Overview
A week — or several — of non-stop outdoor action in the New Forest for 12–17 year olds, with no lessons, just adventure. Campers rotate through high ropes (including the Leap of Faith and Jacob's Ladder), climbing and abseiling, zip lines, kayaking, canoeing and raft building, mountain biking through the forest, archery, fencing, tunnelling, crate stacking, nightline, bushcraft and shelter building, all led by qualified instructors.
Every week includes one full-day and one half-day excursion — London, the Jurassic Coast at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, the New Forest's inflatable water park, Swanage and its steam railway, Oxford or Southampton — and two-week campers get three full days and two half days out. Evenings are campfires, sports tournaments, frisbee golf, quizzes and a party night.
Campers come from the UK and from abroad, so there's plenty of everyday English without any classroom, and they live in a glamping village of bell tents that is new for 2027. The camp runs every week from 27 June to 15 August 2027 on a two-week rotating programme: most stay one or two weeks, but anything up to seven is possible. Beginners and experienced adventurers are equally welcome.
What's included
A day at camp
- 7:00 Wake up, then breakfast together (7:30–8:30) and a run-through of the day — what to wear and bring
- 9:00 Two morning activities (9:00–10:30 and 11:00–12:30) — or a full-day trip or expedition
- 12:30 Lunch and downtime with friends and leaders
- 13:30 Two afternoon activities (13:30–15:00 and 15:30–17:00), with a break between them
- 18:00 Dinner, then the one-hour evening phone time
- 19:00 Evening activity — campfires, wide games, sports tournaments, quiz or movie nights; lights out at 22:00
Where campers stay
Campers live in the Adventure Village, a glamping village that is new for 2027: around 20 furnished bell tents, each with four single beds (bedding and a pillow provided) and space for belongings, arranged around a large stretch tent used for meals, games and evenings. Tents are separate for boys and girls and grouped by age; friends of the same sex can ask to share, and tents are allocated when campers arrive. Leaders sleep in the village too, with a staff tent in every group of four camper tents. Clean showers and toilets are inside the village, and the site has clear boundaries and controlled access.
Meals
Three meals a day plus snacks and drinks, cooked fresh in the site's indoor kitchen and served in the village's dining tent — things like BBQs, pasta, sandwiches, salads, fish and chips and fajitas, with fruit, yoghurts and savoury snacks in between. Halal, vegetarian and gluten-free diets, allergies and intolerances can all be catered for if you tell us when booking.
Excursions
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need any experience?
No. Every activity is run by qualified instructors who adapt it to the group, so complete beginners and confident adventurers both get a lot out of it. Safety briefings and all the equipment are provided.
Can my child stay longer than a week?
Yes. Weeks run Sunday to Sunday, and the programme repeats every two weeks — so a two-week stay has a different activity and trip plan in each week, and campers can stay anything from one to seven weeks (27 June – 15 August). Two-week campers spend the middle Sunday on an extra day out, to Southampton or Lyndhurst. Ask us about the operator's discount for longer stays.
What's the difference from the English & Outdoor Adventure Camp?
Same site, same tents, same trips. The English & Outdoor Adventure Camp replaces the morning activities with 20 English lessons a week; this camp is adventure all day. If your child is 14 or older and wants more of a challenge, look at the Teen Expedition Camp, which adds full-day coasteering, sea-kayaking and climbing expeditions.
Who looks after the kids?
Staff are with the children day and night. Leaders live in the village with the campers — a staff tent sits in every group of four camper tents — and a member of staff is on night duty, checking tents after lights out and again before wake-up. Across the camp there's one leader for every 8 campers; for instructor-led activities such as kayaking and climbing it's one instructor to 6, and for lower-risk team games one to 10. All staff are enhanced DBS-checked (the UK's criminal-record check for people working with children) and trained in first aid and safeguarding before camp, a Designated Safeguarding Lead oversees welfare, and families get a 24-hour emergency number.
How do we get there?
Fly into Bournemouth, London Heathrow or London Gatwick, or come by Eurostar to London St Pancras. A member of the camp's DBS-checked team meets your child at arrivals and travels with them to camp by minibus. 2027 prices: Bournemouth £25 each way (£50 return), Heathrow or Gatwick £99 each way (£198 return), St Pancras £125 each way (£250 return); other airports are quoted on request. Book flights that land between 1 and 4 pm on arrival day and leave between 9 am and 12 noon on departure day — the minibus leaves the airport an hour after the last scheduled arrival, and on departure day it reaches the airport around 7:30 am. Flights outside those windows can mean waiting at the airport or an extra fee. Flights aren't included.
Can they bring a phone?
Phones are collected on arrival and kept safe by the team. Campers get one set hour every evening to call home, message friends or just have some downtime, and they can take their phones on excursions for photos and navigation. Outside those times phones stay away — one used at the wrong time is held until the next phone hour. In an emergency you don't have to wait: call the camp team and they'll find your child, even mid-activity.
Does my child need a visa?
Families arrange travel documents themselves. Children with an EU passport don't need a visa for a summer camp, but each child needs their own approved ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) before they travel — apply on the UK government website or the UK ETA app a few weeks ahead. They must travel on a passport: national ID cards are no longer accepted for most EU citizens. If your child does need a visa, the camp can issue an invitation letter. For any other passport, ask us and we'll check what applies.
Is there a discount for booking early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes 15% off 2027 camps for early booking, so a week costs £976.65 instead of £1,149. It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full price.
How does booking work?
A £100 deposit holds the place. The camp invoices the balance 12 weeks before the start date, and it's due 8 weeks before camp. Tell us your preferred dates and we'll check availability and send you everything you need.