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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do you put your dc in kids clubs on holiday?

76 replies

loonylovegood23 · 09/08/2025 21:48

Never done it before but we go away on a Spanish package holiday in a few weeks and all of the reviews say how brilliant the kids club facilities are. My toddler is 3 and very chatty and sociable. She loves preschool and I genuinely think she’d enjoy it and I would enjoy having an hour to relax by the pool with my book and a cocktail.

But I just don’t know if I’d feel comfortable leaving her. She has only been potty trained since the beginning of the summer holidays so that’s one concern. She is doing amazingly but I don’t know if it’s within the remit of a hotel kids club to deal with any accidents. I would definitely go and stay with her to see what it’s like first of course. Have you done it before and did your kids enjoy it?

OP posts:

modgepodge · 09/08/2025 22:40

Yes I have when my child was 4. I encouraged her to go once and said if she hated it she never had to go again. She enjoyed it and wanted to go back so went once for 2 hours each day. This was with TUI where minimum age was 4 at that hotel. In this set up parents definitely weren’t allowed to stay, it was like Fort Knox signing them in and out. I’m surprised to hear about one where parents can choose to stay and kids can drift in and out - sounds like a safeguarding concern to me. I chose TUI because they use the same recruitment checks and have the same standards for training as UK childcare providers.

TheLette · 09/08/2025 22:40

Yes why not, kids love it, they make new friends and have a great time, and I actually enjoy my holiday. They don't go all day or even every day. It works for us and them. They are very social children, with lots of friends and activities normally, so going to a kids club makes sense as they love trying new things and being with other children.

We pick holidays based on good kids clubs though, including Ofsted ratings and excellent activities. I carefully look at reviews and don't pick hotels without rave reviews for the kids clubs. I definitely wouldn't pick one which only provided colouring, for example.

WorldMap24 · 09/08/2025 22:42

We went to a holiday village when DD was 3 and DS was 5. I insisted the kids go once to try it, then if they never wanted to go again that was absolutely fine. Both kids loved it - DD was crying one day because I made her go to breakfast first! I think the sessions were all 1 hour long from memory, so we had a rule they could do a maximum 2 sessions a day. Some days they didn't go to any, some days they did 1 or 2, all sessions were themed so they could pick and choose what sounded interesting to them. Their favourite was the chocolate party, surprise surprise.

Overthebow · 09/08/2025 22:42

I would send my 5 year old to one if she wanted to go, but there’s no way I’d put a 3 year old in, especially not one whi’s only just potty trained. It’s definitely not I the remit of the club staff to sort accidents.

Thisismyusername54321 · 09/08/2025 22:43

You can always go and check it out when you get there, and stay for a while to see if you like the vibe! Im quite a "risk averse" kinda parent but my daughter happily attended kids club abroad at the age of 3 last year.

I went and met the staff and had a good look round the facilities. Was the highlight of her holiday as she had little friends to play with!

PeonyBulb · 09/08/2025 22:45

I did and my DC loved it but it was with Mark Warner holidays and they had superb activities for all age groups. And the parents also had a great time.

minipie · 09/08/2025 22:47

I did, as they loved it! Not so much now (age 10 and 12). We always checked back and asked if they wanted to leave, usually the answer was no thanks see you later…

Bitzee · 09/08/2025 22:50

My kids did from that age, but they loved it (3 is more than old enough to try it for a half day then tell you if they want to go back) and it was with Club Med so not that they had any issues but staff would have been fine to deal with toileting mishaps because they took them from babies so were doing nappies.

Thedoorisalwaysopen · 09/08/2025 22:54

Your reasons for doing it are a bit selfish tbh. If she was older, saw the other kids participating and wanted to take part/showed an interest in going herself, that would be fine. But you want to palm her off so you can have 'me time'. Sorry, but holidays with toddlers aren't like that. She is so little!

Original poster

loonylovegood23 · 09/08/2025 22:56

Thedoorisalwaysopen · 09/08/2025 22:54

Oh have a day off will you. I said in my op that she is a sociable child who loves preschool and taking part in those sorts of activities. I’m considering it because I know she’ll enjoy it not because I’m trying to palm her off. Although I won’t lie, it might be nice to have a quiet sit down for an hour on holiday. I must be a terrible parent.

OP posts:

OhDorWheresthesalad · 10/08/2025 05:43

Op there is always some mean twat falling over themselves on these threads to state how they'd never abandon their child to a nasty kids club. There is nothing wrong with a couple of hours off and if both you and dd are happy, why not?

toiletpiper · 10/08/2025 06:08

I'm a fairly relaxed parent but no way would I do this with a 3yr old abroad. You have no idea of what the staff are like etc,

toiletpiper · 10/08/2025 06:10

We pick holidays based on good kids clubs though, including Ofsted ratings

Why would hotel holiday clubs abroad use Ofsted?!

toiletpiper · 10/08/2025 06:11

How on earth can they be inspected? 😆

Steph7181 · 10/08/2025 06:15

DH and I go on holiday to spend time together as a family and have fun with DC not to palm them off to strangers.

toiletpiper · 10/08/2025 06:27

There is nothing wrong with the principles of kids clubs & it's not palming yourself off. I just wouldn't personally use them for young dc particularly abroad.

toiletpiper · 10/08/2025 06:28

your kids off!

Twilightstarbright · 10/08/2025 06:39

We tend to- DS is a very sociable only child. We tend to do Tui hotels with English speaking staff with a childcare qualification although now he’s 8 I’m less bothered about it as he’s more keen on football camps that run there. It’s maybe two hours a day so we still spend plenty of time together.

disappointedconfused · 10/08/2025 07:09

Personally I think age 3 is too young and if you are on holiday with the other parent then you can presumably take turns to give each other a break

FortheloveofCheesus · 10/08/2025 07:13

No, I work, holiday is the best quality time I have with them. I don't want to send them off to do tennis and swimming etc with some random other adult, I want to be the adult doing that. Also they play together and don't really seem to need any other entertainment.

I don't count ski school as i can't teach them to ski, but we choose morning only ski school and have them with us the rest.

FortheloveofCheesus · 10/08/2025 07:16

Although I won’t lie, it might be nice to have a quiet sit down for an hour on holiday. I must be a terrible parent.

Don't you get a "quiet sit down" all evening when she goes to bed? Toddlers go to bed by about 7pm. If you want to go off out of the hotel room I'd see if the hotel does a sitting service while she's asleep and oblivious.

GRex · 10/08/2025 07:21

The ratio where we went was really poor, but DS is older and loved it. He picked a few different activities, the water fight was good as we could watch them, and the show performance was fun. I was concerned by the ratios initially so we had told him and the staff member where we were and that he could come back to us if he was uncomfortable (he's super sensible and would have been in our sight from the door). Luckily lots of similar age kids, he buddied up with a few and was very happy. For a 3yo, it's not really set up with enough staff, so I think you need to pick the activity more carefully for something where you can stay within earshot.

DarkForces · 10/08/2025 07:28

We used to send dd for a few hours a couple of times in the week where they were available, but when she was little there weren't many where you could drop and go as we stayed in uk. We did one or two in bluestone so we could go to the spa I think. She's older now and wouldn't want to do any organised clubs, but she'll let me enjoy the odd cocktail in peace so all good!

Oceann · 10/08/2025 07:37

FortheloveofCheesus · 10/08/2025 07:13

I don't count ski school as i can't teach them to ski, but we choose morning only ski school and have them with us the rest.

This for me as well. Selfishly even if they would have enjoyed them, I very much felt that holiday time was sacred family time.

Now that they are older , I’m so glad that I took this approach

ronswansonstache · 10/08/2025 07:41

Yes, we left her last year at age 3 and this year at age 4. She loved it for about a week then got bored with it the second week so we skipped it. Both times they were Tui hotels and the club had tight sign in/ sign out procedures and I think the same ratio of adult/ child you get in the UK. I was a bit apprehensive before seeing the set up so maybe make a judgement call when you get there. Ignore anyone trying to make you feel guilty! It’s your holiday too & I was also keen my only child got to play with other kids in a safe environment rather than being stuck with us all day.

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