Off-grid in Cornwall
Camp Kernow It was founded in 2008 as a not-for-profit organisation that aims to reconnect children with nature. This summer, kids can spend six days off the grid on 200 acres of land near Truro, Cornwall. They’ll climb into the shade of a beech tree in a technical tree-climbing workshop; fashion a roasting fork for marshmallows with the help of a blacksmith; forage in the bush with a wild food expert; and navigate a river canoe trip on their own. Campers eat home-cooked meals that they help pick from the kitchen garden and prepare in the field kitchen, and sleep in a yurt, bell tent, dome or upside-down boat hull.
£694 for six days Beginning July 21 and 28 and August 4 and 18, suitable for children aged 8 to 15, campkernow.org.uk
Active in Somerset
The Mill on the River BrueAn outdoor activity centre in Bruton, Somerset, it has been running summer camps since 1982. Children do at least six activities a day on the 10-hectare site, including high ropes and zipwire, canoeing and rafting, water slides and tobogganing. They sleep in bunk beds in shared rooms and eat local food – around 85% of the fruit and veg is organically grown on site; milk, cheese, eggs and meat come from local suppliers; the cakes are homemade daily. Each camp hosts a weekly disco, ending with an awards ceremony. The centre also runs day camps with four activities (from £72 including lunch, midweek, August 2-21).
£653 for seven days, 21-27 July (boys only places still available)), or £590 for six days, 18-23 Augustsuitable for all ages eight to 15, millonthebrue.co.uk
American style, Norfolk
Camp Crusoe It claims to be the “closest place to a traditional American summer camp” in the UK. It’s based at Thorpe Woodlands adventure centre, just outside Thetford. Activities include climbing, archery, zip-lining and caving, plus there are plenty of cycle paths and easy access to the river for swimming, canoeing and rowing. For the less mobile, there are cooking and craft workshops and a photography masterclass, while the yurt, barn and hammocks are dedicated chill-out areas. Evenings are spent around the campfire with songs, stories and s’mores, or competing in quizzes and talent shows. Children sleep in five-bed cabins and eat healthy, hearty meals outside whenever possible.
From £650 for seven days from 11-17 Augustsuitable for all ages eight to 15, campcrusoe.com
Bushcraft, various
Camp Wilderness It runs a range of bushcraft-based summer camps in six locations: Boughton Woods, Northamptonshire; Castle Howard, North Yorkshire; Cuffley, Hertfordshire; Sealyham, Pembrokeshire; Penshurst Place, Kent; and Towers, Snowdonia/Eryri. These range from three-day expedition camps, for young children to experience camping without being away from home for too long, to five-day advanced survival skills camps for older children. Accommodation options include woodland bell tents for “explorer” camps, eco pods for “thrill seeker” camps and bunk houses on “mountain adventurer” and “coastal specialist” camps. There are also two- and three-day family camps for parents with children aged six and over.
From £249 three days or £389 for five, August 5, 12 and 19suitable for all ages eight to 16, campingwilderness.co.uk
Playtime, Shropshire
Active Education and EEducation (ATE) She runs play-based summer camps in Shropshire. Children play indoor and outdoor games all day long: for example, in the real-life Cluedo, children must interrogate suspects and search the house for clues. There’s also plenty of time in nature, building lairs and stargazing; doing arts and crafts projects – perhaps a personalised piggy bank; taking a day trip, perhaps visiting a castle and doing archery; and doing something special for the group, such as a circus trick or treasure hunt. The venues are Moor Park, a boarding school with an indoor heated pool and dormitories near Ludlow; and Edgmond Hall, a Georgian house set in 18 acres of woodland and farmland just outside Newport.
££399 for four nights and £529 for seven nights, 11, 16 & August 24suitable for Ages eight to 16, superweeks.co.uk
Sportive in Eryri (Snowdonia)
Plas y Brenin, a national outdoor centre in Capel Curig, Conwy, runs summer camps in Eryri for young people who want to try adventure sports. The multi-adventure weeks include rock climbing, orienteering, coastal walking, canoeing and hiking. Alternatively, there are specialist weeks for beginners, focusing on rock climbing, mountain biking or kayaking. For those who have mastered the basics of canoeing, there’s a week of white water, sea kayaking and surf skiing. The price includes one instructor for every six students, plus evening activities, all meals, bunk accommodation (with wifi) and pick-up/drop-off at Bangor or Llandudno Junction stations.
From £819 for five days, 21 and 28 Julysuitable for all ages 12-17, pyb.co.uk
Inclusive, Perth and Kinross
The OSYM – formerly the Scottish Schoolboys Club, now Scottish Youth Club – runs a summer camp in Struan, near Calvine. Unlike most, it’s completely under tarpaulin: campers sleep in 12-person tents and there are tents for food, activities and entertainment. A river runs through the campsite and is surrounded by trees and hills. All interests are catered for – children can play sports such as football, volleyball and ultimate frisbee; do arts and crafts such as clothing dyeing and slime making; take part in drama and music workshops. Other activities include swimming, yoga, Dungeons & Dragons afternoons, reading groups, baking sessions, filmmaking… As SSC says, “There really is something for everyone.”
£350 for one week or £600 for two weeks, July 20 & August 27suitable for all ages 11-18, thessc.org
Family friendly in Flintshire
The whole family can enjoy camping life Summer campA series of nature-based micro-festivals held in the walled gardens of Hawarden Manor in Flintshire. Founder Charlie Gladstone says the events are “based on the legendary camping of America, but for all ages and with better food”. This summer, there are plenty of children’s workshops, a creche and a family camp with free ice cream all weekend. Children’s workshops include nature sports, ice cream making and open-water swimming; adults can opt for natural wine tasting, compost talks and DJ sets. Outdoor activities include cross-country running, paddle boarding and yoga; there’s unlimited access to the wood-fired sauna and jacuzzi; and dinner is cooked by guest chefs. Families can bring their own tents or caravans, or book glamping or B&B accommodation.
Daily ticket adult £129/5-15s £79/0-4s freeWeekend tickets £199/£129/free, July 26-29, thegoodlifesociety.co.uk
Overnight stay in Wiltshire
Those who are attending summer camp for the first time can start the camp with a one-night stay. PGL Liddington Near Swindon. Two days are packed with activities such as raft-building, abseiling and climbing, and kids spend the night in bunk beds. Liddington is the only PGL centre offering overnight stays, but many others, including Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk, Dalguise in Perth and Kinross, and Newby Wiske Hall in North Yorkshire, offer two- and three-night stays. There are also week-long multi-activity camps or specialist adventures focusing on everything from baking to pony riding, surfing or even learning to drive (ages 13-16 only).
From £129 for two days on selected dates in August, suitable for children aged 8 to 13, adventureholidays.pgl.co.uk