Some of Vango's Cheeky Little Campers from Oldway Primary School, Torbay

One of the UK’s best known tent brands is helping to encourage children into the outdoors with a project involving 10 primary schools.

Vango’s Cheeky Little Campers project began after a teacher wrote to ask the company if it could supply a tent to help her children write instructions.

This led to the Scottish outdoors brand teaming up with a Government-backed pilot project in south-west England.

Each of the 10 schools will be given a Vango tent and asked to produce a fun video showing how they pitch the tent.

The Natural Connections Project is backing the scheme, and the Camping and Caravanning Club is also offering a free night’s camping for the pupils.

The schools will be able to keep their tent for future use and teachers will also give children the opportunity to sign out the ‘class tent’ so they can share the camping experience with their family and friends.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set up the Natural Connections with Plymouth University, with additional backing from Natural England and English Heritage.

The project, set up in 2012, will evaluate how to encourage outdoor learning, in the face of evidence that children are losing their connection with the outdoor environment, with consequential rises in obesity and mental health problems.

Vango’s brand manager Emma Robinson said: “Natural Connections works directly with schools to get teachers and children learning the outdoors so they were the perfect fit for this campaign.

“They also work in a lot of schools with a high proportion of free school meals. Some of these children might have not had the opportunity to try camping before which, after the initial cost of gear, is an inexpensive way to enjoy spending time with the family.

“The idea for the campaign came from a teacher who wrote to us asking for a Vango tent that she wanted to use to teach her children how to write instructions.

“After receiving her classes’ handiwork, and seeing how much the children enjoyed making the instructional video, we knew we had to get more children involved; hence Cheeky Little Campers was born.”

Natural Connections project manager Ian Blackwell said: “One of the things that makes learning outside so special is the children always seem to take so much away from it, and they enjoy the learning experience, even if what they learn varies from child to child.

“With a bit of creativity and shared resources it’s possible to teach any subject outside.

“Thankfully, teachers are increasingly recognising the positive impact outdoor learning has on their pupils. And of course the teachers, once we have helped them see all the amazing curriculum connections, enjoy the stimulation and challenges of teaching outside.

“I’m really pleased Vango has asked us to work with them on the Cheeky Little Campers campaign. It’s wonderful that these children are going to be trying out some of the best tents at school and then with their families.

“I always think it’s make-or break on the first camping trip, and if you’ve got good gear you’re more likely to fall in love with sleeping under the stars.

“Camping gives you the priceless opportunity of spending quality time together as a school group, with friends or family while engaging with the natural world.”

More information is on the Vango website.