Dads Camp

When?

Friday (arrive after lunchtime) 2rd of May to Monday the 5th of May, 2025.

The campsite is open at that time, so you can arrive whenever you like but you will need to pay the owner for any extra nights.

Where?

Buckshead farm campsite, B4070, Gloucester GL4 8HG

Our aim?

Having fun with our children whilst creating meaningful connections with men

The aim will be to create a ‘village’ feel, and there is space for a couple of camper van/caravans on the edge (let us know if you are bringing one).

John Clarke has transformed our food provision, enabling us to produce a consistently better output with considerably less helpful kitchen infrastructure at Buckshead Farm. Vegetarianism is at the core but with a barbecue when the weather best suits. Always a good idea, though, to bring snacks that you know your children will like

Activities?

What we ask is that every man brings an activity to camp.

What is an activity?

Well that’s up to you, ideally it’d be something that one of your children would enjoy doing (they don’t have to participate, or you can get them to help, but if you try and think of something they’d enjoy that helps come up with the idea). Thinking of numbers, make it an activity that involves some or many other kids :) ie depending on what it is, you can decide limits on numbers if you like. Some things other dads have brought have been from simple little things, to big elaborate things - we all have our own style. If you know another dad that’s coming you might want to team up with them if you need some help.

Activity ideas

Here’s a few previous offerings we remembered when writing this:

• Bug hotel
• Gutting a fish and cooking it on a fire
• Making a rocket with a bicycle pump and a coke bottle
• One footed log balancing zen tug of war
• Paint your own electric guitar cutout and pretend to play it
• Worm charming
• Blowing really massive smoke rings
• Massive bubbles
• Geocaching
• A walk to the pub
• Song writing workshop
• Getting a Ritz biscuit that is balanced on your head into your mouth without using any hands
• Rock paper scissors in a WWF style
• Stand up comedy workshop
• Tree climbing with ropes

You will probably think of something more creative. We’d love to know in advance what your ideas are, so it’ll be on the booking form, but don’t worry if you can’t think of one then, think of one later. There’s always a few dads v kids games, wide games, a cabaret, and football or cricket or rounders sorts of things that go on too. If you imagine a camp where 30 odd dads all bring something like that and there’s a bunch of other things on, you’ll start to imagine what dads camp is like. It’s busy, but fun. There’s always random things that occur swell.

How many dads?

Max number of Dads is 40. First come first served. With an average of 2 kids per dad we usually end up being about 100 in total. You pay the same however many kids you have.

Do invite your dad friends by sending them the link to this page - we’re a welcoming bunch and love new dads as it keeps dads camp going. We do suggest if your kid doesn’t know any other kids who are going that you (if you know them) persuade one of their friends dads to come too as it’s good to know at least one other child on camp if you are a child (this is not always the case, depends on the child, but sometimes it is a good plan).

We always reserve five spaces for guys who haven’t been before, and for the “Core Group”, (currently 7 men) who meet to arrange things before camp.

If you are interested in becoming a core group member next year then you will be able to get in touch with any of us at camp - we’re looking for new members. At the moment the core group are: Arthur Edwards, Miles Guerrini, Freddie Janke, Joe Jarlett, Creag Louttit-Vermaat, Greg Nieuwenhuys, Sid Saunders, Andrew Cox, Jon, Sam, Sam

How much?

Your contribution of £120 per dad to cover the costs of this year’s camp and safeguard the possibility of another great camp the following year.

The money includes the cost of the food offered. No-one earns any money from the camp.

You can pay what you feel if £120 is a problem. We are not intending to make any profit, but we do want to have £400 surplus from what is sent to us which we expect to use as a deposit/float for next years camp.

Any surplus left on top of that may be used at the discretion of next year’s core group to be spent on next year’s camp.

Connection?

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