How to abseil away from your parents

Summer camp offers children excitement and independence

"Hello Mudder, Hello Farder, why can't I go to Camp Grenada?"

"But darling, we're British. And besides, we've booked for our usual fortnight at that boarding house near Bognor. Remember the swing in the garden?"

"Mother look at me, I'm 14."

This is the time of year to look at your children and realise that they're capable of much more than is provided by the average family holiday. By all means go to Bognor, but don't overlook the chance to let the kids out on their own for a week or two. Consider, if you dare, the possibility of summer camp. And you'll need to book soon - such holidays are increasingly popular.

More and more parents are apparently willing to throw off their reservations and admit that an unaccompanied holiday is good for modern, molly-coddled children. According to Superchoice, the youngest major player in the market, parents are tired of restricting children's movements, playing chauffeur and saying no. An internal report on customer preferences concluded that "Many parents reminisce about the freedom that they enjoyed as children and are frustrated that their own children's freedom in the Nineties is more inhibited."

There is certainly nothing inhibited about holidays with headings like: "Indiana Jones" (PGL), "Wet and Wild" (Camp Beaumont), and "Motor Mania" (Superchoice). But neither are they nostalgic. Don't expect your child to spend the week roaming the countryside and climbing trees in search of Enid Blyton-like adventure. On summer (or Easter) camp, the thrills come in carefully packaged half-day sessions, with qualified instructors and a balanced diet.

At PGL, for instance, the newest course is "Action Man", a themed challenge for six-to-11-year-olds. Brand-naming turns your average multi-activity week into a team-building mission, not unlike corporate training. "Birdies of a Feather" is another new PGL offering which would appeal as much to the middle manager as to the teenager. It's a golf skills camp based at Court Farm near Ross-on-Wye, using professional coaches at South Herefordshire Golf Club. Both holidays tend to attract boys, while girls traditionally opt for drama and pony trekking, but the sales manager, Harry Town, is determined to rebuff any suggestion of sexism:

"Most of our courses get a good mix of boys and girls, who share a common interest in getting muddy and wet," he says. "At summer camp, all barriers of disability, race and gender are broken down. We also integrate children who speak different languages. On report forms, parents are pleased that children have made all sorts of friends." But while Action Man is promoted by a doll in Commando gear, rivals Camp Beaumont have decided to de- commission weapons this year.

"In light of recent events, some parents felt they did not want their children to learn rifle shooting," says Sue O'Brien, managing director of the Kingswood Group. "As we are trying to create a fun learning environment, we decided to stop the activity."

While parents are worrying about political correctness and safety, children are desperate for a return to the ancient rites of childhood: climbing, splashing and socialising. At Osmington Bay, one of Superchoice's two summer camps in the south of England, they have introduced real crag-climbing on Portland Island and built two 37-ft schooners so that younger children can learn how to sail. Now they can rediscover the joys of crawling, too, in the 100-ft Tunnel Trail.

"It's an underground initiative test with a maze of pipes, one as narrow as 18in," says Alistair Tulloch. "We introduce the children gently with the escape hatches open, but as they become more confident we replace the hatches, until it's pitch black. They play hide and seek and other games and they think it's brilliant. Although they can choose to participate above ground if they prefer, the vast majority of children love it down there. We sometimes have trouble coaxing them out at the end."

Both Superchoice sites have their own waterfront and a wide range of "Wet Wet Wet" activities. Camp Beaumont has previously banned beach and water games for safety reasons, but this year the company has introduced a "Wet'n'Wild" course on the Isle of Wight. It's already proving to be a hit. PGL, which has 41 years' experience, say the top three children's choices are abseiling, canoeing and motorsports; and activities such as quad biking allow them to be the chauffeurs for once.

"I think that's the really good thing about summer camp," says Sue O'Brien. "Children get to do things that are adventurous. We encourage them to go that little bit further, and with new friends around them, they have the chance to behave in new ways. Parents want children to have fun in a safe environment. People send their children to the country to relive the freedoms they once had, which you can't get in a town."

"Parents say their children come home dirtier, fitter, more independent and more lively," adds PGL's Harry Town. And one more bonus is that they're exhausted, which is more than you could say for a week in anyone's back garden.

Superchoice (01273 691100), prices from pounds 225 for a week. Camp Beaumont (0870 609 6000), prices from pounds 298 per week. PGL (01989 768768), prices from pounds 209 per week. All these offer short breaks and sibling discounts.