Spring break camps in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Find a wide range of indoor and outdoor options to keep kids entertained, fit and creative during their school break

Parents will find a variety of spring camp options for for little ones, including the Roald Dahl Theatre Spring Camp at The Courtyard Playhouse. Courtesy Courtyard Playhouse

Spring break camps are gearing up with fun programmes for children to enjoy during their holidays. Parents are sure to find something to interest their young ones, including arts and crafts, ice skating, storytelling, drama, swimming, tennis, trampolining, cricket, fashion design and more. Most camps run for two weeks, and many offer daily rates and weekly rates, as well as discounts for multiple weeks and registering siblings.

ABU DHABI

Ice skating and tennis

ZSC Academy Sports Camp offers sports-specific camps for children ages 5-18. Classes in ice skating for ages 5-12, and tennis for ages 5-18, are designed to advance skills quickly. High-quality instruction will target fitness, with the aim of keeping children motivated and healthy.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-2pm Sundays to Thursdays, with drop-off from 8am, from Dh840 per week for ice skating; from Dh1,050 per week for tennis, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, 02 403 4228, zscacademy.ae/events

French-language camp

Alliance Française Abu Dhabi presents a spring holiday camp for children ages 4-10, that features fun activities to help them learn or improve their French language skills while discovering the beauty of nature. Activities include gardening, an egg hunt, cooking, crafts and storytelling. There are also two day-trips organised, including a special meeting day with Iftah Ya Simsim.

March 25-29; April 1-5, from 9am-2pm, from Dh126 per day, discounts for siblings, Alliance Française Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen area, near Irish Embassy, Abu Dhabi, www.afabudhabi.org

All-day holiday camp

ZSC Kids Holiday Camp lets children ages 5-12 enjoy ice-skating, bowling, football, basketball, team building games, tennis, outdoor group games and more, beginning with free play from 8am.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-5.30pm, with drop-off from 8am, Dh1,050 per child per week; Dh945 per week for siblings, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, register at 02 403 4222, [e-mail]

Be a superhero

Superhero Camp at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort lets children ages 4-14 enjoy a variety of sports and outdoor activities at the health club, including swimming, water sports, kayaking, beach games, boat trips, island picnics, football, tennis, Zumba, arts and crafts and more. While children are occupied, their parents can enjoy a free pool and beach pass each day while their kids are attending camp.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-2pm Sundays to Thursdays, from Dh200 per day; from Dh850 for five days; from Dh1,500 for all 10 days, Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, 02 697 0272, [e-mail]

Find adventure

The Adventure Spring Camp by Discover Sports, which takes place at Adventure HQ and includes an array of activities for children ages 4-12 including climbing, finding treasure in caves and zip-lining.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 8.30am-2pm, Sundays to Thursdays, from Dh200 per day; from Dh840 per week, Adventure HQ, Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, 056 242 2231, [e-mail]

Adventure activities 

Emirates Palace Kids’ Camp offers spring break fun for children ages 4-12 with adventure activities presented by Haddins Fitness including wakeboarding, cooking classes, kite-making, sporting events and Zumba. Children will also enjoy the sandy beach, water slides, lazy river and more.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 8.30am to 4.30pm, from Dh190 for a half-day; from Dh275 for a full day; from Dh1,255 per week, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, 02 690 7310, [e-mail]

DUBAI

Cricket camps and masterclasses

The International Cricket Council Academy’s Easter junior and masterclass camps give boys and girls the chance to sharpen their skills in game-based training sessions, make new friends and have fun. Children ages 6-11 can develop agility, balance and coordination, and children ages 12 and older can take part in bowling and batting masterclasses, which work on decision making, execution and tactics using video analysis.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-noon for junior camps, from Dh120 per day; from Dh525 per week; 1pm-3pm on April 1-2 for the batting masterclass, 1pm-3pm on April 4-5 for bowling masterclass, from Dh260 per class, or from Dh470 for both, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City, Dubai, 04 448 1355, [e-mail]

The Kidz Club

Grand Hyatt Dubai presents a spring camp at The Kidz Club for children ages 5-12, featuring interactive games, arts and crafts, excursions, cooking activities, swimming and outdoor sports. Children will also get to explore nature in the gardens and enjoy cultural activities. Lunch will be provided.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9.30am-4pm, from Dh350 per day; from Dh1,100 per week, discounts for siblings, The Kidz Club, Grand Hyatt Dubai, Dubai, 04 317 2449, [e-mail]

Free football camp

Manchester City Football Schools brings free coaching sessions to Dubai schools this spring break. Aimed at boys and girls ages 5-16, the programme is an opportunity for children to improve their skills, make friends and receive guidance from qualified City Football coaches.

March 26-April 3, 5pm-6.15pm for ages 5-10; 6.45pm-8pm for ages 11-16 on March 26-29, Hartland School, Nad Al Sheba; 9am-10.15am for ages 5-10; 10.45am-noon for ages 11-16 on March 30-31, Sunmarke School, Jumeirah Village Triangle; 5pm-6.15pm for ages 5-10; 6.45pm-8pm for ages 11-16 on April 1-3, Sunmarke School, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai, free on a first-come-first-served basis, register at [e-mail]

Design your experience

The Ductacland Spring Camp, for ages 6-12, has a fables-and-fairytales theme. Children can let their imaginations grow as they create their own fairytale costumes, use 3-D art to depict fantasy worlds and bring creations to life through arts and crafts, pottery and even magic. A student showcase will be held at the end of each week.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-1pm, Sundays to Thursdays, from Dh250 per day; from Dh1,000 per week, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, 04 341 4777, www.ductac.org

Explore and create

At thejamjar Spring Camp, children in age groups 4-6 and 7-10 can explore characters during story time and hands-on art techniques including painting, stencils, portraits, sculpture and more.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 10am-12.30pm for ages 4-6; 2pm-4.30pm for ages 7-11, from Dh189 for one day; from Dh945 for five days, thejamjar, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.thejamjardubai.com

Flip for fun

The Spring Flip Camp at Flip Out Dubai offers plenty of school-break for children ages 5 and older. The venue features 200 interconnected trampolines, plus parkour, foam pits and 3-D wall running. Plus, there are popular games including bubble soccer, archery tag, dodgeball, volleyball, football and basketball.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 10am-2pm, from Dh140 for a four-hour drop-in session, from Dh350 for three sessions; from Dh529 for five sessions, ages 5+, Flip Out Dubai, Warehouse 5, Al Quoz 3, Dubai, 600 567 568, www.flipout.ae

For the innovators and scientists

OliOli hosts two spring camps that encourage children ages 5-9 to get creative and play. The Makers Camp’ lets kids learn how to use real tools to turn everyday items into extraordinary projects, such as building lightsabres, exploring light painting, constructing mechanical contraptions and building cities from cardboard. The Innovator’s Camp teaches the fundamentals of coding, robotics and circuits.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-1pm, from Dh950, OliOli, 4th Street, Al Quoz, Dubai, [e-mail]

Green Grass Nursery

Green Grass Nursery offers a spring camp for children ages 6 months to 4 years. The programme of activities includes gymnastics, arts and crafts, music and movement, dramatic play, cooking, face-painting and puppet shows.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, from Dh150 per day; from Dh750 per week, Green Grass Nursery, Villa 134, Al Urouba Road, Al Wasl, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, 04 385 5959, www.greengrassnursery.com

Multi-activity camps

Children ages 3 to 13 can take part in a variety of activities as part of the Gulf Star Spring Camp, including sports, team games, arts and crafts, drama, dance, martial arts and more.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-2.30pm, Sundays to Thursdays, from Dh800 per week, Foremarke School, Dovecote Green Primary School, Jebel Ali School and Clarion School, Dubai, 050 429 4860, [e-mail]

Develop artistic skills

Tashkeel presents its annual Spring Camp with challenging and creative workshops for children ages 8-16, including painting, 3-D sculpture, paper-making, embossing, woodwork, Arabic letters and geometric patterns. Children will learn new skills each day as they experiment with a range of disciplines that explore the facilities at Tashkeel.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 10am-1pm, from Dh250 per workshop; from Dh1,200 per week; from Dh2,200 for two weeks, Tashkeel, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, www.tashkeel.org

Get karting

Gulf Star Sports offers children ages 7-15 an adrenalin-fuelled spring break of go-karting, laser tag in the medieval maze, race-room simulators, billiards tournaments, video games, team games and competitions at the Kartdrome Spring Camp.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-1pm, Sundays to Thursdays, from Dh990 per week when booked two weeks in advance; regularly Dh1,150, Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, 050 429 4860, [e-mail]

Storytelling and drama

The Roald Dahl Spring Camp at The Courtyard Playhouse lets children in age groups 4-7 and 8-11 explore five storybooks by the award-winning children's author through acting, puppetry, crafts and more. Stories include The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, George's Marvellous Medicine and The Enormous Crocodile, and the activities aim to help children develop communication skills and build confidence.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, from 10am-1pm, ages 4-7 and 8-11, from Dh1,155, The Courtyard Playhouse, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.courtyardplayhouse.com

Gardening and nature

British Orchard Nursery hosts Gardening in Spring, a camp for ages 1 to 5 featuring an array of activities designed to help children form a bond with nature by learning the basics of gardening, nurturing plant life and understanding the importance of sustaining the ecosystem. There will be nature walks, indoor activities including storytime with plant-themed books and gardening.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 9am-2pm or 7.30am-5.30pm, fees vary per branch, locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, 800 773 724665, www.britishorchardnursery.com

Strange and spooky fun

Stranger Things Spring Camp presented by Hayley’s Comet Theatre Company is a creative, energetic experience for ages 6-14, featuring team-building experiences, spooky-themed drama games, monsters and retromania. Plus, they will learn routines and songs and create their own characters to become part of a play performed on the last day of camp, which will be inspired by the TV show Stranger Things.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, from 9am-3pm daily, with the performance both Thursdays at 2pm, from Dh900 per week, with different songs and themes both week, James and Alex Dance Studios, Dubai Marina, Dubai, [e-mail]

French-language spring camp

Alliance Française Dubai presents a French-language spring camp to keep children ages 5-9 engaged during their school holidays. There will be indoor and outdoor activities, play time and educational workshops, as well as an egg hunt.

March 25-29; April 1-5, 9am to 3pm, from Dh200 per day; from Dh850 per week, Alliance Francaise Dubai, Oud Metha, Dubai, 04 335 8712, [e-mail]

Emaar Entertainment Kids Camp

Children ages 7-14 will enjoy the variety of experiences available at the Emaar Entertainment Kids Camps, which take them to venues and attractions across The Dubai Mall. They will learn about ocean life at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo; learn to skate at Dubai Ice Rink; role-play professions and take part in arts and crafts at KidZania; watch inspiring movies at Reel Cinemas; and learn how the Burj Khalifa was built at At the Top.

March 25-29 and April 1-5, 8.30am-3pm, from Dh750 per child, per week, meet daily at the KidZania entrance, Level 2, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, emaarkidscamp.com

Fashion design camp 

Register your children, ages 7-12, for the Fashion Design Spring Camp: Fairy Tales, where young fashionistas can learn the skills to be a real fashion designer, with the sketching, cutting, stitching and sewing workshops, so they can design their own fairy-tale outfits. A mini fashion show will be held at the end of the week.

April 1-5, 9am to 1pm, from Dh1,200 for all five days, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, 04 341 4777, [e-mail]

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