Do secondary school children go to half term holiday camps?

How about letting him do some of the work finding out about activities and suggesting things he might like to do?

I thought kids in boarding schools did lots of swapsies in the hols. So he would go to a mate's for a week & mate would come to you for a week, etc.

Sorry Quint I get what you mean now
Not sure I'd be happy with a just year 7 entertaining themselves for 2 weeks either
Seems a bit young to go swimming & climbing alone
Not much fun unless with company

dc (15 & 12) have 2 weeks starting today . ds is away on school trip for first few days then dd has a show next week so they are mooching around while I am at work then not sure 2nd week. Usually we go away for a few days. Some of the local sports clubs have activity courses starting next week - sailing , rugby etc

I think that the ages where DC are too old to chill at home playing but not old enough to get around on their own are difficult ones for half-term. I don't think it is good for DC to be bored and lonely. Sorry - that isn't very helpful! I feel your pain!

Wild learning have space in your 1st half term week sheen 611 year holds Wimbledon 612 year olds

WHy not ask him? He is old enough to take himself off eg swimming or climbing.

Lens bury water sports say half term programme from 21st Oct -1st November

Thames young mariners in Ham have stuff both weeks of half term . Just seen 2 places still available 21st and 22nd Oct for 1116 year olds and 2 places for 811.Taz holiday adventures

Quint, if they'd really like watersports there are a surprising number of RYA centres who offer youth windsurfing within the M25 - might not have an appropriate course at the right time for you but the RYA site is really good for finding stuff like this. (dinghy and other things too)

North!

Near us there's a private school that offers memberships to its sports facilities out of school time. It also offers sports clubs during holidays that run over the two weeks. Is there anything like that near you? We are South and you seem to be new.

yes universities are good, my son went on a two day 3d printing course at our local one in the summer, for example......and it was free!!

We had this last year when ds's half term was out of sync with every other private and state school in the area. He went back to school when everyone broke up for their holidays so he was hugely resentful as it meant he couldn't go the normal holiday clubs with his old school friends. His school laid on nothing and all his friends went away. I took some days off but there was nothing to do and nowhere to go in terms of special half term activities and ds missed all the fun stuff the following week as he was back at school. Thankfully the school have changed their half term week this year.

I feel your pain because up here in Aberdeenshire the October holidays are two weeks long. We are currently coming to the end of week one.

DS2 (just turning 11) has been going to King's Camp www.kingscamps.org/ at my university. This is helpful because I can drop him off and pick him up at the end of the day. They are flexible which means that we have not had book him in for the whole two weeks but pick and choose days. DH and I also work from home for a couple of days in the two weeks, which gives him the opportunity to meet up with mates or just chill out for some part of the holiday.

He has been rock climbing on their climbing wall, swimming, playing various sports and doing a bit of craft. The university sports facilities are very good. Last year he was at my husband's university sports centre, which also offered similar programmes.

We plan for him to do this at least for the next two years because I am not happy about leaving him totally on his own at home for two weeks at this age.

So, can I suggest that you see if something similar is on offer at university sports centres near you?

watersports activity clubs in half term or holidays
Sounds cool.... decidedly chilly at this time of year . (curious to know what/where....)

I expected them to offer suggestions.

goodness, no. None of their business. Its quite different to primary when most people need some form of childcare so an 'activity' makes sense. Obviously a lot of the problem is that his school is out of sync with what most schools are doing (bloody gove hasn't thought through the ramifications of letting more schools choose their own holidays!).

DH and I work from home, having DD around in the holiday (with or without a friend) really hasn't been a problem since she was maybe year 3 ... much easier than if we worked out of the home. Don't forget that the current thinking is that its good not to always be arranging activities for kids, to let them get bored and have to think of something for themselves! We do plan some activities ( will probably take her to the Chill Factor for some brush-up skiing lessons) - if you're in London there must be lots, and it not being everyone else's halfterm is a positive advantage (BM, Natural History museum etc will be much better!) .

Our secondary doesn't suggest any clubs, but my 13 and 12 yos quite often go to watersports activity clubs in half term or holidays - these only take place in the state school holidays though. They're too old for childcare (IMO and in theirs) but they like activity clubs related to their interests.

Quite a bit of the time they're at home, I work from home maybe half the time and DP is off one day a week, and they sometimes just hang out alone or with friends. They do get a bit bored then, and then I shunt them off to more watersports activities.

I think if he's got 2 weeks off though he'll have to be bored at home for one week and you could sign him up to stuff for the 2nd week.

my apologies Quint, I was being tongue in cheek if you read my post....
I would have thought that in london you would have a lot of choice of activities, why not goo glit?