Every year we are faced with the same conundrum – how to cope with a six-week school holiday when all we can manage is a week or two of family holiday time at most. For many parents it will come as a relief to know that the Department for Education and kills successfully piloted a scheme last year to enable young people in England to spend at least one week a year at a residential centre during the summer break. Much like the American summer camp system, children participated in team-building exercises, sports and outdoor adventure programmes and developed new skills through arts, media and cultural sessions. Funded with £2 million of National Lottery money, the pilot provided places for 3,600 young people to take part in week-long residential courses as part of the Government’s Get Real Scheme.

This scheme was aimed at kids of 11+ but younger children can enjoy the US model at several established organizations that offer summer camp-style experiences across the UK to children from as young as six. There are plenty of choices for families wishing to let their children enjoy a week of stimulating activities ranging from abseiling and archery to spy missions and fashion shows.

In the interests of research, I let my ten-year-old daughter Eve and a friend loose on a 3D Adventure camp holiday (now run by PGL) at Little Canada in the Isle of Wight. As I had suspected, the fact of being away from home was as challenging as the activities on offer. Initial impressions of the camp and its surroundings (it is set in 48 acres of woodland at the edge of picturesque Wooton Creek) were that it was “brilliant”. Accommodation is in log cabins, sleeping up to eight, each with its own bathroom. Where possible, children of similar age groups on the same holidays are allocated the same cabins.

Groups are divided by age (7–10, 10–13 and 13–16). Favourite activities included quad biking and volley ball, swimming and creating dresses out of bin bags! Eve’s friend, Alice “really enjoyed the tunneling activity where we had to go through the mud. It made me feel scared and on edge but in a good way. It was a laugh. The activities were challenging; they made me feel more independent and grown-up. I felt much braver afterwards.” Both agreed that the helpers were a big plus “because they were nice, bubbly people and they let us stay up late”. The disco at the end also got a thumbs up.

On the downside, the girls found 7am rising a chore, the food uninspiring and wanted more independent choice in the activities they selected to do. That said, they both agreed that they “would definitely go back” and commented that it had been a good idea to go with a friend to have someone to share the experience with.

Family adventure:
PGL also offers a Family Active programme for parents and children from two upwards during the Easter and summer holidays both in the UK and overseas. A week’s stay in Barton Hall near Torquay starts at £294 per adult and £225 per child (under six £139) including activities and accommodation plus a day trip to explore Dartmoor or the English ‘Riviera’. A similar break at Chateau de Grande Romaine near Paris costs £349 per adult and £329 per child including activities and accommodation and a 1-day admission pass to Disneyland Resort Paris.

If you want to combine an active break with some quality cuisine, the Chateau Du Brouteil near Le Touquet in Northern France will not disappoint. The Chateau is run by the team that manage Manor Adventure in the UK, which also offers family breaks in the summer months and a well-established programme of school activity breaks during term time. At the Chateau, parents can enjoy salubrious surroundings, good food and comfortable lodgings whilst participating in some liberating sports and team games designed to make the most of each person’s individual skills. For both adults and children it’s about having a go and being pleasantly surprised to find out that you’re good at something.

The activities range from orienteering, rifle shooting, fencing, climbing, abseiling, canoeing, archery and kayaking, so it’s pretty easy for everyone to discover a hidden talent. In the evenings there are informal team challenges such as welly throwing and singing contests, so everyone gets a chance to shine at something. The children’s groups are divided into two with 7–16 year olds doing pretty much the same as the adults and making it look really easy, and 3–6 year olds playing games like scavenger hunts, kite flying and canoeing. Knowing that the kids are having a fulfilling time does allow parents to concentrate fully on their own achievements, but there’s no pressure to compete. You can do as much or as little as you want and are perfectly free to just relax on the sun terrace and settle down with a good book.

Activity breaks run for 5–8 days and offer opportunities to brush up on your French too with practical sessions that include cultural visits to local towns and shopping trips. For families who’d rather stay closer to home, Manor Adventure offers activity holidays, walking trips and relaxing breaks in the school holidays for adults, while the kids stay together in dorms and take part in a stimulating programme of physical challenges and mental pursuits.

Day camps:
If your child isn’t ready to cope with being away from home overnight, they need not miss out on a week of adventure. Several UK companies also run activity day camps for children from as young as three.

Summer camp experts, Camp Beaumont, celebrate 25 years in the business this year and have nine day camps located in a variety of schools in and around London.

Programmes are divided by age: Playtime for 3–4 year olds, Multi-Activity Magic for 5–7 year olds, Multi-Activity Mania for 8–11 year olds and Teen Club for 12–15s.

Daily sessions generally run from 9am to 4.30pm and include a full programme of sports and activities, arts and crafts etc plus a choice from 9 Action Extras, allowing you to incorporate some specialist tuition into the week. Extras for this year include dry slopes skiing, soccer, motorsports and horse riding.

Three of the centres (Mill Hill School, King’s College Wimbledon and Bishopsgate School, Windsor) also have scheduled pick-up points in central London. Your child will be collected from a designated location, frequently a school, in, say, Notting Hill, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Barnes, Hammersmith, St John’s Wood etc, transported to the venue and returned that evening.

Camp Beaumont also run Flexibreaks enabling you to book your child into a camp on a number of different days over several weeks rather than one full week – perfect if you know you are going to want the children occupied on a particular day or days!