Top 5 Best Outdoor Summer Camps for Kids

There are various organisations that arrange fun in the outdoors where children can escape the cares and responsibilities of everyday life, meet new friends and learn new skills. The following are excellent choices if you want your kids to have a great time outdoors this summer.

PGL Adventures

PGL has a variety of locations across the UK for children aged from 8 to 16. PGL gives freedom in a safe and structured environment with 40 different activities across their centres. Abseiling, orienteering, canoeing and campfires feature. They can do buggy building, a sensory trail and a giant swing. The camps adapt activities to each of the 12 locations. There are knights' adventures at Ford Castle and watersports at Little Canada on the Isle of Wight. Some locations have horse-riding, others surfing. The food has excellent reviews and accommodation varies, including tents, cabins and dormitories.

Camp Wilderness

Camp Wilderness was set up by the TV survival expert Ed Stafford. He has been marooned on a desert island and was the first person to walk the length of the Amazon river. Camp Wilderness has 4 woodland locations where children from age 8-14 can experience rewilding. Children are split into “tribes” of ten and stay in safari-style tents. They learn bushcraft and what to do in SOS situations. They learn skills including how to light fires, sleep under the stars and purify water, as well as food foraging and animal tracking. There is a no tech policy.

Wild Things

Wild Things Ecological Education Collective run overnight stays for disadvantaged children from age 9 to young adults in small groups of up to 12 children. At forest school, the children learn to start fires with flint and steel, relax in hammocks, explore the forest, build shelters and archery. There are games including tracking, orienteering and team challenges. Children learn to cook on campfires. They explore caves and waterfalls. They may see sheep and might even find grass snakes. Wild Things has two locations, one in Nottinghamshire and one in Derbyshire. 

Wickedly Wonderful

Wickedly Wonderful has 2 locations on the south coast of England: one near Chichester in West Sussex and another in Devon. Children can horse ride, kayak and paddle board. They can go crabbing, do archery and ride bikes, there are campfires for roasting marshmallows and free play in the woods. Enthusiastic staff make sure the children have as much fun as possible.

Mill on the Brue

Mill on the Brue is a large outdoor activity centre set in 25 acres on a river in Bruton, Somerset. It can accommodate around 120 youngsters in dorms with bunk beds. It offers 40 different activities including air rifle shooting, canoeing and grass tobogganing. There are problem-solving challenges like the giant pit. There’s a huge wooden tower to climb and an assault course. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 are put into groups of 12 with the same two instructors for the week. They undertake up to 6 activities a day with the emphasis on fun and learning.

Photo by Hichem Meghachou on Unsplash