Excited pupils from a Cookham school spent a morning with TV star Steve Backshall learning orienteering skills.

The TV explorer and adventurer spent time with 12 lucky children from Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, teaching them how to build a den and survive outdoors after new research, commissioned by Mountain Warehouse, showed that building a den and how to build a treehouse were in the top five things children wanted to learn.

Mr Backshall, who has a kidswear collection at the outdoor retailer, teamed up with the Adventure Learning Foundation (ALF), which runs the Longridge Activity Centre in Marlow, to get children “excited about the outdoors”.

He said: “With modern technology becoming such a huge part of childhood these days, it is so important to reignite that joy of playing in and exploring the outdoors.

“Working with a big brand like Mountain Warehouse and organisations like ALF help keep that love for outdoor adventure alive in the younger generation, something myself and my peers experienced in our childhood before the iPad came along.”

Anna Smith, a Holy Trinity teacher who accompanied the children, said: “Holy Trinity School is thrilled to have teamed up with Mountain Warehouse and Steve, to give our pupils the chance to learn something new, and especially outside of the classroom.

“Children learn in so many different ways and being outdoors exploring the environment, learning in such a practical way is enormously beneficial.

“If children are having fun, they learn while at the same time creating moments that will live with them for years to come.”