Good summer camps for kids?

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I can't believe I haven't yet got round to summer plans and it's nearly the summer holidays already (where has this year gone?) Has anyone got any ideas about where is the best summer camp for children? The thing is I just saw today on Green Parent this article about a company called ATE Superweeks. thegreenparent.co.uk/articles/read/best-week-of-my-life/ It got me thinking that I think my children would enjoy a summer camp style holiday but I wonder if there are any others that people would recommend? I haven't heard about them before but it sounds like the children had a good time. Maybe I should give it a go, but I'm concerned about sending my two little ones away from home. They're already 8 and 9 but theyre still so young to be going away from home. Has anyone ever heard of ATE Superweeks or sent their kids there? I wonder whether I should play it safe and go with someone like PGL, but they have mixed reviews on tripadvisor and i don't want to send them somewhere they won't like. Has anyone had good experiences sending their kids to a summer camp?

Thanks in advance,
Rebecca

Our 3 have always gone away with PGL. they prefer the smaller camps at Osmington bay or Beam house in Devon. Its very safe they have loads of fun and there is a good amount of discipline. ours started going at 7 and this year the older 2 are going to watersports in France. at 8 and 9 they wont be the youngest there

there are companies that offer holidays where you can do activities as a family and will also have some children only activities - would that be of interest. It would be a family holiday then so you wouldnt be sending your children off to spend time with peoople they don't know. cant think of names right now as too tired.

thanks to this thread have booked my 10 yr old dd on an ATE superweek in august :) she loves the sound of it!!

I have just stumbled upon this thread, and have been trying to find somewhere to send my 2 for a week! ATE looks fantastic, can anyone tell me anymore about it?

Thanks!

E x

Are you sending them by themselves? Good lord, I didn't even know this existed. Am genuinely

PGL has been going for many years and has a well established "format" they take kids from 7 - 10, 10 - 13 and 13 - 16/17 for activity weeks or something more specialised like dancing. my 3 have been going for years on their own and they absolutely love them. really safe, really fun.

Hi all,

I have sent the kids on several ATE holidays, and I have to say they are fantastic. We take them to a nearby (ish) train station, meet one of their monitors and they are taken off to their superweek! They have travel points across the country, north and south!

The kids always come home with a craft they've made, an incredibly tidy suitcase and a little notebook full of new friends names!
I would recommend wholeheartedly to anybody wondering where to send their kids this summer!

Francis x

Thanks to everyone for all your help on this, I am going to bite the bullet and book a Superweek for my two for this year! Last year I promised myself I would be sorted way earlier for summer this year - and one year later I'm doing exactly the same thing! Really pleased to hear about all your positive experiences with ATE. I've been reading a lot about Project Wild Thing's Wild Summer and I'm really keen to get my kids playing outdoors this summer, we definitely spend too much time in front of the TV and with the computer. Hopefully we'll be able to go on some trips this summer as well - with the kids away for a week I'll be able to take some time off around the rest of the holidays for some quality time with the kids! :) Reckon I'm going to go for Team:InvestigATE superweek. I rang up and spoke to someone and it does sound good, so fingers crossed! Think it's going to be hard saying goodbye to them at the train station though!

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,

What's Project Wild Things? Does anyone else envision the furry animals from Where The Wild Things Are, or is that just me?

E x

I loved Where The Wild Things Are when I was little. Read it a million & one times to my two for a bedtime story! They're too old for it now though, theyre 9 & 10 now and just want to read their own books by themselves. I think I quite miss reading them bedtime stories! The project wild thing i was talking about is that film everyone's making a fuss about - have a look here projectwildthing.com if you're interested. It's true- my two when theyre on their ipads, it's like theyre glued to the screen. Can't get any sense out of them and i'm sure it can't be good for them! How are things with your little ones?

My DS did ATE a couple of years/ago and adored it. Has/wanted to go back ever since!