School Holiday Clubs in Hampshire 2024

If you need to work over the holidays and need childcare then holiday clubs are a really popular idea โ€“ and there are so many across Hampshire that youโ€™re bound to find one perfect for your children thatโ€™s close to where you live or work.

Why use a holiday activity club?

Most parents work and unless you work term time only, annual leave will never cover all of the school holidays. The rest of the time you have a constant juggle between grandparents and friends, trying to cobble together childcare across all the school holidays.

Holiday clubs are a great alternative and a lifeline for many parents where alternative childcare just isnโ€™t available. The kids clubs are usually fully insured, Ofsted registered and give you as much peace of mind as when your children are at school. Plus, many also accept childcare vouchers too.

At kids holiday clubs the children will do kids activities they wouldnโ€™t usually do โ€“ and ones you wouldnโ€™t have the facilities to do in your own home. This could be anything from archery to swimming, den building to team sports. Thereโ€™s always a good mix of active time and more relaxed holiday club activities that children are bound to love.

Another great benefit of holiday camps is that the children will make new friends and socialise with more people. Theyโ€™ll often attend for the same days as other children, getting to know them over the week or two that they go to camp. Plus, itโ€™s a fantastic place to make memories.

Are holiday camps a set format?

Holiday camps vary between companies and you can always find one that suits your child. There are really active sports camps, activity camps with a mix of things to do or forest school camps for children that love the outdoors. There is also often the option to go for a whole week or just for the odd activity day if you wanted.

When do school holiday camps run?

Most school holiday camps run through the Easter and Summer holidays but many are also available to book for half term holidays too. I know that kids summer holiday camps especially are quite a tradition in many families. Availability varies between the different clubs so itโ€™s best to look at all the ones local to you and see what dates they have available.

Many camps offer summer day camps or even week long camps. There are so many different kinds of camps from musical theatre camps, summer soccer club camps, martial arts camps and there are many school programs too.

Often your childโ€™s school will have after school clubs and these often offer holiday childcare too. Itโ€™s definitely worth investigating clubs associated with your school as a first port of call. 

Who can use school holiday clubs?

The age of the attendees varies between holiday clubs but theyโ€™re generally for children aged four and over although some take children as young as three. Often they do stipulate that children need to be potty trained and need to be able to get changed and unchanged by themselves for things like swimming and muddy sports activities.

School Holiday Clubs in Hampshire

360 Degree Sports Coaching

Where: Various locations across Hampshire

When: Most school holidays, 8:30am โ€“ 5:30pm

Ages: Primary age children

360 Degree Sports Coaching offer activity camps which include baking and crafts, multi-sports camps which offer a real variety of sports and football camps, so they have something for everyone.


Active For All

Where: Whiteley Primary, Fareham – Kanes Hill Primary, Southampton – Stoneham Park Primary, Eastleigh – Hythe Primary, Southampton – Bitterne Park School, Southampton

When: Most school holidays, 8:30am to 5:30pm

Ages: Age 5-11

Active For All offer a huge variety of activities ranging from Sports Competitions to Arts and Crafts, Lego, social time, problem solving activities, and much more.


SuperCamps Multi Activity Camps

Where: St Swithun’s School, Winchester

When: Most school holidays

Ages: Age 4-12 years

Multi-Activity camps allow children to enjoy sports, arts & crafts, games and occasional highlight activities or excursions such as Bouncy Castle and Archery.


Rise Cookery School

Where: St Swithun’s School, Winchester

When: Easter and Summer holidays

Ages: Age 8-14 years

Following a Cook Around The World theme, Rise Cookery School will take children to many countries and continents. Whether attending for the first time, or returning to camp to further develop their culinary skills, children attending this new and improved cookery course can look forward to serving up new recipes and challenges.


Chelsea FC Foundation Football Camp

Where: St Swithun’s School, Winchester

When: Easter and Summer dates

Ages: 6-11 year olds

The Chelsea FC Foundation Football Camps offer the opportunity for children of all abilities to experience elite coaching. As part of the course, the children also spend an hour a day in the classroom, learning about things like nutrition and diversity, allowing for both character and skill development. Every child in attendance will also receive a bespoke Chelsea FC Foundation Nike training kit to wear on the course and keep.


Take The Stage

Where: St Swithun’s School, Winchester

When: Summer dates

Ages: 6-12 years

Do you know a young star in the making? During the week your child will develop their character; learning dances, songs and acting scenes all working towards a final showstopper performance. 

Each day they will complete a thorough physical and vocal warm up and begin to learn and develop some key singing and dancing skills. They will work with their instructors to learn the show โ€“ collaborating on dance choreography, directing scenes and learning the songs. At the end of each day there will be time to recap all they have learnt, ready for the next fun-packed day!


Lego Play

Where: St Swithun’s School, Winchester

When: Easter and Summer dates

Ages: Ages 6-12

This 5-day course is a must for all mini LEGOยฎ enthusiasts. Combining imagination with strategy, learning with play, children will be tasked to engineer a number of bold and innovative builds inspired by the world around them. With a new theme each day, children will develop fine motor skills and learn effective problem solving as they bring to life a variety of different designs and ideas. Every child attending will also get to take home their scrapbook of creations in their own keepsake LEGOยฎ Journal, containing the blueprints to all their designs and images of their final builds, as well as their own LEGO hat and t-shirt set.


Koosa Kids

Where: Alderwood School, Aldershot – Court Manor Secondary School, Fleet – Hook Infant School – Liphook Junior School – Portway Infant School, Andover

When: Most school holidays โ€“ Check website for dates

Ages: 4 โ€“ 13 year olds

KOOSA Kids have been running Ofsted registered Holiday Clubs for over 17 years and their ethos is to offer high quality, affordable holiday club childcare for hard working parents whilst ensuring children have as much fun as possible.


The Cricket Academy

Where: Lord Wandsworth College, Hook

When: Easter and Summer dates

Ages: 5-14 year olds

The Cricket Academy has been developed to give children and teenagers the opportunity to develop their cricketing skills through innovative games, coaching and match play. Every day on camp features a variety of engaging technical (batting, bowling and fielding), gameplay, challenges and game scenario sessions.


Netball Fever

Where: Lord Wandsworth College, Hook

When: Summer dates

Ages: 7-14 year olds

Netball Fever is a unique nationwide netball camp for children and teenagers, custom designed with the help of Super League players to deliver a netball experience that will cover all aspects of netball, that is ideal for any level of player, whether you are just starting out or you are a potential England player.


Let’s Play Football

Where: Lord Wandsworth College, Hook

When: Summer dates

Ages: 5-14 year olds

Letโ€™s Play Football is a football skills and football freestyle camp for children which has been developed by UEFA & FA qualified football coaching experts to offer technical coaching alongside challenges and gameplay in a safe, fun environment with an emphasis on skills, tricks and freestyle football.


Let’s Play Hockey

Where: Lord Wandsworth College, Hook

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 7-14 year olds

Letโ€™s Play Hockey camps provide a fun, engaging hockey experience for children. The camps focus on basic skill and game awareness development through small-sided games, skills circuits and challenges. Every camp finishes with a team tournament on the final day where teams compete against each other to be the hockey champions!


CASA Clubs

Where: The Cambridge School, Aldershot – The Ferns Primary Academy, Farnborough – Woolton Hill Junior School

When: Most school holidays โ€“ Check website for dates

Ages: 4 to 12 year olds

The daily activity programme incorporates a balance of sports activities, creative fun and messy play with โ€˜chill outโ€™ time, competitions, challenges and theme days. Activities include: Crossbow Challenge, Archery, Messy Play, Free Play, Water Play, Arts and Crafts, Sports, Cookery, team games, dress up Fridays, parachute games and more.


Ultimate Activity Camps

Where: Twyford School, Winchester – Ballard School, New Milton

When: Most school holidays โ€“ Check website for dates

Ages: 4 โ€“ 14 year olds

At Ultimate Activity Camps, children will enjoy a fantastic range of sports, games and art activities every week led by engaging staff at amazing locations. Fun is at the heart of everything they do.


Fit For Sport

Where: Winchester Sport and Leisure Park – Hart Leisure Centre, Fleet

When: Most school holidays โ€“ Check website for dates

Ages: 4 to 12 year olds

Fit For Sportโ€™s holiday camps have been running for over 30 years and are designed to engage all children through multi-sports, games, arts and crafts and more so that they can make friends and keep active throughout the holiday.

You can read our Fit For Sport review here.


Boundary Oak School Holiday Club

Where: Boundary Oak School, Fareham

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 4-11 years

From multi-sports to arts and craft sessions, from outdoor adventures to a plethora of competitive sporting action, join Foundation Play for lots of active fun at the Boundary Oak Holiday Club.


Youth Options Bushcraft Club

Where: Youth Options Outdoor Learning Centre, Eastleigh

When: Every Friday through the holidays, 9am โ€“ 3pm

Ages: 11-15 years

This holiday club will give young people aged 11-15 the opportunity to spend the day outside learning advanced Bushcraft skills.  Activities will include shelter building, campfire cooking, foraging, woodwork, habitat exploration and much more!


Youth Options Woodland Holiday Club

Where: Itchen Valley Country Park and the Youth Options Outdoor Learning Centre, Eastleigh

When: 8.30am โ€“ 4pm, Monday to Friday

Ages: 4-11 years

This Ofsted registered forest school themed holiday club will give children the opportunity to spend the day outside exploring and enjoying the natural world and learning new skills! 


YMCA Holiday Camp

Where: Fairthorne Manor, Southampton

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 5-16 years

What could be better than giving your child the gift of magical childhood memories? A summer filled with adventures, getting mucky and trying exciting and exhilarating new activities.

Fairthorne Manor summer Daycamps offers your child the chance to unplug and enjoy quality time in the great outdoors with friends, both old and new, to connect with positive role models and gives them a break from the pressures and stress of school and everyday life.


Personal Best Education Holiday Camps

Where: The Mountbatten School, Romsey

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 6-12 year olds

For over a decade Personal Best has been providing children in Hampshire with a fun and educational experience giving parents the peace of mind that their children are in a safe and secure environment.


Gymfinity Kids Holiday Camps

Where: Gymfinity Kids Farnborough

When: Most school holidays, 8:30am to 5:30pm

Ages: 6-14 year olds

With the help of expert sports coaches in child-friendly gyms, the Gymfinity Kids active holiday camps have been designed to inspire energetic bodies to get moving. Children will spend time on the gym floor where they can practice the skills they have learnt in their weekly class or master some brand-new skills. As well as spending time doing arts and crafts and watching a movie after lunch to give time for their food to digest!

Read our Gymfinity Kids review here


Girl Guiding Skoolz Out Activity Weeks

Where: Foxlease, Clay Hill, Lyndhurst, Hampshire SO43 7DE

When: Summer dates

Ages: 8-16 years

The popular Skoolz Out programme offers a full activity programme, overseen by trained instructors, which will keep your children fit, active and entertained.


Sports Xtra Holiday Camps

Where: Basingstoke

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 2-12 years

Sports Xtra holiday camps run throughout the day so that your child can learn new skills in a safe and fun environment whilst youโ€™re in work or catching up with the many tasks a parent has! Children can choose to take part in a variety of sports and activities from football and Multi-sports to Dance, Spy and Adventure Camp. Furthermore, your child has the chance to take part in daily challenges and win the Sports-Xtra World Cup with their team!


SCL Active Holiday Camps

Where: Great Binfields Primary School, Basingstoke – Greenfields Primary School, Hartley Wintney – Hatch Warren Community Centre, Basingstoke – Oakwood Infant School, Hartley Wintney – Old Basing Infant School, Basingstoke – Parsonage Farm Nursery and Infant School, Farnborough – Velmead Junior School, Fleet – Westfields Infant School, Yateley

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 4-12 years

Ofsted registered and with over 20 yearsโ€™ experience, SCL Active nurture childrenโ€™s imagination and build the foundation for a life of learning and discovery. As a parent or carer booking your child into an SCL Active club, you can be confident that your child will be safe, supported and encouraged to learn and explore.


Creative Kidz Holiday Playscheme

Where: Ditcham Park School, Petersfield – Hamble Primary School, Southampton – Kingscourt School, Waterlooville – Meoncross School, Fareham – Swanmore Primary School, Southampton

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 4-12 years


Globe Fit Kids

Where: Woodlands Community College, Southampton and other Hampshire locations

When: Most school holidays

Ages: Children in Reception to Year 8

Globe Fit Kids clubs are a place where your child will make friends, experience hours of fun and create memories that will last a lifetime.  Each club day is themed around the world that we live in and offers a range of fully inclusive and educational activities which are suitable for all children.


Sport Skool

Where: John Keble C of E Primary School, Winchester – The Westgate School, Winchester – Stroud Prep School, Romsey

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 5-13 years

When schoolโ€™s out, SportSkoolโ€™s in โ€“ and running a holiday club near you! Throughout the week, your child could be taught a variety of top sports by qualified, DBS-checked and fully insured SportSkool coaches.


Denmead Day Care Holiday Club

Where: Ashling Pavilion, King Georgeโ€™s Field, Denmead, Waterlooville PO7 6LA

When: Hampshire school holidays, 8am to 6pm

Ages: 4-11 year olds

Activities include arts and crafts, games, outdoor play, cooking and trips out into the local area.


SCL Football Holiday Clubs

Where: Great Binfields Primary School, Basingstoke – Velmead Junior School, Fleet

When: Most school holidays

Ages:ย Soccer School – ages 4-12 years, Football Development Camp – ages 6-15 years.


Portsmouth High School Holiday Club

Where: Portsmouth High School, Southsea

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 3-11 years

The Portsmouth High School multi-activity programme brings together a balanced mix of IT, arts and crafts with sport, cookery, dance and outdoor activities. Each week the camps have a theme and will include a range of games, tasks, sporting, science, creative and challenge activities.


New Forest Activities Holiday Adventure Day

Where: New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 8-12 years

Looking for fun and adventurous school holiday activities for the kids in the great outdoors? Send them on a Holiday Adventure Day with New Forest Activities! Theyโ€™ll meet new friends, learn new skills, and have fun in the New Forest taking part in a variety of different activities including Archery, Ropes Courses and Bushcraft skills.

Their full day of adventure comes with peace of mind for you, knowing that theyโ€™re in the safe hands of our well-trained team. So drop the kids off for a full day of fun in the forest โ€“ theyโ€™ll be sure to create memories thatโ€™ll last a lifetime!


Active Camps

Where: Various locations

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 3-14 years

Active Camps are ideal for children who enjoy lots of variety. No two days are the same! The activities are tailored to the children on-site by brilliant staff with engagement and enjoyment being at the forefront of everything they do. Each day will feature a range of sports, arts and crafts, team challenges, and wide span games such as capture the flag, obstacle courses, group collages and much more!


PH Camps

Where: Kimpton, Thruxton & Fyfield Primary School, Andover

When: Most school holidays

Ages: 4-14 years

PH Camps provide a wide variety of sports and activities during school holiday periods at venues all over the southwest. All camps are Ofsted registered and parents can use childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare too. Plus, there really is an activity for everyone. Mainstream sports for the sporty, arts & crafts for the creative and extreme sports for the wild.


Barracudas Activity Camps

Where: The Westgate School, Winchester – Rookwood School, Hampshire

When: Major school holidays โ€“ Check website for dates

Ages: 4.5 โ€“ 14 year olds

The perfect solution for parents during holidays, Barracudas activity camps offer high quality care and unrivalled activities for kids with an emphasis on fun! Barracudas offers a brilliant programme with a huge range of activities that offer something for everyone.

You can read a review of Barracudas Activity Camps here.


As well as the above, Stagecoach Performing Arts for Berkshire West offer some school holiday workshops that are worth taking a look at.

I hope this has helped you find holiday courses or summer camps for your children and Iโ€™ll add any new holiday clubs I come across. If there are any that you know of that arenโ€™t on this post please do let me know and Iโ€™ll add them in.

Author

  • Donna Wishart is married to Dave and they have two children, Athena (13) and Troy (11). They live in Surrey with their two cats, Fred and George. Once a Bank Manager, Donna has been writing about everything from family finance to days out, travel and her favourite recipes since 2012. Donna is happiest either exploring somewhere new, with her camera in her hand and family by her side or snuggled up with a cat on her lap, reading a book and enjoying a nice cup of tea. She firmly believes that tea and cake can fix most things.

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