Why adults are going back to summer camp

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that adult summer camps are growing in popularity as more people seek relief from loneliness, burnout and the limits of screen-based life. The feature describes how adults in the United States and Canada — and increasingly in other places such as Europe and the Gulf — are signing up for camp-style retreats that mix nostalgia with adult-oriented amenities, including wine, chef-prepared meals and wellness activities.

The article highlights several examples. In upstate New York, a team from a New York City clinic attended Camp No Counselors in July 2026 to build trust and loosen workplace hierarchies. In Ontario, Mia Morin and her husband went to YMCA Camp Queen Elizabeth in May 2025 to meet new people. Other adults used camp to recover from work stress, including a marketing professional who joined an art-focused program at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado after feeling burned out. Camp founders and organizers say the appeal lies in unplugging, playing and making in-person connections without the pressure of networking.

Al Jazeera says the trend has expanded quickly: Yelp’s 2025 Trend Forecast found searches for “adult camps” rose sharply, and the American Camp Association lists dozens of adult camp programmes in the United States. The piece suggests the popularity reflects a broader demand for shared, offline experiences and new ways for adults to form friendships after school and college.