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The English summer camp for families with animal ‘houses’, evening discos and 72 daily activities
Entering the main site, we were met with deafening shrieks from kids packed into a makeshift arena
“DAD, why haven’t we been here before?!,” asks Dylan, my ten-year-old.
We’d only been at Camp Kindling for a few hours but, yep, he was definitely enjoying it.
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Previous summers we’d taken our three boys to several music festivals, each with activities bolted on.
But here, family-friendly activities — from archery to zorbing — are very much the main attraction, with a bit of music on the side.
And best of all, we were doing it in style.
We rocked up to the woodland site near Sevenoaks, Kent in an electric Skoda estate customised for festivals with practical camping extras like cooking equipment and a rooftop tent, accessed via a ladder at the side of the car.
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An “EGOE box” slides out from within the boot of our Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal and comes with integrated gas cooker, collapsible sink with tap, and cooking preparation station.
And the car-top tent took just a few minutes to set up which meant we were ready to hit the festival.
Entering the main site, we were met with deafening shrieks from kids packed into a makeshift arena.
Remember Seventies and Eighties TV show We Are The Champions? I got flashbacks.
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When you arrive at camp you can join one of a series of Patrols — or tribes — named after animals.
And over the weekend youngsters earn points for their Patrols by competing in games, challenges and quizzes.
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Many children, and some adults, had turned up with animal-themed clothes and accessories including masks and clip-on tails.
And for those of us who didn’t, the supplies store was doing a roaring trade in T-shirts, socks, badges and more.
I bought neckerchiefs with fox motifs for our boys but, in truth, they were more interested in the main activities — especially those involving machines or weaponry.
First up, early on Saturday morning, was a fab quad-biking session.
Brilliantly, the kids got to ride on powerful 150cc bikes, venturing into the woods and around several fields for a good 30 minutes.
Our youngest, Alex, had to ride with his mum as he’s under ten, but was put in control of a 200cc bike so wasn’t complaining. What a thrill.
What a thrill
Around a quarter of the 72 activities on offer, including crazy golf, wallclimbing and a waterslide, were drop-in.
But the premium stuff had to be pre-booked and paid for using virtual credits supplied with the weekend tickets — extras could be bought on site too.
Enrolment opens on the website several weeks before the event and I’d booked all of us in for an archery battle as well as a giant Nerf gun fight — both great fun.
The kids enjoyed trampolining, a mountain-bike assault course and even made their own stop-motion animation video using Wallace & Gromit-style techniques.
After a shaky start, teenager Oscar mastered riding the Onewheel — an electric skateboard with a single, central wheel — over bumpy ground.
My wife discovered a gift for air-rifle shooting, hitting the target with seven out of ten shots — more than the rest of the family combined.
None of us enrolled for circus training but we enjoyed watching kids, and brave parents, hanging by their legs from a trapeze.
Not everything was a winner. I don’t know what we expected from Survival Skills.
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Maybe not wildlife hunting, but firestarting at least?
In fact, it was a bit of crafting and a lot of talk. And the result of a bread-baking session was akin to a rock cake. I guess results vary.
At the end of each afternoon the patrol games resumed at the mini arena, as parents drifted toward the bars.
Cover bands and DJs played in the disco tent through the evenings, with notable turns from Nineties acts, former children’s TV stars Dick and Dom, and DJ Luck & MC Neat.
Drinks were reasonably priced and every food stall offered discounted kids’ portions.
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A weekend like this isn’t cheap.
But it’s quality family time, doing fun stuff, learning new skills and creating memories — which you can’t put a price on.
GO: Camp Kindling
GETTING THERE: The Skoda Enyaq iV 80 costs from £38,970.
The roof tent is an extra £2,083 and the EGOE box £2,499.
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STAYING THERE: Camp Kindling 2024 returns to Heritage Pine Forest, near Sevenoaks, Kent from August 16 to 19.
Final release tickets go on sale on March 28 and festival goers can register for pre-sale on March 26 at .
Standard tickets, including three nights’ camping and 90 activity credits, cost from £295 for adults, £265 for age 12-17, £225 for age six-11 and £145 for age three to five.
Options also available to book with 45 or unlimited credits.
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