About holiday club

[Battyboo82]

So - just wondering if I should email the holiday club I sent my son to yesterday to complain.
On the information they sent me it said they'd be making Roman costumes, Roman helmets and making cakes. I sent my 5YO DS for the day, it cost £30, and it was a bit of a treat for him as I don't actually need holiday childcare. He was massively looking forward to making the helmets and cakes.
He came home a bit quiet and eventually I discovered they'd drawn pictures of helmets, not made any costumes and not made cakes. He said he played all day and watched the Batman Lego film. He was really disappointed they hadn't done what the leaflet said they were going to do .

I know it was raining heavily yesterday and I'm wondering if this affected the plans - it's a forest school type place and I think the activities may have been planned for outdoors.

WWYD? He is booked to go again in two weeks for a day making rafts and water rockets and I don't want him to be disappointed again.

Ask them, see what they say.

I would ask about it.

Rain wouldn't stop you doing any of those activities. Is this the first time you've sent him to this camp? It sounds like a rip off.

My experience of holiday camps is that they rarely live up to expectations. They are a way for leisure centres and the like to make a quick buck off parents who are desperate to organise holiday childcare.
The activities are never as exciting as the promotional leaflets would have you believe - it's what ever is easiest and cheapest for the inexperienced, young staff to organise.

Definitely complain, that wasn't what was advertised.

I run a holiday club.
Making helmets would be made out of card.
We bake at least twice a week without fail and anything that was put in the brochure, is what we do.
Not all kids want to join in and we try and encourage but don't force (all kids want to bake, but not always craft)
We aim for 2 crafty or cooking things a day (2 things for kids to take home)

We also do a long activity that takes up to 2 hours a day without fail and really fun for the kids.

We then make sure we go outside whatever the weather. Do circle and musical games. And sports where possible.

Had they already made the roman costumes the day before? They should have definitely cooked if that was promised. Maybe they never got the ingredients.

I would say he should have had lots of fun irregardless of the roman costumes (ambitious with 30-40 kids, but doable)
And perhaps ask the manager what happened and why the stated activities weren't done

I'd be asking for a discount off the next session since he didn't get what was advertised at this one.

Herat is right. The staff are all very young at these places and they mostly don't know what they are doing. It is annoying though. Do complain and look for supervised craft activities in local museums that might offer something more in line with what you and your DS are after.

You paid for something and didn't get it YANBU to complain.

It's like paying for a steak and getting a burger. Not ok.

Saysomething your club sounds fab!

I know it was raining heavily yesterday and I'm wondering if this affected the plans - it's a forest school type place and I think the activities may have been planned for outdoors

All the activities could be done indoors, in fact are more likely to be done indoors. I would ask for a refund, you paid for specified activities that were not recieved. The day was missold.

Their wet weather plan B should have been a bit more exciting than watching a DVD. They can do that at home for free.

Thanks Herat.
We do try and stand out and are very lucky to have good facilities and good quality, highly qualified staff.
It's sad that holiday clubs have a bad rep, but I can understand why