Parents

Acorn Adventure is a well-established, leading provider of Adventure trips for schools, groups and families. With almost 35 years of experience, we have built up an excellent reputation for delivering quality, safe adventure residentials in France, Spain, Italy and the UK. We realise that sending your children on them can be a daunting prospect for parents! So this page is for you, to try and answer some questions that regularly come up from other parents, you’re certainly not alone!

Did you know?
Acorn Adventure also organises Family Adventures for you all to enjoy together. Fantastic family experiences and memories at great prices. Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news.

FAQ’s

Q. Will my child need any particular clothing or equipment?
A. We will provide all the specialist equipment necessary for your child to undertake activities. We ensure all of our equipment conforms to the British or European standards. Daily safety and equipment checks are made and recorded at all of our centres. Risk assessments have also been carried out for all activities at our camps. You can download a kit list from this site which identifies clothing that will be required to pack for your child. Please select the camp your child is travelling on this page to find the appropriate kit list. You may not win the argument (!), but we suggest that your child brings old clothes and items that you won’t mind them getting dirty/ damaged. It’s an adventure trip, and they will be getting muddy and wet, as well as staying in a tent or cabins where expensive items cannot always be locked away.

Q. What type of food will be provided?
A. Our number one aim is to deliver healthy and nutritious meals, which will keep children and adults fuelled for the day. A well-balanced diet is essential which is why we make sure our meals consist of fruit, vegetables, starchy foods, dairy products and protein.

• No food is deep-fried, we prefer to grill, roast, poach or bake it!
• Meals are produced using fresh ingredients and minimal salt
• All dietary and allergen requirements can be catered for
• Fresh fruit and water is always available This may vary slightly in Cala Llevado where food is served buffet style in the Spanish run on-site canteen. Here there are several hot options to choose from at dinner time and there is always fruit and veg available as well as soft drinks.

Q. Is previous experience necessary for some of your more specialised activities?
A. No previous experience is necessary. All our staff are fully qualified through UK National Governing Bodies and they will be able to make sure everyone is learning while having loads of fun!

Q: My child can’t swim, can he/she still take part in watersports?
A. Yes, all watersport participants wear buoyancy aids. If your child cannot swim 50m unaided, we do ask to be told this in advance so that our instructors can be made aware and can offer your child additional supervision and support. Please let your teacher or group leader know this before your child travels.

Q. Are all of your staff DBS checked?
A. Yes, all staff working with your child will be DBS checked (Disclosure Barring Service).

Q: It is my child’s birthday whist they are away, can you provide them with a cake?
A. Of course, all we ask is that you let your teacher or group leader know in advance so they can make sure we are aware.

Q: My child recently returned from a trip with Acorn and had a brilliant time. Do you arrange similar trips for families?
A: Absolutely, check out our Family Holidays at www.acornfamilyholidays.co.uk – we offer a 10% discount to those who book a family holiday with us in the same year that their child travelled as a group with Acorn Adventure. This offer is not available online so please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to claim this offer.

Q.I need to withdraw from the trip and have paid a deposit, will I get this back?
A. Once you have paid your deposit, it is unlikely that you will be reimbursed, unless it is reclaimable through your insurance company. Paying a deposit for a trip confirms your child’s place, meaning that plans are put in place, the per person price is set (often based on the group party size) and sometimes other children are turned away because the trip is full. It is therefore important that when paying a deposit, you understand the level of commitment you are making and the knock on effect that changing your mind can have on Party Leaders and the other children. Cancellations, for example, can sometimes mean the price goes up for the remaining participants due to the change in numbers. In some cases, trips have to be cancelled. However, we are aware that sometimes it is necessary for you to cancel your child’s trip due to unforeseen events or commitments. Please speak directly with your Party Leader about your situation or for more information. Our terms and conditions can be found here.

Q. The school/organisation we are travelling with have opted to take out the Fogg insurance policy offered by Acorn. My child has some medical requirements, what do I need to do?
A. You will also need to make sure that the insurance company is contacted and informed of the details to make sure your child is fully covered. The insurance company will need to speak to you directly, to ensure they have all the information they need. Please liaise with the Party Leader of the trip on this and make sure that they are also aware of all the details.

Q. What accreditations do you have?
A. Acorn is a fully accredited company, with an excellent reputation for safety. You can find out more about our accreditations here.

Q. What does our insurance include?
A. If the group your child is travelling with has opted for our insurance, it will cover the following.