Any experience of school holiday clubs

[marialuisa]

DD goes to a school nursery class plus early and after care during term-time. For the past year she has gone to a childminder at half-term and other hols. Childminder is nice enough but i'm not 100% happy and DD endures going there (visibly squares her shoulders before going in).

I work in a university and although I have no chance of going term-time only I've worked out that my leave entitlement covers all but 6 weeks of the school holidays. I would need to send DD to a kids' club for those weeks but I'm a bit wary as she'll have only just turned 4 by the Spring half-term (first time I'd need to use it).

Has anyone put a preschooler in a holiday club? How did they cope?

I put my pre-schooler into a holiday club. She's never forgiven me. Sorry . She was just too young and was quite wary of the 10 to 11 year old boys. It's only now, at 7, can I discuss the prospect of her going for a few days in the holiday AS LONG AS long as a friend is there too.

Of course, they're all different and that is just my experience but my little girl found it very hard going and she's a sociable mixer.

Hi marialuisa,

haven't put a preschooler ino a holiday club but ds was 5 when he went and he coped fine. Possibly a lot depends on the individual child.
Why not speak to the club managers / playworkers and ask what their opinions on it are and how they found that other pre-schoolers got on.

I haven't any experience - but I have been asked to run one....so I'll be watching this topic with interest!

Does your little one have a friend - could they go together?

she's in with 10-11 year old boys everyday because of being in wraparound care at school. The club has been recommended by DD's "boyfriend's" mum. I could chat with her and try to co-ordinate their sessions a bit but as thye have grandparents who help out he only does 3 weeks a year.

i suppose I'm hoping that my presence for most of the hols would compensate. Should say that my qualms have been caused by my 9 yr old brother confessing that he and his mates at holiday club regularly lock a 4 year old boy who annoys them in a shed

If school ran a holiday club i wouldn't be giving it a second thought, but for some reason DD's school has an unusually high proportion of teachers' kids so there's no call for it.

Good and bad experiences welcome!

Ds went to one last summer when he was 4 years old. They split it into two - one for the under fives and a more activity packed structure for the over fives. The under fives where in a what was the nursery during term time and the activities were similar to a nursery (a walk to collect leaves, paddling pool, icing biscuits etc..). Ds was happy with the holiday club/summer school - especially the three carers they had (for about a total of 15 children).

DS (4yo) has been in a holiday club last week and this. He got a bit over-tired yesterday and missed me, but mostly he loves it. He's very sociable and we don't know hardly any other children around here for him to play with. About half of the other children come from a playgroup that use the same room/same staff, so are also rising-5s.

My dd's (local council) nursery run a school holiday play scheme. They give priority to nursery kids, but there are a few places for others. You might try and see if there are nurseries in your area that do something similar. DD is now 5 and has just finished her first year at school, but is going to the nursery play scheme this summer and having a fabulous time.

Thanks for the replies. I think i'm going to find a few possible schemes and pay them a visit over the holidays. DD is a confident little girl and used to going into new groups on her own so I'm not too worried from the "security" angle, more the bigger kids angle!

I don't have any experience and my dd who is 5 is going to a holiday club on the 9th because i have to work three days that week, it looks fun but obviously i am alittle worried because she has never been there before. I think it will be good in the way that she shouldn't get so bored because shes going somewhere for a while etc etc. But i'll have to see what she is like when she comes home. I am abit nervouse about her going but have no choice as need to work and can't have time off really cause i have only just started.

My 3 year old is attending a holiday playscheme for the Summer. It is not run by the nursery school she attends (they don't have a similar scheme)but by a state nursery. It is under-subscribed, as not many parents know that you can use it if you don't attend the school.

She is now in her second week and is still, on the whole, enjoying it. The children are all older than her 4 & 5) and although she plays with one of the children, I am not sure whether she plays widely. There also seems to be an issue about dirty toilets which i don't think would be accepted in her term-time nursery school!

I must say, I felt like a really hard mother when I sent her last week - we didn't really have to, as we both work part-time and share her care. However she is a confident child and I felt that she would cope. I also felt that (as she is an only child) it would satisfy her constant urge to play with other children and keep a very 'busy' child stimulated.

I would not have bothered if she was clingy, as I would have felt that it would be cruel to do it for such a short time. I also knew the school where it was being running and that it is an exemplar of good practice in early years work. If you have a look round, I am sure that you will find similarly good schemes. You can get details from your local Children's Information service via the local Council. I have felt encouraged enough by my daughter's experience to think that I would do the same next year - provided she is still a confident child.