by Off the grid in Cornwall
Camp Kernow It was founded in 2008 as a non-profit organization whose aim is to reconnect children with nature. This summer, kids can spend six days off the grid on the 80 hectare estate near Truro, Cornwall. They will climb to the canopy of a beech tree on a technical tree climbing workshop; creating a toasting fork for marshmallows with the help of a blacksmith; go hunting in the hedgerows with a wild food expert; and they navigate themselves on a river kayaking trip … The campers eat home-cooked food that they helped harvest from the kitchen garden and helped prepare in the park kitchen, and sleep in a yurt, bell tent, dome or cabin boat upturned.
£694 for six days Starting 21 and 28 July, and 4 and 18 August, suitable for ages eight to 15, campkernow.org.uk
Active in Somerset
Mill on the Brough, an outdoor activity center in Bruton, Somerset, has been running summer camps since 1982. Children do at least six activities a day on the 10-hectare grounds, such as high ropes and zip-lining, canoeing and rafting, water-sliding and tobogganing. . They sleep in bunk beds in shared rooms and eat local food – around 85% of the fruit and vegetables are organically grown on site; milk, cheese, eggs and meat are from local suppliers; homemade cakes are made daily. Each camp has a weekly disco and ends with a prize-giving ceremony. The center also runs day camps, with four activities (£72 including lunch, during the week of August 2-21).
£653 for seven days, 21-27 July (boys only place still available), or £590 for six days, 18-23 Augustsuitable for age eight to 15, millonthebrue.co.uk
American style, Norfolk
Camp Crusoe He claims it’s “as close as you’ll get to a traditional American summer camp” in Britain. It is located at Thorpe Woodlands adventure center just outside Thetford. Activities include climbing, archery, ziplining and caving; there are also many bike trails, and easy river access for swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Less high-octane are cooking and craft workshops and a photography masterclass, while the yurt, barn and hammocks are dedicated relaxation areas. Evenings are spent around the campfire with songs, stories and anecdotes, or competing in quizzes and talent shows. Children sleep in five-bed cabins and eat healthy, hearty food – outdoors, whenever possible.
From £650 for seven days, 11-17 Augustsuitable for age eight to 15, campcrusoe.com
Bush crafts, various
Wilderness Camp runs a variety of scout-based summer camps in six locations: Boughton Woods, Northamptonshire; Castle Howard, North Yorkshire; Cuffley, Hertfordshire; Sealyham, Pembrokeshire; Penshurst Place, Kent; and the Towers, Snowdonia/Eryri. They range from three-day explorer camps, to give younger children a camp experience without being away from home for too long, to five-day advanced survival skills camps for older children. Accommodation includes woodland stone tents for the “explorer” camps, ecological pods for the “sports seeker” camps, and bunkhouses for the “mountain adventurer” and “coastal expert” camps. There are also two- and three-day family camps for parents with children six years of age and older.
Oh £249 for three days or £389 for five, 5, 12 & 19 Augustsuitable for age eight to 16, campwilderness.co.uk
Playtime, Shropshire
Active Training and Eeducation (ATE) play-based summer camps run in Shropshire. Children play games indoors and outdoors all day: in real-world Cluedo, for example, the children have to interview suspects and search the house for clues. There is also plenty of time in nature, listening to music and looking at the stars; craft projects – maybe make a personalized piggy bank; a day trip, perhaps visiting a castle and trying archery; and something surprising tailored to the group, such as circus skills or a scavenger hunt. The venues are Moor Park, a boarding school near Ludlow with a heated indoor pool and dormitories, and Edgmond Hall, a Georgian house just outside Newtown with 18 hectares of woodland and farmland.
£399 for four nights and £529 for seven, 11, 16 & 24 Augustsuitable for ages eight to 16, superweeks.co.uk
Sports in Snowdonia
Plas y Brenin, the national outdoor center in Curig Castle, Conwy, runs summer camps in Snowdonia for teenagers who want to try adventure sports. On the multi-adventure weeks, the itinerary includes rock climbing, orienteering, coasteering, canoeing and hiking. Alternatively, there are specialist weeks that focus on rock climbing for beginners, mountain biking or kayaking. For those who have already mastered the basics of kayaking, there is a week of white water, sea kayaking and surf kayaking. The price includes a tutor for every six students, as well as evening activities, all meals, bunkhouse accommodation (with wifi) and pick-up/drop-off at Bangor or Llandudno Junction stations.
From £819 for five days, 21 & 28 Julysuitable for age 12-17, pyb.co.uk
Comprehensive, Perth & Kinross
The IS SSC – Formerly the Scottish Schoolboys Club, now the Scottish Youth Club – runs a summer camp in Sruthán, near Calvine. Unlike many, it is completely under canvas: campers sleep in 12-person tents, and there are marquees for dining, activities and entertainment. The campsite has a river surrounded by trees and hills. All interests are catered for – children can play sports such as football, volleyball and ultimate Frisbee; doing arts and crafts, including tie-dye clothing and slime making; or take part in drama and music workshops. Other activities including swimming, yoga, Dungeons & Dragons evenings, reading groups, baking sessions, film making … As the SSC says, “There really is something for everyone.”
£350 for a week or £600 for two, July 20 & 27 Augustsuitable for age 11-18, thesc.org
Family relationships in Flint
The whole family can experience camp life at Summer Camp, a series of micro-festivals of nature in the walled garden of the Hawarden Estate in Flintshire. Founder Charlie Gladstone says the events are “based on the great American camps, but for all ages and with better food”. This summer, there is a family camp with lots of workshops for children, creche – and free ice cream all weekend. Workshops for children include carding, ice cream making and open swimming; adults may prefer natural wine tasting, composting talks and DJ sets. Outdoor activities include cross-country runs, snowboarding and yoga; there is unlimited access to the wood-burning sauna and hot tub; and dinner is cooked by a guest chef. Families can bring their own tent or camper van, or book glamping or B&B accommodation.
Day ticket for adults £129/5-15s £79/0-4s freeweekend tickets from £199/£129/free, 26-29 July, thegoodlifesociety.co.uk
Shopping in Wiltshire
First-time summer campers can sink their teeth into a one-night sleepover at PGL Liddington near Swindon. Both days are packed with activities such as rafting, abseiling and climbing, and the children stay in bunk beds overnight. Liddington is the only PGL center to offer a one-night trip, but many others offer two- and three-night stays, including Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk, Dalguise in Perth and Kinross, and Newby Wiske Hall in North Yorkshire. There are also week-long multi-activity camps, or special adventures that focus on everything from baking to pony trekking, surfing or even learning to drive (ages 13-16 only).
From £129 for two days, selected dates in August, suitable for ages eight to 13, adventureholidays.pgl.co.uk
