21/03/2024

Parent guide for Easter camp

The excitement’s building for Easter! With 44 camps, we’re looking forward to a fun filled week at all our Easter holiday clubs.

We know there’s lots of things for parents to do to organise activities in the school holidays and we want to make things as easy as possible.

We’re all used to getting the family ready for their respective weekday destinations that we almost cruise through the mornings on auto pilot. During the school holidays, we need to get into a different routine and during Easter, there’s hardly time to adjust before we’re back to normal again.

Don’t worry though, it really couldn’t be simpler at Barracudas. Treat this as a holiday for you too, as you don’t need to worry about handing in homework, having lunch money or if they have after school clubs. You can also forget calculators, special coloured pens and pencil cases too!

To help you and your child get organised for camp, here’s a handy guide of how to prepare and what to bring along for their activity day at our Easter camps:

Before you come

No doubt you’re fully on top of this part, but just a few handy hints before their first day to avoid delays or disappointment:

Double check your booking. It’s always a good idea to check the dates and location before you come. We lead busy lives, and mistakes happen!

Complete your Essential Information form. Every child needs a completed and updated form for each season at Barracudas. This is now a fully online process, so the good news is you don’t need to print it out.

Make sure you have the QR code for your child’s booking. This will be sent to you with your booking confirmation and is what you’ll need to sign your child in and out with our contactless system.

Download our parent app to get information about your booking and camp information on the go. You'll get easy access to check your bookings, complete your child’s Essential Information form, get directions to camp, find your contactless registration details plus a handy pre camp checklist. You'll also be able to see the timetable for your child's group on the day of camp!

What to wear

Barracudas offers a wide range of activities to suit every interest. With 6 sessions each day and a choice for each one, they’ll get the chance to take part in a variety of fun options this Easter. From teamwork and sports to specialist sessions, *swimming and arts and crafts, the possibilities are endless.

First and foremost, your child should be comfortable at camp. We suggest easy to wear and flexible clothing. They could be running around a field or creating an artistic masterpiece, so practicality is key.

The weather can be unpredictable in the Easter holiday. Where we can, we’ll be running as many sessions as possible outdoors but if it takes a turn for the worst, don’t worry, we always make sure we have lots of indoor space, so rain won’t ruin play! That said, it’s a good idea to pack some wet weather gear including a raincoat just in case.

Talking of weather, whilst it's starting to warm up and children crank up their body temperature with all the running around, it’s a good idea to have some layers. They can peel them off and pop them back on depending on what they’re doing.

*Available at some camps. Check your camp page for more information.

What to bring

Clothing

They’re not going on a world tour; they don’t need a suitcase for camp!

Younger children may want to bring in spare jogging bottoms/t-shirt/leggings just in case, but this is a personal preference.

If your camp has an indoor swimming pool, we also suggest bringing their swimming kit each day. As our timetables are confirmed for each group on the morning of camp, considering external factors such as the weather and lifeguard availability, we can’t provide the activity choices in advance. They’ll just need their swimsuit/trunks and towel and goggles if they prefer. If they require buoyancy aids or swimming hats, we can provide these.

We do recommend that all clothing is clearly labelled so we can reunite you with them if they go walkabout. This time of year, it’s more likely that they’ll be taking off and putting on coats and jumpers so it’s best to be safe than sorry!

Food and drink

We don’t offer any food at camp so each child will need to come in with a packed lunch. As well as lunch we have a morning and afternoon break for children to recharge and refuel, so some additional snacks for these times should be included.

There’s no access to fridges or food heating facilities at camp. We’d suggest preparing in the same way as you would for a school packed lunch, but remember it’s a busy and active day, so maybe a little more than usual! We’ve got some great tips for packed lunches at camp to help.

It can be thirsty work at camp so please send your child in with a refillable water bottle. We have numerous water stations available throughout our camps to keep children hydrated throughout the day.

Please note, we have a no nuts policy at Barracudas. Please make sure you double check any snacks in particular, as these can contain nuts without you realising.

What not to bring

This part couldn’t be simpler. They shouldn't need anything else! They won’t need money, as there’s nothing to buy at camp. They won’t need any additional forms of entertainment, including toys, iPads, iPods or tablets.

We advise not bringing in mobile phones but can understand some older children who are making their way to and from camp on their own may want to take these. Phones will not be permitted to use during the day and are brought into camp at the owner's risk. Please also note that smart watches can only be used for checking the time!

As Barracudas can’t take responsibility for any items at camp please leave your valuables at home. On the odd occasion things can go missing. Whilst we make every effort to avoid this and to reunite you with any items found, we can’t guarantee this. We’d hate it if something precious, from jewellery to clothing or even lunch boxes were lost during their time with us.

We also offer lots of useful information and reminders to all bookers before their child comes to camp. You can also see our full Parent Guide for more details. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

We look forward to welcoming your child to our fun Easter holiday clubs.