Camp Quest UK, a volunteer-led camp inspired by humanist values, is returning in 2026 in the Peak District over the May bank holiday weekend 2-4 May.
The return of Camp Quest UK has been spearheaded by Alastair Lichten, who runs the ‘Humanist Dad’ parenting blog and also volunteers with Humanists UK as the coordinator of Haywards Heath Humanists.
The camp, designed for families with children aged 10-16, will take place near Buxton in the Peak District, with excellent transport links from Manchester, Sheffield, and the wider Midlands. The programme will include bottle rocket making, seed-planting, wood carving, arts and crafts, stargazing, camp cooking, outdoor games, campfire discussions on science and philosophy for kids, as well as nature walks in the surrounding area, including visits to local sites such as Poole’s Cavern, Grin Low Tower, and the Deepdale Nature Reserve.
Educational, creative, and camp activities are designed for children aged 10-16, and are inclusive of neurodiversity. Families with younger children are encouraged to attend.
Humanists UK is helping share information about the camp with parents who may be interested in a camping experience for their children. Camp Quest UK is organised independently of Humanists UK, and families who wish to attend can find more information and register via the Camp Quest UK website.
About Camp Quest
Camp Quest UK is a British humanist summer camp which aims to promote critical thinking in children while providing a camping holiday to children in the United Kingdom. The camps are designed to encourage children to ‘question, understand, explore, search, and test’ and often use a group of philosophical techniques called Philosophy for Children (P4C) to develop reasoning and creative thinking skills.
Camp Quest began in the United States in 1996, formed in part as a response to the Christian ethos of the Boy Scouts of America. To this day, thousands of camps available to children in the US are explicitly religious in character. It was created to offer something different: a space where parents who did not follow a religion could send their children to summer camp without concerns about discrimination, indoctrination, or exclusion.
Inspired by humanist values
Camp Quest UK was founded in 2009 by outdoor enthusiast Samantha Stein after she volunteered at Camp Quest Michigan. Inspired by the experience, she set out to create a similar opportunity in the UK for families who identify with humanist values. The camps aim to provide a welcoming environment where young people can think freely, ask questions, and build friendships in a setting that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and open discussion.
Camp Quest UK was paused after 2019 due the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and 2026 will mark its return. Each camp traditionally centred around a theme designed to spark discussion. Over the years these themes have included evolution, the mind, humanity and language, the future, AI, space, and the environment and sustainability.
Camp Quest Programme Director Alastair Lichten said:
As a humanist parent, I know how important it is to find spaces where children can explore the world with curiosity, ask big questions, and feel free to think for themselves. That’s exactly what Camp Quest is about. I’m incredibly excited to be bringing Camp Quest back in 2026 and to welcome families to the Peak District for a weekend of outdoor adventure. We hope this year’s camp will be a real success and help us build momentum to bring Camp Quest to even more families in the years ahead
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
Since the dawn of our species, humans have had an innate drive to gather round the campfire to share ideas, stories and community. Around one of those campfires the first scientists asked what caused the flames, the first philosophers asked why we are here and the first humanists were inspired to believe human endeavours could conquer the darkness. Camp Quest UK will provide opportunities for future generations of freethinkers and skeptical explorers to continue in that great tradition.
Notes
Camp Quest UK (CQUK) is a British humanist summer camp which aims to promote critical thinking in children while providing a residential camping holiday to children in the United Kingdom. The camps are designed to encourage children to ‘Question, Understand, Explore, Search and Test’ and often use a group of philosophical techniques called Philosophy for Children (P4C) to develop reasoning and creative thinking skills.
Camp Quest and Camp Quest UK are independent of Humanists UK and all upcoming camp events are not Humanists UK events. Humanists UK is therefore unable to assist with enquiries or matters relating to the camp. Please contact the Camp Quest organisers directly.
For all ticket information please visit the Camp Quest website
If you have questions about Camp Quest email: admin@campquest.uk
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.