Tips to Run a Successful Holiday Club
Running a holiday club can be an exciting adventure, not just for the kids but also for your business! It's like a boost of energy for your cash flow, and parents love having engaging options to keep their kids busy during breaks.
With holiday camps being 2x more profitable than your average term classes, it’s worth investing your time to get it right. And if you’re a savvy business owner, you’re probably thinking of ways to maximise from your camps. So, is there a better way to run your activity and sports camps? And how do you turn camp bookings into long-term, committed customers? Let’s dive in and find out!
Boost the Camp Booking Experience
Offer Flexibility
Want to make booking a breeze for parents? In that case, [.pink__text]an online booking system[.pink__text] is your new best friend! Let parents book and pay hassle-free, saving you time and setting you apart from the competition. Allow parents to easily add optional extras like extended hours or early drop off and late pick up during the booking process. The more convenient and customizable the experience, the happier your customers will be.
Stay Organised
Organisation is key to running a successful holiday club. With a reliable online system, you can access registrations, medical info, and emergency contacts instantly. It’ll make life much easier for you as the camp owner, and for your coaches! A good booking system, like ClassForKids, will also send automated confirmation emails with detailed camp information and what-to-bring lists to alleviate any pre-camp jitters. You can even send out mass-reminders closer to the camp start date to ensure parents don't forget important details.
Payments Made Easy
Getting your payments under control when classes and camps are full is vital for running an organised camp. Keep your payments on track by having parents pay upfront during booking. This not only streamlines your operations but also eliminates the headache of chasing payments later. Parents will expect payments to be easy, simple and flexible, so you’ll want to provide them with a positive payment experience.
Fun Camp Activities
So, what do you do during a camp? [.green__text]What activities do the kids want to do at camp?[.green__text] Let’s look at some popular activities to include in your holiday camp.
Your Activity in focus
It wouldn’t be a true activity camp without activity-centric activities! Your holiday club should be all about your activity, whether you run sports camps or arts and crafts camps. Focus on specific skills, bring in industry experts, or plan friendly competitions. This is what kids and parents are signing up for!
Ice-Breakers
Break the ice with fun games early on. The goal here is to get the kids involved and getting to know each other with fun and engaging games. Get the kids talking and making friends with [.orange__text]activities like “A Book About Me,” “The Cube,” or “Meeting Bingo.” It's all about building connections![.orange__text]
The Classics
While your activity and sports camp centers around your specialty, you can still throw in some classic fun. Water fights, scavenger hunts, and talent shows keep the energy high. You could even spice it up with themed quizzes or movie nights! Consider themed days or weeks that tie into popular movies or events. For example, a superhero-themed day could involve fun activities like creating capes or obstacle courses inspired by favorite heroes.
Involve Parents
Hosting a parent's day or showcase at the end of the holiday camp can be a fantastic way to engage parents and show off what their children have learned. Encourage parents to participate in mini-workshops or friendly competitions alongside their kids. This not only strengthens your relationship with parents but also creates lasting memories for everyone involved.
[.pink__text]Top Tip: There are easy ways to incorporate your activity type into classic camp activities if you wish to: feature genre-specific movies, show sports games on the big screen, or put on an activity-themed quiz![.pink__text]
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Retaining Your Campers
Of course, the goal isn’t simply to see your camp goers once – it's to keep them coming back for termly classes too! [.blue__text]So how do you retain campers and turn them into regulars?[.blue__text]
1. Market your regular sessions to the camp goers
A great way to increase the numbers in your termly classes is to market those classes to camp attendees. If parents found booking easy and their kids had a blast, they'll be likely to want to return for ongoing classes too! It’s also a great idea to build a community forum for holiday club families to stay connected all year: Share camp highlights, upcoming events, and even bonus activities they can do at home related to your camp's theme. Building a community around your club strengthens loyalty and keeps families engaged between camps.
2. Entice with a special offer
Beyond offering great activity camps, focus on nurturing relationships with your customers to convert them into long-term supporters. Offer camp attendees a special deal for upcoming sessions—discounts, free trials, or a 'bring a friend' offers all work a treat. Sweeten the deal, make campers feel special, and watch your numbers grow!
3. Communicate when the experience is still fresh
Reach out when the camp experience is fresh in parents' minds. Marketing works best when the customer is familiar with your service already – so take advantage of a great camp experience! Encourage return bookings by offering incentives on the last day of camp or through follow-up emails shortly after camp ends.
Running a successful holiday club is all about creating memorable experiences for kids and their families. With the right approach to booking, engaging activities, and customer retention strategies, your holiday club can become a staple in your community. Embrace the journey, stay flexible, and always keep the fun in focus!
[.green__text]Ready to automate your camps system and take more bookings than ever? See how ClassForKids can help![.green__text]
Felicia Bugge
Felicia is our resident Content Specialist. She is the mastermind behind most of our blogs, emails and Tiktoks! When she isn’t planning the next big email campaign or chasing participants for Tiktoks, she can be found travelling to new exotic places, reading the latest booktok book, or converting friends to using iPads for notes and calendars!
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