6 min read
August 7, 2026
If you have ever felt a flicker of guilt about booking your child into a holiday camp, let us reassure you: you are not outsourcing the holidays, and you are certainly not letting anyone down.
In fact, a great camp gives your child something wonderful that most of us struggle to provide single-handedly during a busy working week. We are talking about hours of active play, brand-new friendships, exciting challenges, and a real, confidence-boosting taste of independence. Far from a compromise, it often turns out to be one of the absolute highlights of their break.
That said, school holidays are a proper juggle, and there is no sense pretending otherwise. With around 13 weeks of school closures a year set against a typical 28 days of annual leave, the sums never quite balance. Even with two parents working and a colour-coded calendar on the fridge, there are always weeks left to fill, and that is before you add inset days, unexpected bugs, and friends being away at exactly the wrong moment.
Holiday camps have quietly become one of the most practical and exciting answers for families trying to keep children safe, happy, and active while the working day carries on. Here is why they work so beautifully and how to make the experience work for you.
The weeks never quite add up…
UK schools close for roughly 13 weeks a year, while most full-time workers have around five to six weeks of leave. Even with careful coordination between two working parents, that leaves several weeks unaccounted for, and that is before you factor in inset days, illness, and the unpredictable timing of who else is around to lend a hand.
The pressure is real, and it is not a sign that you are doing anything wrong. It is simply the shape of the modern working year. What a camp offers is a way to lift a few of those trickier weeks off your plate entirely.
A holiday camp takes care of the immediate challenge by providing a structured, energetic day where your child is genuinely having the time of their life, which frees you up to focus on work without constantly watching the clock.
What working parents actually get from a great holiday camp
Booking a camp is about far more than just ticking off childcare hours. The right setting quietly delivers peace of mind for you and pure joy for them.
- A full day of active fun. Our camps run from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm, which lines up with the rhythm of a normal working day far better than a quick two-hour activity class ever could. We also offer half-day options so there is more flexibility depending on your situation.
- A day of stress-free scheduling. Once your camp is booked, that day is completely sorted. There is no last-minute scrambling, no calling in favours, and no trying to host a video call while simultaneously negotiating a trip to the local park.
- High-energy physical activity. Children who spend the day vaulting, bouncing, and racing around tend to sleep beautifully and have far fewer of those late-evening energy spikes. If you have already read about the benefits of children being active, you will know just how much this active movement boosts both mood and focus.
- Wonderful social opportunities. Camps bring children together with others in a relaxed, non-school setting, which is fantastic for building social confidence and sparking lifelong friendships.
- Skills that carry back into the classroom. A week at camp often has a lovely knock-on effect. Children come home with new physical skills, a little more independence, and a renewed enthusiasm for staying active.
Choosing a camp that genuinely fits your family
Not all camps are the same, and if you are booking to cover working days, a few key details are worth weighing up.
- A brilliant mix of activities. Children get bored faster than we adults tend to remember. Camps that move through different activities across the day, including gymnastics, ninja-style obstacle work, and team games, hold their attention well. If your child is still working out which discipline they love most, our guide to whether gymnastics or ninja suits them best is a lovely place to start.
- Coaches you can trust. Qualifications, robust safeguarding, and high coach-to-child ratios are at the heart of everything we do. Our professional team is trained to make every child feel welcome and supported.
- A setting that feels familiar. If your child already takes weekly classes at one of our flagship clubs, a camp at the same site tends to feel far less daunting. They already know the layout, the coaches, and the friendly faces.
- A member discount. Our holiday camps are open to everyone, members and non-members alike, but if your child is a Gymfinity Kids member, you will get a discount on camp places.
- Even more ways to save. We know camp costs add up, so every school break we run a special offer on bookings. Book five consecutive days at one of our camps and you will get 20% off, which works out as roughly a whole day of camp for free!
Helping your child settle in
Even the most confident children can find the first morning of a new camp a little nerve-wracking, and a bit of gentle preparation goes a long way.
Our guide on preparing your child for their first holiday club experience walks through everything from what to pack to handling the morning drop-off, with plenty of small, practical reassurances along the way.
More than just childcare
It is worth saying again, because it is easy to lose sight of in the rush of a busy term: a great camp gives your child far more than just a safe place to spend the day. Active play, brand-new friendships, physical milestones, and a healthy dose of independence are exactly the kinds of things that are hard to lay on single-handedly during a working week.
If you would like a fuller picture of what your child gets out of our sessions, our piece on the benefits of holiday camps goes into more depth. For active ideas beyond camp days, our guide to keeping your child active during the summer holidays is full of quick wins.
The holidays will always be a bit of a juggle, but a great camp simply makes that juggle a whole lot easier and a lot more fun.
We currently run holiday camps across 11 locations. Choose your nearest flagship club below:
*Ninja is not offered at our Widnes club.
