Christchurch Holiday Camps

What we do

We are so excited about WORD Camps! Your little shredder is about to be part of the coolest thing in town- WORD! For those of you that are new to WORD, you are just going to love it...

All Holiday camps are split into age groups. There are a few different holiday camps on offer at WORD:

Know your local- exploring the local trails of the region!

Van Camps-setting off in the WORD van for the day!

Away Trips-getting out of town for an overnight adventure!

The main focus of these camps is ADVENTURE! We’ll also learn a few new skills and definitely make great friends, There will be plenty of time for snacks!

Below are a few details that will hopefully ease any concerns and also get your child pumped about riding!

Bookings

Bookings open about 4 - 6 weeks before the holidays. The exact time and date is on the WORD Christchurch booking page.

All bookings are first come, first serve, there is no way of booking before registrations go online. We do not offer any booking advantages to returning WORD families.

We do offer our Instructors and Assistant Instructors a chance to secure a place for themselves or their kids in advance of registrations going live. This is a big thank you for all of their hard work and contribution to the WORD whānau.

All bookings are made via our website using credit card. If you are not able to pay in this format, just send us an email: christchurch@word.org.nz and we can help out with a bank transfer.

What bike skills do we need?

If your child can ride a bike, we’ll teach them to rest! They will also need to be able to start and stop on their own. Each rider is placed in a group of kids of similar abilities so they can learn together (and make new friends!).

What type of bike do I need?

All participants will need to bring their own mountain bike to WORD. This bike doesn’t need to be anything flash… 2 working brakes and knobbly tires will do the trick.

The First Day

Yay! It’s the first day! Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your camp start time, that way you’ll have plenty of time to get ready. We start promptly to make sure we pack in as much fun as possible!

You’ll meet your Lead Instructor - this is like the ‘captain’ for the camp. They will make sure we have all your correct details and ask about any medical conditions. They will also let you know who you’re child’s WORD Instructor is…exciting! See below for details on how we split into groups.

We’ll then have a big group hui to set the scene of WORD before heading off for the rest of the day.

Safety

Your child’s safety is our biggest priority. We want them to have fun, but in order to do this they need to be in a safe environment- physically, mentally and socially. WORD is proud to be accredited as an Adventure Activity Operator. This means our Safety Management System has undergone a rigorous external audit by Qualworx and does so each year.

All WORD instructors are outdoor first aid trained (the Lead Instructor has PHEC- Pre Hospital Emergency Care) and carry a first aid kit.

From time to time, your child might fall off their bike and be injured, but we make every effort to see that they are not put in a situation that is overtly dangerous. We have systems in place to deal with injuries and emergencies that are continuously reviewed.

We ask that your child comes with the items in the ‘what to bring section’ to ensure their comfort, safety, and fun levels are high.

Progression

Kids are encouraged to ride at their own pace, and progressions are made slowly. We believe in developing a ‘thinking rider’- a rider that knows how to make decisions when they are out on the trail (whether with us at WORD or out with their friends).

We start small, and build up. We look at obstacles (ie. a corner, a drop, a jump, etc), discuss line choice, body position and speed. As a group we look at all the options. Kids are encouraged to give things a go, if their ability is matched to the difficulty of the obstacle, but never forced.

Walking is always an option.

What to Bring

  1. Mountain bike with 2 working brakes. We suggest getting it serviced before you come at your friendly bike shop.​

  2. AUS/NZ Certified helmet

  3. Small backpack with the following:
    -Water
    -Snacks (a banana, cheese and crackers, scroggin or an apple make a great snack)
    -Rain Jacket
    -Inner tube to fit your tire

  4. A big lunch!

  5. Change of clothes…we might get muddy?!

We suggest bringing 2 bags- one for the lunch and change of clothes that can be left at base and the other small riding bag.

We want kids to be independent mountain bikers (and humans), so having them be responsible for their own items is one way to promote their independence.

Meeting points

Information about the meeting points for each camp is listed on the bookings page. You will also receive an email at the time of booking with all the details. At some Camps we head to a different location each day- we do this to provide variety a variety of terrain for your kids to learn and explore.

What if we’re late?

We start all WORD camps promptly at the published start time. Kiddos need to be ready to ride and meeting their Instructor just before this time. We then do our bike checks, chat about the session plan and then hit the trails! We are not able to wait for you as we have so much fun to pack in! So please be on time so your child doesn’t miss out on the day. Thanks!

Absences

If your child is not able to attend a day of WORD camp, just contact the Lead Instructor (phone numbers in pre-term email). They are your main point of contact for all things going on during the camp. We are not able to offer refunds or make up sessions.

MTB Levels

We use the following levels for our small groups:

Level 1: Newbie- able to ride a bike, but little/no experience riding off road.

Level 2: Beginner- a bit of experience on easy single track. Starting to get the hang of gentle corners.

Level 3: Intermediate- confident on gentle corners, but still needing work with switchbacks and steeper terrain.

Level 4: Strong Intermediate- totally have corners and rough stuff covered, keen to try small drops and jumps

Level 5: Advanced- comfortable on steep and technical terrain. High level of fitness (riding 3+ times a week)

Groups

We split into groups on the first day based on 3 things: skill ability, fitness ability, preference. The skills ability will be based on your indication at the time of booking, prior experience at WORD and the child’s own preference.

We try our best to ensure that kids are in groups of a similar ability. Camps are about getting to know new people and going for an adventure. If a child is not in a group that is perfectly matched, the Instructor will ensure the kid is moved into the correct group for the following day.

All groups will have a 1:8 instructor/child max ratio.

We think the social side of riding is just as important as the actual riding skills. Because of this, we have split the ages accordingly. 7-9 year olds, 10-12 year olds and 13-17 year olds. Please ensure that you select the correct age group.

Weather

WORD runs rain or shine…mostly. In the off chance that the weather is just awful, we will cancel the session.

Safety is a huge concern for us, and we don't want anyone to be put in harms way for the sake of a ride. We will post on the WORD Facebook page at 7am on the day of your camp if we are cancelling. This page is an open page, so you do not need to be on Facebook to view, sweet!

Parent(s) and riding

We love that you love riding bikes too! And although we know some of you are keen to ride with your kids during WORD camp we would prefer that you do your own thing instead. Think of it like soccer- you wouldn't run on the field playing with your kid at practice (well maybe you would, but that would be weird). So go on and enjoy the day… there are heaps of other parents that are also keen on an adult ride! 

Carpooling

Let’s get there together! Although some kids are able to ride to WORD, for others they rely on a parent/caregiver to get them to the camp. We know that schedules are a bit crazy and sometimes work doesn’t allow parents to do both the pick up and drop off. On the first day of the camp, there will be an opportunity to connect with other parents to organise carpooling for future WORD camp days.

Cancellations and Refunds

Once you have booked onto a WORD camp the following applies:

More than 7 days before the start date: 80% refund
2-7 days before start date: 50% refund
48 hours before start date: no refund

For more info check out our Terms and Conditions

T-Shirts

Each WORD kid will get a FREE t-shirt (1 per year). For 2023 we will be rockin the a suprise!  Kids will receive their t-shirt on the first day of WORD. 1 per year please.

Photos

Most days we’ll be taking photos at WORD. We love sharing these via the WORD Facebook page. If for some reason you don’t want photos of your child publicized, please let your Lead Instructor know on the first day of the term.