training & Learning: An Unconventional Classroom Where Learning Meets Leisure (But Don’t Tell HR)
In the grand tapestry of corporate development, training and learning sessions often resemble a sort of purgatory between productivity and necessity. At The Campfire Company, we take a different tack, blending the educational with the experiential in settings where nature serves as both the classroom and the inspiration. Our retreats transform the oft-dreaded "development day" into an adventure that participants actually look forward to—imagine that.
The Great Outdoors: Your New Learning Management System
Forget about clicking through slides in a dimly lit conference room. Our nature venues offer the ideal setup for your next skill summit or training course, operating on the principle that the best way to absorb new information is by engaging all the senses, not just the ones that can stare at a screen. Regular breaks and rest sessions aren't just encouraged; they're part of the curriculum, ensuring that minds stay sharp and ideas flow freely.
Active Learning Under the Open Sky
During our retreats, teams are encouraged to dive into hands-on activities that take full advantage of our nature venues. This could mean conducting a workshop on leadership while navigating a forest, or brainstorming session ideas by a lakeside, making each lesson not just learned but lived. And while outdoor time is crucial, it's seamlessly integrated with the training objectives, creating a balanced environment where knowledge and creativity can truly scale up.
Learn and Leap Forward
At The Campfire Company, our retreats for training and learning are an invitation to step out of the mundane and into the magnificent. s participants learn, laugh, and connect with their surroundings and each other, they'll find that the lessons stick with them long after they've returned to the office. Just don't tell HR how much fun it was—we wouldn't want to ruin our reputation for serious professional development, after all.
In Conclusion Nature is the best classroom and a nature venue is the ideal setup for your next skill summit or training course. In order to better assimilate new concepts, we need to take regular breaks and rest sessions.
By combining educational sessions and time outside to feed both the brain and the body you will create the best possible environment for your team to scale up their knowledge and creativity.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Confucius
Passive learning methods such as lectures, reading and demonstrating can easily be done in the comfort of your own [home]office, that is why we encourage teams to focus on active learning methods and outdoor time during their training & learning retreats, taking full advantage of our nature venues.
What a typical day could look like:
7-9 am - Morning outdoor time to wake up the body (running, sunrise yoga, gentle meditative walk through the gardens... ) to help regulate the circadian rhythm , get vitamin D and set good energy levels for the day. Even 15 min after getting up make a difference. Followed by a healthy breakfast.
10 - 1pm Workshop and lecture time including practical exercises and group discussions.
1-2:30pm Long Lunch outside - Give meals time to work their magic
3 to 6 pm time for outdoor activities: practical learning or excursions & games
6 to 7:30 pm Down time for self reflection and assimilation
8 pm dinner and connections around the campfire
Pro tips:
some research show best time for learning during acquisition mode between 10 am and 2pm.
If you have a large group and enough facilitators you could have 2 teams that would teach other what they learnt the previous day to practice “teaching others”, and achieve the highest level of retention rate.