When it comes to caring for your child, we understand you’ll have lots of questions. From the practical; “what time do we arrive and what do we bring?” to the curious; “what activities are there and will they be with their friends?”
So you can be prepared, and your child can get stuck straight into the fun of Holiday Club, we’ve compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions.
If there’s more you’d like to know you can contact us, or during Holiday Club speak with any of the Crew Leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’d like to join our Holiday Club, and are new to Practically Family, then you will need to register first so you can manage your bookings. As part of this process, you’ll add your child’s details, emergency contacts, Tax Free Childcare Reference (if you have one). Once you are logged in and bookings open (keep an eye on socials!), simply choose your Crew and the day(s) and time(s) you wish to book, select your payment method and hey-presto, the adventure awaits! Book here.
With flexibility and fun at the heart of Holiday Club, booking your child’s place is easy. Whether it's for a morning (9am-1pm), short day (9am-3pm) or full day (8am-6pm), everyone is welcome! Simply book online, as and when needed.
Full days: 8am-6pm = £38. Short Days: 9am-3pm = £27. Morning sessions: 9am-1pm =£18. We accept payment from Childcare Vouchers / Tax Free Childcare (listed as The POD)
Once you have filled in all your booking details you will be asked to choose your payment method. You can choose from a selection of different payment methods including Childcare Vouchers and Tax Free Childcare. Once you have selected your preferred method of payment you will get step by step instructions for how to pay.
You can log in at any time to view your bookings or add new bookings. You can cancel or amend your booking up until midday the Friday before Holiday Club begins by emailing hc@practicallyfamily.co.uk
We appreciate our Holiday Club is incredibly popular and that places fill up quickly. We strongly recommend keeping an eye on socials for prompts on release dates. It is also worth checking the booking system regularly for changes and amendments. If the date/time you’re looking for is not available, you are welcome to message us about any cancellations, but we do not operate a formal waiting list and spaces cannot be guaranteed.
There's really no difference between our Crews, we just find that having smaller groups means children buddy up with their friends more easily, as well as allowing our Crew Leaders to design activities best suited to the children in their Crew.
We typically have 4 Crews; green, blue, orange and yellow. Two start outside, this could be exploring the woodlands, messy play or taking part in activities in the marquees or den (outdoor classroom) and two start indoors with games, crafts and activities with their Crew mates! These get rotated after lunch to make the most of the fresh air!
You will be asked to choose your Crew colour at the beginning of the booking process. You can book different crews if different friends are coming on different days/weeks. Totally flexible!
We typically have 4 Crews; green, blue, orange and yellow. Two start outside, this could be exploring the woodlands, messy play or taking part in activities in the marquees or den (outdoor classroom) and two start indoors with games, crafts and activities with their Crew mates! These get rotated after lunch to make the most of the fresh air!
You will be asked to choose your Crew colour at the beginning of the booking process. You can book different crews if different friends are coming on different days/weeks. Totally flexible!
Absolutely! You can choose different Crews during the booking process.
This is where our Crews are a big help! Just pick the same day and crew colour and your children will be together.
Fun, Fun, Fun! All indoor and outdoor activities, games and materials for the day, delivered by fully qualified childcare practitioners. Plus our ‘Special Day’ activities such as inflatables, disco parties and ice cream vans! We also provide healthy snacks and water and of course, the odd treat or two.
We share our Holiday Club dates usually for the year ahead. When one Holiday Club finishes we open bookings up for the next one the following day. See upcoming dates here.
We like to keep it simple but there are a few essentials we ask you to bring with you to Holiday Club, not forgetting their packed lunch! You can find the definitive list here.
Yes, we are universally inclusive. We simply ask that you contact sophie@practicallyfamily.co.uk prior to booking so we can support you and your child in the best way possible.
We understand that children have dietary, religious and cultural requirements so we work closely with our parents to ensure every child is catered for and happy. We provide healthy and nutritious snacks and the odd treat or two during Holiday Club, so when registering your child, please make sure you include any specific detail around your child’s diet that we need to be aware of. All children bring their own packed lunch, and we ask that you do not bring any nut products.
If you’ve tried (and disliked) other holiday clubs or you’re facing a dilemma of sending siblings in different directions, then on our Holiday Clubs may be the answer. We cater for the curious 3 year olds through to the daring 11 years olds with activities to suit a variety of hobbies and interests. From den builders to big gamers, budding bakers to portrait painters, we understand that kids are unique, creative and adventurous!
With so much to choose from your child can join in any number of activities throughout the day. We are all about fun and big smiles, so if they don’t enjoy an activity there’s always something else to capture their imagination.
Our Crew Leaders are one of the gang, full of energy, enthusiasm and total awesomeness. But don’t be fooled…all our team are fully teacher and childcare qualified so will be developing child led play, guided by the early years and key stage frameworks. Sshhhh the kids will be learning, and they won’t even know it! You can find out more here.
If you are attending for a full 8am-6pm day, you can drop off anytime between 8am and 9am and pick up anytime between 3pm and 6pm, typically via the lower playground gate – don’t worry, it will be signposted!
If you’ve selected the shorter day of 9am-3pm, drop off is at 9am; simply head for the crew colour flag in the playground and the crew leader will be waiting there. Similarly, please collect your child at 3pm from the same spot.
And, if you’re just with us for the morning - 9am-1pm - drop off at 9am at the flags, then at 1pm wait at the playground gate and we’ll bring your child to you.
If you’ve selected the shorter day of 9am-3pm, drop off is at 9am; simply head for the crew colour flag in the playground and the crew leader will be waiting there. Similarly, please collect your child at 3pm from the same spot.
And, if you’re just with us for the morning - 9am-1pm - drop off at 9am at the flags, then at 1pm wait at the playground gate and we’ll bring your child to you.
Our wraparound care does just as it promises - "wraps" around the core Holiday Club hours of 9am to 3pm. For those needing extended care, our wraparound program operates from 8am to 9am in the morning and from 3pm to 6pm in the afternoon. Just book as and when needed.
If you need to change your pick up or drop off times at the last minute, then just speak with one of the Crew Leaders and they will make arrangements with you.
If your child is feeling under the weather and you’d rather keep them at home, just email hc@practicallyfamily.co.uk as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we cannot refund any bookings on the same day as we plan our team to Ofsted ratios. Cancellations can only be made the Friday before the week ahead. However, if your child is really quite poorly and especially if they are vomiting, have diarrhoea or are showing signs of Covid, please do not bring them to Holiday Club to prevent the risk of infecting other children or our team. For vomiting and diarrhoea, we ask you wait 48 hours from their last episode before bringing them back. If a child falls ill during Holiday Club, we will make the child comfortable and ring parents to discuss.
These are days when Holiday Club pulls out ALL the stops! It may be a special themed day – think Mad Hatters Tea Party with wacky games, ice cream van and dance-off. One of our most popular special days is Inflatables Day when the children can bounce, slide and tumble to their hearts’ content.
If you need to contact a member of our team once Holiday Club is underway, our Holiday Club phone number is 07939942334 and is available during Club time only.
We appreciate life happens, so if something crops up like a change in pick up time, designated adult or forgotten lunch box, please get in touch using the above number.
Less urgent messages such as lost gear, illness or a change in pick up/drop off for a future date can be sent by emailing hc@practicallyfamily.co.uk
