Summer camps for all: no laptops, no selfies – just the chance to be kids | Hazel Davis | Society

II'm in an activity center near the town of Bewdley, Worcestershire, watching a party of "giants and goblins" and picking a dried banana after a "spa session" this morning, where I was treated with a hand mbadage and homemade mask. This is not your average children's camp. No one is rappelling or caving and so far there has only been one woodworking session.

"Are we going to the den and playing the werewolves?", Crie Gabe, an badistant with a broad smile, described by Alistair, "the best camp monitor we could have had."

The camp is run by Active Training and Education Trust (ATE), a non-profit organization established in 1996, which offers a vacation in residence – called "super weeks" – to school-aged children from all over the world. ;England. About 400 children a year attend the super weeks at six centers in Shropshire, Worcestershire, Stroud and Derbyshire.

Alistair is here because his school has designated him as a person likely to benefit from a seven-day residency. ATE works with schools and teachers coordinating special educational needs to target children whom they know will benefit from the experience. His place was subsidized by ATE, his parents and his school paying a nominal fee of £ 35. Alistair said, "It's a great way to make new friends and try new things. J & # 39; love. "

ATE's program director, Liz Macartney, said that nominal fees are important. "It guarantees their arrival, but they are small enough that many people can afford it," she says.

Non-subsidized seats cost £ 450 per week, including travel from 17 cities or towns by coach or train. "We know that £ 450 is not money you find at the bottom of the couch, but at the same time is comparable to child care costs," says Macartney.

In 2009, the organization launched a "call to adventure" to subsidize low-income families, who represent one-third of program participants. Since then, 974 children (including this year's cohort) have benefited from the appeal, which has raised more than £ 360,000. ATE also runs a program, sponsored by alumni and supporters, which means that if a family or school can pay half the fees, trust will be equivalent. Camp ethics should be accessible to all children, whether they are financially privileged, at risk or with special educational needs. "It's not about silencing poor children," says Macartney. In its mission statement, ATE states: "When children are overwhelmed by the pressure of an agitated world, ATE believes that a" period of remoteness "consists of doing simple and fun activities in a rural setting nestled in the water. outside of Britain and elsewhere can be of immense value. "

One notable thing about the week I live is that no one is cool – and I say it with the utmost respect. There are no phones, no selfies, no makeup, says Emma Williams. She is one of the "monitors" of the camp, or badistants – volunteers who have followed a rigorous training process and who are often former participants. She explains, "This is one of the reasons why we do not play like football or table players. None of the children know the games, so everyone has a chance. Instead, most games are created by volunteers or have been tried and tested over the years and have been learned in training.

There is also no schedule, something that could sow fear in the heart of a helicopter parent. "We decide what we will do this morning, depending on the mood, the group's feelings and what has happened before," says Macartney.

This does not mean that there is no organization. "There is just a lot of flexibility, which is crucial for what we do." Likewise, every activity is something children can do at home. There is no fancy kit, no outfits or special equipment. Games range from wearing your pants over your head to dinner, making a bracelet with safety pins, throwing well outside – and so much more in between.

Clare Wood, of Chesterfield, is 13 years old. She is in her 19th week, her first coming at the age of seven. The two older sisters are monitors. "I like meeting new people and making friends. I have friends that I have met in previous weeks. It's not about what we do individually, but about the set of feelings. J & # 39; love. "

Lewis Davis, 12, from London, arrived two years ago at the suggestion of his school. He went to five camps, funded by the children's services of his local authorities after the school saw the positive impact it had had. "It was the first time I spent a week away from my parents and I was a little scared, but I loved it," he says. "Each camp is different because there are different people and I do things like making chocolate and making new friends."

Despite the increased confidence, social skills, well-being and happiness that parents and teachers say is evident after children have participated in a summer camp, less than 2% of children in the UK United States have one a year, compared to almost 10% in the United States. .

Chris Green is the coordinator of the Summer Camps Trust, a newly established charity (of which ATE is a member), which wants a million children to attend summer camps in Britain. Here 2040. "A week or so in a well run residential camp, away from phones, laptops and pressures from the outside world, with the opportunity to play and laugh with people of their age from all over the world." Britain, gives kids a taste of what life can be like in a happy community, "he says." Most kids in the US, Canada, France and Italy think their annual week at the camp is the best entertainment of the year. "

Green adds, "By giving children a" real childhood ", they spend more time playing in green spaces, listening to stories and imagination, and less time posting on social networks or to sweat with the help of second-degree equations reports and articles about the misery of our children. "He would even like that a week-long summer camp be In the meantime, the promotional society will promote a low-cost trial program for summer camps in August, which aims to recruit 500 young people aged 9 to 15 years. who have never tried a residential camp.

"Short periods spent in truly happy and relaxed communities can do wonders for the personal development of young people," said Green. "There has never been a time in our history where British kids needed it anymore."

• To book or donate to a visit of the ATE Super Week: superweeks.co.uk/aventure-appel/ More details on the Summer Camps Trust "try" program to summercampstrust.org/bookings/