In-person meet-ups, trips and camps
Once a year we hold an International Summer Camp for students from democratic schools all around the world. It’s an opportunity to meet-up in person with friends that you have made online, make new friendships, and have a lot of fun. The camps are organised by the students and teachers together.
We also organise annual day-camps in Yorkshire and other fun meet-ups.
We loved exploring the Moroccan desert so much that we’re going again! A wonderful week of learning about Berber nomadic culture, the flora and fauna of the desert and then full immersion in the intensity of Marrakesh and one of the world’s oldest markets. We’re organising this trip with Esprit Du Desert who organise desert trips for families and groups.
Our annual week-long summer camp was held at De Ruimte Democratic School in Soest, The Netherlands in August 2023. We welcomed 36 children aged 12-17yrs from democratic schools and home-ed communities around the world. We visited Amsterdam and Utrecht and had a ball!
Five students, five parents and teachers, ten camels, five berber nomads and a dog. We trecked across the Sahara desert, setting up camp every evening in a new place. We spent a full week in the desert, learning about a totally different culture to our own. No bathrooms, no running water and most importantly no screens! We spotted critically endangered Addax (a large antelope native to the desert), lots of lizards, a few enormous camel spiders and a fennec fox burrow. We all relished the huge, beautiful open spaces. The students had a ball climbing the sand dunes, burying each other in the sand and sleeping under the stars. We then spent two days in Marrakesh learning how to barter in one of the older markets in the world and drinking lots of mint tea! We organised the trip with Esprit Du Desert who were amazing!
Walking the trails around Loch Morlich and/or Loch an Eilein. Visiting the (free and amazing) Highland Folk Museum. Hanging out and spending time together on the beach at Loch Morlich. This was a family organised trip at no extra cost.
A group of 12 students and their parents spent an afternoon together in Birmingham at the Big Bang Fair. We explored hands-on activities, shows and experiments from across the world of science and engineering. Tickets were free and families organised their own transport.
We met up in London’s West End to see this amazing production. Winner of 5 Olivier awards, combining puppetry, magic and storytelling, our families really enjoyed this one.
This year we met up at the Summerhill Festival of Childhood from Fri 5 Aug – Wed 10 Aug 2022 at Peakhill Farm in Suffolk, England. It was a huge event in the world of democratic education. Summerhill celebrated their 100 year anniversary and also the European and World annual democratic education conferences happened there at the same time
We met up for the day in Hyde Park in London. The sun shone, we paddled in a fountain, played lots of games, ate delicious picnics and enjoyed being together. This was a family organised trip at no additional cost.
Our annual day-camp ran from Monday 18th of July – Friday 22nd of July from 9.30am until 3.00pm. Activities were a mixture of forest school activities, science and creative arts activities, sports games, long walks (collecting bilberries), supervised free play in the woods with the swings, the trampoline, horse riding sessions (optional) and other things the children were interested in/suggested.
We met on Anglesey (North Wales) for the weekend of the 4/5th June 2022. We went rock-pooling, walking along the beach and spent lots of fun family time together. This was a family-organised trip at no additional cost.
Our camp this year was cancelled due to the pandemic. We were planning to hold it at De Ruimte Democratic School in Soest, The Netherlands in August 2020. We’d planned to visit Amsterdam and Utrecht. In 2021 we didn’t plan anything due to covid.
We spent a week at Ca’l Aulet Education Viva School on the Costa Brava north of Barcelona. We had students from the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Israel and Spain. We enjoyed the beaches, went surfing and spent a day exploring Barcelona.
A gorgeous week on the Yorkshire moors. We camped in a barn, sang under the stars, visited the historic city of York and had a great time. This year we were joined by students from the Netherlands, UK, USA, Israel and Thailand.
A maximum of 35 children aged 11-18 who are students of democratic schools or learning communities, plus 4 adults who all have experience of democratic education.
Students and teachers from The Learning Circle and other democratic schools/settings.
Together and democratically.
Students bring and share ideas and skills.
We will pre-organise some activities but students will also have plenty of time to just do what comes out of the moment.
We cook together and take care of the building.
English is the main language, so students need to have a good intermediate level at least.
Communal start of the day at 10am: sharing the plans for the day and discussing practical issues.
If you want to start the day by being mindful, join the yoga and meditation at 9:15 am or go walking in the hills.
Activities organised by the students.
Loads of time to socialise, talk, play games and go on hikes in the woods.
Preparing meals and cleaning up together.
We always organise a few day trips, e.g. to Barcelona, Amsterdam, York. Students are free to roam the city with their peers or explore it with the adults.
If you’d like us to let you know about forthcoming Summer Camps, you can subscribe to our newsletter here.
