65. CampQuest UK Returns! How Kids Camps Build Confidence, Community, and Critical Thinking

“It was a very safe space to be able to say, I got that wrong.”

CampQuest UK Programme Director Alistair Lichten (Humanist Dad) and camper-turned-volunteer Katy Pugh join Humanism Now to unpack why a secular camp matters, and how a weekend of outdoor adventure, hands-on science, and Philosophy for Children helps young people practise curiosity, confidence, and respectful disagreement.

Discover CampQuest UK

• 2026 Family Camp – dates, location, pricing, booking– https://campquest.uk/2026-family-camp-pilot/
• More info on Humanists UK Website
• Follow Alistair on the HumanistDad Blog

Topics we cover

 ✔︎ Why CampQuest began, and what a secular camp offers that most camps do not
 ✔︎ How outdoor challenge makes speaking up feel less scary
 ✔︎ The 2026 family camp, and what the weekend format looks like
 ✔︎ Philosophy for Children: stimulus, question-voting, and “speaking object” rules
 ✔︎ Encouraging values without dogma: standards of behaviour that protect freedom of thought
 ✔︎ What kids actually take home: reasoning, confidence, and not taking disagreement personally
 ✔︎ Alumni impact, volunteer growth, and rebuilding community year to year
 ✔︎ Practical booking and arrival expectations for the May bank holiday camp

Resources & further reading

• Philosophy for Children (P4C): SAPERE / Thoughtful – training and overview of the method – https://www.sapere.org.uk/
  and “What is P4C?” 
• The Ship of Theseus (identity over time): Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

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