Children’s holiday clubs are structured, supervised programmes that run during school breaks, offering a huge range of engaging activities for kids. They are an ideal solution for childcare during half-term, Easter, and the summer holidays, but their real value goes much deeper. A great holiday club turns time off school into a proper adventure where children can discover new passions, make friends, and grow in confidence.
What Are Children’s Holiday Clubs?
Children’s holiday clubs provide safe and reliable childcare that bridges the gap when schools are closed. For most parents, this is the most immediate benefit. However, their purpose goes far beyond simple supervision. Modern holiday clubs are designed to be enriching environments that get children away from screens and banish boredom. They offer a structured yet relaxed setting where kids can thrive outside the classroom.
More Than Just Childcare
A brilliant holiday club is a place for discovery. It is a chance for a child to try something completely new, like steering a sailboat for the first time or learning to balance on a windsurfer. This process of trying, failing, and succeeding in a supportive group is a massive confidence booster.
A holiday club is not just about keeping kids busy; it is a place where they can discover a passion, develop resilience, and build lasting friendships.
At their core, many clubs are built around the significant play-based learning benefits, allowing children to develop skills naturally while having fun. These experiences contribute hugely to a child’s social and emotional development. They learn to cooperate with new friends, listen to instructors, and work as part of a team—skills that are invaluable both in and out of school.
Benefits for Children and Parents
The advantages extend to the whole family. While your child is developing new skills and making friends, you get peace of mind knowing they are safe, active, and happy. Instead of worrying about how to fill the long holiday weeks, you can be sure they are having a memorable experience.
Here is a quick look at the key benefits for everyone involved.
Holiday Club Benefits at a Glance
This table sums up the key advantages that children’s holiday clubs offer, making school breaks easier and more rewarding for both children and parents.
| Key Benefits for Your Child | Key Benefits for You |
|---|---|
| Develops new skills and interests | Provides reliable and safe childcare |
| Builds confidence and independence | Reduces holiday screen-time battles |
| Fosters new friendships and social skills | Peace of mind knowing your child is active |
| Creates lasting, positive memories | A happy, tired child at the end of the day |
A good holiday club sends your child home buzzing with stories and tired out from a day of fun—a win-win for everyone.
What Types of Holiday Clubs Do We Offer?
At Oxford Sail Training Trust, our children’s holiday clubs are all about getting kids active and confident on the water. We believe that learning a new watersport is one of the most rewarding ways for a child to spend their school holiday. It is the perfect way to swap screen time for fresh air and adventure.
We specialise in two main types of holiday clubs: structured watersports courses and multi-activity weeks.
Structured RYA Watersports Courses
Our Royal Yachting Association (RYA) accredited courses are ideal for children who enjoy focused learning and achieving clear goals. These programmes offer a proper pathway for developing real skills and gaining recognised qualifications. They are not just one-off taster sessions; they are carefully designed courses that build skills progressively day by day.
Our RYA-accredited holiday programmes include:
- Dinghy Sailing: Children learn everything from rigging the boat and understanding wind direction to steering a course and performing manoeuvres.
- Windsurfing: This course combines elements of surfing and sailing, teaching kids how to balance on the board, control the sail, and harness the wind.
- Wingfoiling: An exciting and modern watersport, wingfoiling involves using a handheld “wing” to propel a hydrofoil board across the water, creating a feeling of flying.
Each course is led by expert instructors who blend technical tuition with fun games and challenges. This approach ensures learning practical skills feels less like a lesson and more like a brilliant day out with friends.
Multi-Activity Adventures
Our multi-activity weeks are a fantastic choice if your child prefers variety or is new to watersports. These programmes give a taste of everything the water has to offer, keeping energy levels high and boredom at bay. It is the perfect introduction to life on Farmoor Reservoir.
Rather than focusing on a single discipline, these weeks combine several different activities, allowing children to discover what they enjoy most in a relaxed setting.
Activities often include:
- Canoeing: Working in pairs or small groups, children learn paddle strokes and teamwork to navigate their canoe.
- Kayaking: Focusing on individual control, kids master paddling techniques and steering their own kayak.
- Stand-Up Paddleboarding: A brilliant activity for balance and core strength, paddleboarding is always a huge favourite.
These sessions are packed with games and team challenges, ensuring every day is different. You can explore our detailed guide to activity camps for kids to see how we structure these weeks for maximum fun.
How Holiday Clubs Build Confidence and Skills
The right holiday club is a powerful place for personal growth. These experiences are more than just fun days out; they are an investment in building a more resilient and self-assured young person. Children step into a new social scene, helping them develop crucial skills as they play with peers outside their usual school friendship group.
At Oxford Sail Training Trust, our instructors create a supportive atmosphere where children aged 8 and up are encouraged to try new things, solve problems, and grow their self-reliance. It is this encouraging environment that helps them thrive.
Mastering New Abilities
One of the biggest benefits of a specialised childrens holiday club is the surge in confidence that comes from mastering a new skill. There is a unique sense of achievement when a child balances on a windsurfer for the first time or successfully steers a dinghy on their own.
These are moments of discovering their own capabilities. This process teaches children that with practice and perseverance, they can overcome challenges they might have thought were impossible. This newfound self-belief often has a positive impact on their attitude towards challenges at school. To get a better feel for this journey, you can learn more about what to expect on a 5-day youth sailing holiday.
Developing Teamwork and Independence
Many activities at our watersports clubs cannot be done alone. Rigging a sailboat or coordinating paddle strokes in a canoe demands communication and cooperation, teaching children how to work together towards a shared goal.
A holiday club provides the perfect balance of guided learning and independent discovery. It is where children learn to trust their own judgement on the water while knowing expert help is always nearby.
This naturally fosters both teamwork and individual responsibility. As children gain new skills, they are given more independence to make their own decisions, which builds their problem-solving abilities. Exploring stories like those found in books about summer camp can offer insights into the powerful themes of friendship and self-discovery that happen at camp.
Choosing a Safe and Reputable Holiday Club
Your child’s safety is the number one priority. A reputable provider will be open about their safety procedures, qualifications, and safeguarding policies, giving you complete peace of mind. The best childrens holiday clubs weave safety into every activity they run, from the quality of the equipment to the training of their staff.
You should feel confident asking direct questions about how they keep children safe. A professional organisation will welcome your interest and have clear, reassuring answers.
What to Look for in a Provider
Before booking, it is essential to check for a few key indicators of a high-quality club. A great starting point is to look for external accreditations from national governing bodies. For any club offering watersports, this means looking for recognition from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).
RYA recognition is the gold standard in watersports. It confirms that a centre has passed a rigorous annual inspection covering everything from instructor qualifications and safety procedures to equipment maintenance and child protection.
Choosing an RYA Recognised Training Centre like Oxford Sail Training Trust means you are picking a provider held to the highest industry standards for both safety and quality of tuition.
Essential Safety Checks for Parents
Beyond official accreditations, there are several practical areas you should investigate. Any good holiday club will be happy to provide this information.
Here are the critical questions to ask any provider:
- Staff Qualifications and Checks: Are all instructors qualified for the activities they lead? Do all staff have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check?
- Staff-to-Child Ratios: What are the staff-to-child ratios? For watersports, these should be low enough to ensure close supervision. At Oxford Sail Training Trust, we stick to strict RYA guidelines, which often means ratios as low as 1:6.
- First Aid Provision: Is there always a qualified first-aider on-site? What are the procedures for managing accidents or medical emergencies?
- Safeguarding Policies: Does the club have a clear safeguarding policy? Is there a designated safeguarding lead you can speak to?
Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Environment
A truly safe club is one where every child feels welcome and supported. This is especially important for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). An inclusive club will actively discuss how they can accommodate your child’s specific requirements. At Oxford Sail Training Trust, we are committed to making watersports accessible to everyone and encourage parents to talk to us beforehand so we can ensure the right support is in place.
Making Holiday Clubs Affordable: Costs and Support
We know the cost of childcare over school holidays is a big consideration. The great news is that several schemes can make high-quality children’s holiday clubs more accessible. As a non-profit organisation, our mission at Oxford Sail Training Trust is to keep our prices as fair as possible. We believe every child deserves the chance to experience the confidence that watersports bring.
This section will walk you through the financial support available to help you manage the costs.
Government Schemes to Help with Childcare Costs
The UK government has programmes to help working parents with childcare costs, which apply to registered holiday clubs. It is always worth checking your eligibility, as the savings can be substantial.
The main schemes are:
- Tax-Free Childcare: For working families, including the self-employed. For every £8 you pay into an online childcare account, the government adds £2. This can give you up to £2,000 per child, per year.
- Universal Credit for Childcare: If you claim Universal Credit, you may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs from registered providers like us.
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is another brilliant initiative. This government-funded scheme, run by local councils, provides free holiday club places to school-aged children from families who receive benefits-related free school meals. HAF provides enriching activities and healthy meals, tackling holiday hunger and inactivity. It has delivered 15.6 million free holiday club days since its 2022 launch. You can explore more about the impact of this scheme.
The HAF programme helps ensure children from lower-income families get the same opportunities to learn new skills, make friends, and stay active during the holidays.
Our Commitment as a Charity
At Oxford Sail Training Trust, our charitable status is at the heart of what we do. Our purpose is to make watersports accessible to as many children in our community as possible. We work with local schools and community groups to offer funded places and subsidised activities. When you book a course with us, you are not just investing in your child’s development; you are also helping us bring the benefits of watersports to others who might otherwise miss out.
Your Essential Holiday Club Packing Checklist
A well-packed bag is the secret to a smooth start to any holiday club. With your child’s place booked, a little prep goes a long way to ensure they are comfortable and happy from the moment they arrive. For any watersports club, having the right kit is essential for both safety and enjoyment. We focus on practical items that will keep them warm, protected, and full of energy.
What to Bring for a Day on the Water
Here is a simple checklist for our childrens holiday clubs. We provide all specialist equipment like buoyancy aids and wetsuits, so you just need to pack the personal essentials.
- Suitable Clothing: Layers are best. Pack a t-shirt, a fleece or jumper, and shorts or trousers that you do not mind getting wet. Avoid denim as it gets heavy and cold when damp.
- Proper Footwear: A pair of old trainers or secure water shoes are perfect. Please avoid flip-flops or crocs, as they do not offer enough grip or protection.
- Sun Protection: A sun hat, sunglasses, and high-factor waterproof sun cream are non-negotiable, even on cloudy days.
- A Full Tummy: Pack a nutritious lunch and plenty of snacks. A refillable water bottle is a must-have to stay hydrated.
- Towel and Dry Clothes: A full change of clothes and a towel are vital for getting warm and dry at the end of the day.
Preparing the night before can make the morning less stressful. Packing the bag together can also help ease any first-day nerves and build excitement for the fun ahead.
It is also wise to think about what to leave at home. Valuables like phones or electronic devices are best left behind to avoid loss or water damage. You can find a more detailed list on our official guide detailing what to bring and our booking conditions.
Have a Question? We’ve Got Answers
It is normal to have questions before booking a holiday club, especially if it is your child’s first time. Here are the answers to some of the queries we hear most often.
What Is the Best Age for My Child to Start Sailing?
Our junior holiday courses are designed for children aged 8 and over. We find this is a great age where most kids have the coordination and focus needed to get the most out of watersports. To make sure everyone has a brilliant time, we group children by similar ages and abilities.
Does My Child Need Any Prior Experience?
Not at all! Most children who join our holiday clubs are complete beginners. Our entry-level courses, like the RYA Stage 1 sailing programme, are designed to start from scratch. We create a safe, supportive, and fun environment where your child can learn without any pressure.
We welcome beginners with open arms! Our goal is to introduce children to the joy of watersports in a supportive setting, building their confidence from day one.
What Happens if the Weather Is Bad?
Safety is our number one priority. If the wind is too strong or there is a risk of thunderstorms, we do not cancel the fun—we move it ashore. We have a whole range of engaging land-based activities, from learning sailing theory and practising knots to team-building games. The adventure continues, whatever the weather.
What Should My Child Wear for a Watersports Club?
Think comfortable layers they do not mind getting splashed in, plus a waterproof jacket. On their feet, a pair of old trainers or some water shoes is perfect. We provide all the specialist safety gear, including wetsuits to keep them warm and buoyancy aids to keep them safe.
Ready to give your child an unforgettable school holiday filled with adventure, new skills, and lasting friendships? Explore the range of RYA-accredited courses and multi-activity weeks at Oxford Sail Training Trust and book their place today. Visit us at https://oxfordsailtraining.org.uk to learn more.
