It’s screen-free!
With over half of all 10-year olds owning a smartphone, parents are finding screen time battles more and more of an issue, especially in the school holidays.
Camp Bonas is a brand new kids’ holiday camp offering a complete tech-free experience. This UK camp gives kids valuable time-out, allowing children to re-wild their minds whilst they learn through new hands-on experiences at this fantastic rural escape.
Camp Bonas is situated deep in the English countryside amidst seventy acres of rolling meadows and woodland in the Quantuck Hills. The retreat welcomes campers aged 8-13, where they’ll learn to look after themselves through real-life adventure.
Getting your kids outdoors
Whatever you do, don’t waste the summer in London! According to a recent study, 75% of UK children have less time outdoors than prison inmates.
Whilst the idea of using nature to improve mental and emotional wellbeing has existed for millennia, growing levels of research have confirmed how beneficial a natural environment is for the mind.
A new wave of therapy called eco-therapy has pushed research towards the mental health and educational benefits of immersing children in a rural setting. Being in the outdoors has been proven to reduce anger, fear, and stress, as well as boosting physical fitness, emotional wellbeing and academic performance.
Reconnecting with nature
According to new research by the RSPB, only 1 in 5 children have a ‘connection to nature’. It’s a sad fact that time spent playing outdoors has halved in just one generation. The great thing about camp is that it allows children to reconnect, and develop an interest in the great outdoors.
Camp Bonas makes sure all campers get the rest they need to be able to enjoy the week-long outdoor adventure. With cosy wooden lodges and the opportunity to camp under canvas towards the end of the week, your children will enjoy a complete back-to-nature experience.
The camps take place at a dedicated outdoor activity centre on Lydeard Farm, run by Colonel Michael Kingscote, an acclaimed provider of leadership and outward-bound training. Michael and his wife have been running courses for over 22 years. The farm has purpose-built cabins, a field kitchen, outdoor classroom and other facilities that allow the courses to continue whatever the weather.
Stargazing
In London and other urban areas, our views of the stars are obscured by artificial light, and believe it or not, some London children have never seen our own galaxy. Camp Bonas is set inside a dark-sky reserve, where the views of the milky-way are awe-inspiring. Stargazing while eating toasted marshmallows around the camp fire sounds like the perfect summer evening to us.
Getting children active
It can be a challenge for kids to engage in enough daily activity. This can be due to demands at school, a feeling among some kids that they aren’t good at sports, a lack of active role models, and busy working families.
Even when kids do have the time and the desire to be active, parents may not feel comfortable letting them freely roam within towns and cities. All of which limits their opportunities to lead fully active lifestyles.
Camp Bonas itinerary
The guys at Camp Bonas know that physically active kids are more likely to be motivated, focused, and successful in school. That’s why physical activity is at the heart of the camp’s itinerary, with a week jam-packed full of countryside adventure.
There are lessons in yoga, fire making, bushcraft and raft building, map and compass reading, as well as drama, poetry, and creative writing.
Health benefits of an active outdoor lifestyle
Mastering physical skills in an outdoor setting will help your child build confidence, as well as reaping huge health benefits.
Encouraging your child to develop a love for the outdoors will help them build strong muscles and bones, enjoy better sleep, and a positive outlook on life. Active children benefit from being a healthier weight, with a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Harness the power of experiential learning
Camp Bonas harnesses the power of experiential learning (the process of learning through reflection on doing) in a way that no other camp does. Not only does their programme offer a huge range of new and hands-on activities, but built into the week are chances of creative reflection, journaling and story writing based upon the experience of the week.
The Camp Bonas programme has been inspired by popular children’s books. Using their surroundings to stimulate the imagination, campers can engage with professional instructors in creative writing, the performing arts, and outward-bound training, giving students their very own adventure stories.
Personal development, social skills and school life
Holiday camp is a time for discovery and making special life memories. It’s a truly unique opportunity to branch out on an adventure with other children.
Nurturing self-esteem, and developing confidence and independence with the chance to learn new skills is at the forefront of life at Camp Bonas. Your child will make new friendships and form special bonds while completing tasks, undertaking activities and working as a team. The social skills learned through camp life will help your child navigate their way through their teens and set them up for later life.
Reports show that it’s so important to work with children on their physical/emotional and social/intellectual well-being. For some campers, this will be the first time they have had an extended stay away from home, allowing them a perfect opportunity to test out boarding and develop independence vital for success at senior school.
Camp Bonas is a transformational experience. With a new peer group to muck in with, children will enjoy a perfect balance between having fun and being on the most exciting adventure, as well as building on their character and resilience. Their time at Camp Bonas will give them something fantastic to discuss at school interviews.