Summer is the perfect time to add a theme to your family holiday activities. Whether you’re planning your own or joining one of Basecamp’s ready-made Themed Weekends, a themed adventure can be the highlight of your summer. Whether at home or away on holiday, themed activities provide a shared focus, real-world engagement, conversation and collaboration – plus, they’re really fun!
Where Can Families Do Themed Holiday Activities?
From your back garden to a full-on camping getaway, themed family holiday activities can fit anywhere. If your useable space is limited, spacious, off-grid campsites like Basecamp give you the freedom, flexibility and facilities to go big on themed fun.
The most memorable activities don’t need to be the most expensive – you can DIY many themes, or look for family adventure offerings that include themed activities at no extra cost. Doing activities as a family strengthens bonds and creates meaningful shared memories, and you just might start a brand-new family tradition.
DIY Themed Family Holiday Activities on a Campsite
While you can organise many of these activities at home, a campsite with open space, natural surroundings and helpful facilities, like Basecamp, is the perfect launchpad for your DIY adventure theme.
Make the most of British nature with your theme – summer in England is beautiful and a great time to explore! There’s so much to see, hear and do; it’s the ideal antidote to screen time and a fun way to celebrate the end of the academic year. Get started on your family’s holiday plans with our DIY themed activity ideas for the whole family. Fun, easy to organise and adaptable to various ages, these ideas will spark your imagination.
Here are some family holiday activities that can be customised to your theme:
Scavenger Hunt
Make your hunt nature-themed by including local plants and animals, and add some points of interest to incorporate a navigation challenge. You can take this activity anywhere, but the natural woodland and activity-rich surroundings of Basecamp make it even more exciting and immersive.
Let someone else make your scavenger hunt with these options, local to Mendip:
- Explore Basecamp with our free Huntly app-based scavenger hunt – a great way to use technology to explore new places and connect with nature!
- Get the Mendip Hills National Landscape Explorer’s Passport
- Go on a Yeti Hunt (free with a round of Frisbee Golf at Mendip Activity Centre)
- Try Orienteering
Cook Around the World or Through Time
Expand your family’s culinary horizons with an edible trip around the world or through history. Pick a country or time and find recipes for popular snacks or meals that you can cook together. Create an immersive atmosphere with music, facts, stories and legends for maximum effect.
With snacks and meals available at the Pavilion and open campfires ready for your culinary creations, Basecamp blends the rustic and the reliable so you can try something new without the stress.
Basecamp Bonus
Campfires and barbeques are encouraged at Mendip Basecamp! Take your theme to the next level with campfire cookery, tall tales, and sing-alongs.
Local Wildlife Spotting
Find a wildlife field guide, pack some snacks, strap on the binoculars, and off you go! Encourage the children to start a wildlife journal to keep track of all the creatures you find, and look for apps that help identify insects, plants, bird calls and more. The Mendip Hills are home to several rare plants and animals, like Lesser Horseshoe bats and Pearl-Bordered Fritillary butterflies. We proudly support local conservation and sustainability efforts with tree-planting and nature recovery measures.
Basecamp Bonus
Hire a Bat Detector at Basecamp and find the local Greater Horseshoe bats as they flit about in the twilight looking for dinner. You might even get lucky and spot the plum-sized Lesser Horseshoe bat! Basecamp’s Nature Weekend features Bat Detecting, Nature Walks and a visit from a local wildlife conservation organisation, all included in your booking!
Action and Adventure Activities
Get outside and active with an adventure theme! Make a list of destinations or activities that get the family moving, like walking a new route, playing team games, bicycling or something your family hasn’t tried before. And when you’re ready to up the excitement, Mendip Activity Centre is just down the hill, offering everything from Axe Throwing to Rock Climbing. Add a few big thrills to your themed family holiday itinerary!
Basecamp Bonus
Basecamp’s camping field provides plenty of space for ball games, bicycling, racquet games and running about. Plus, Mendip Activity Centre is only a few minutes’ walk away, so you can add an adventure activity or two to the itinerary! Try your hand at Caving, Archery, Air Rifles and more.
Basecamp Themed Family Activity Weekends
If your goal is total immersion, then Mendip Basecamp has you covered. Not ready to plan your own themed family holiday? No worries! We’ve already organised Themed Weekends at Basecamp for no extra cost. Throughout the summer, your family can join us for Nature, Crafts and Astronomy activities that spark creativity and ignite the imagination.
Nature Weekend
Disconnect from the screens and reconnect with each other in a peaceful, restorative environment surrounded by ancient woodland. Take a Nature Walk, go Bat Detecting and see the team from the Secret World Wildlife Rescue to learn about their wildlife care work. Being outside supports mental and physical health for all ages, reducing stress and encouraging activity. Basecamp’s Nature Weekend is a wonderful way to immerse your family in the natural world.
Astronomy Weekend
Spark curiosity with stargazing and space exploration! These days, it’s rare to see night skies without light pollution, so come along on Astronomy Weekend for an Intro to Astronomy, a visit to the mobile Astronomy Dome and themed storytelling sure to fulfil the imagination of any child (or adult) with stars in their eyes.
Craft Weekend
Unleash your creativity at Basecamp’s Craft Weekend – a colourful experience for all ages! Featuring reading and drawing sessions with children’s authors Duncan Beedie and Kael Tudor, plus crafts with sustainable natural materials, it’s a lovely way to slow down at an otherwise chaotic time of year. Create meaningful shared memories and collaborate on precious keepsakes with the family.
How Do I Book a Themed Weekend at Basecamp?
Themed weekends are included FREE when you book your Basecamp stay! It’s easy to book a space – all you need to do is pick the right dates when making your booking. Spaces fill fast during peak season, so book early to avoid disappointment.
When you’ve booked your camping dates, check out the outdoor activities available at Mendip Activity Centre, just a short walk down the hill. Your family can try ArcheryActive, Kayaking, Paddleboarding and more! Just make sure to book early to make the most of your adventure.
An Award-Winning Campsite Perfect for Family Holiday Activities
Basecamp is an award-winning off-grid family campsite on the Mendip Hills, near Bristol and Bath, with loads of space, activities and nature to discover. Whether you’re planning a DIY family adventure holiday or joining a Themed Weekend, Basecamp offers the space and flexibility to make it magical.
Basecamp Highlights
- Pick your own pitch or choose a pre-pitched option
- No check-out time
- Free campsite activities like Circus Skills, Storytelling and a giant sandpit
- Free live acoustic music on Saturdays
- Bookable adventure activities onsite at Mendip Activity Centre