One minute we're making magical potions. The next we're building dens, racing across a field, making something ‘delicious’ in the mud kitchen or getting absolutely soaked in a water fight.

Children are choosing what they want to do. Our Crew are joining in. There's probably glitter somewhere it shouldn't be.

It can all look wonderfully chaotic.

But here's something you might not know…

Behind every activity at Practically Family is a lot of thought.

Because child-led doesn't mean unplanned.

In fact, every activity we offer at our Holiday Clubs in Stockport is considered using three little words that make a very big difference to your child's day:

Intent. Implementation. Impact.

Or, as they're known in the childcare world, the 3 I's. But what do those three words actually mean for the child you wave off as they zip into Holiday Club?

Intent: Why are we doing it?

Before an activity ever makes it onto our Holiday Club plans, we think about the why.

What could children get from this?

Could it help them build confidence? Use their imagination? Work as part of a team? Try something new? Develop a skill?

How might it make them feel?

Excited? Curious? Calm? Proud?

Sometimes the answer might be obvious.

An obstacle course can encourage movement, resilience and a bit of healthy determination.

A group challenge might help children communicate, problem-solve and work together.

A creative activity can give a child the chance to experiment without worrying about getting it 'right'.

And sometimes, the intent is to give children permission to be gloriously silly, laugh with their friends and enjoy being a child. Fun is a perfectly good reason to do something.

But even then, we're thinking about what sits underneath it.

At Practically Family, our purpose has never been simply to provide somewhere safe for children to be while their parents’ work.

Of course, safe, flexible and affordable school holiday childcare matters enormously to the families we support. But we want children to gain something from their time with us too.

New experiences. New friendships. A little more confidence. A chance to discover something they didn't know they enjoyed.

That's our intent.

Implementation: How do we make it work for your child?

This is the bit you see.

The activity stations. The resources. The giant games. The carefully prepared spaces. The Crew who already know which children are joining them that day.

But implementation starts long before the doors open.

When we plan an activity, we think about the different ages of children at our Holiday Clubs. We consider accessibility, additional needs and how an idea could be adapted.

We think about the child who will launch themselves straight into the middle of an activity…

…and the child who might prefer to watch from the edge for ten minutes first.

We think about those who love noise and movement and those who sometimes need somewhere calmer to reset.

We think about how our Crew can invite children into an activity without making participation feel compulsory.

Because children are not a job lot. What works brilliantly for one child might be another child's idea of an absolutely terrible Tuesday. That's exactly why our Holiday Club days are child-led.

So, do children really choose what they do at Holiday Club?

Yes. Genuinely.

We plan hundreds of activities and experiences across our school holiday clubs.

Sport. Crafts. Drama. Dance. Outdoor adventures. Challenges. Games. Messy play. Quiet activities. Big group experiences.

And then we give children choice.

They might spend the morning building.

They might decide today's the day they're going to join the football game.

They might spot an art activity and disappear into it for an hour.

They might choose something we were absolutely convinced they'd walk straight past.

The choice is theirs. The thought behind those choices is ours.

That's the difference between child-led and unplanned.

We're not standing in a field on Monday morning thinking, "Right then… anyone got any ideas?"

Although, admittedly, some of the children's ideas are so good they do end up changing the plan.

Our Crew know the intent behind activities. They know how to adapt them. They understand the children in their Crew, and they're encouraged to ask an important question throughout the day:

Are the children actually experiencing what we hoped they would?

If not, we can change things.

Our routines are consistent, but they're not rigid. And children's opinions matter.

Impact: Did it make a difference?

Impact sounds like a very serious word for a day that might have involved a giant inflatable and somebody covering their hands in paint.

But to us, it's probably the most important part. Because impact is simply asking:

Did what we did make a difference to this child?

Sometimes we see it in big ways.

A child who arrived feeling nervous walks in confidently on day three.

Someone who usually hangs back joins a team game.

A child tries something completely new and discovers they're rather brilliant at it.

Friendships form between children from different schools and different age groups.

We see children grow in independence, manage big emotions and become more comfortable being themselves.

Sometimes the impact is much quieter.

It's the child who finally speaks to a new friend.

The one who proudly carries something they've made to the car.

The Clubber who asks, "Am I coming back tomorrow?" before they've even left the building.

And, of course, the impact isn't only on children.

It's parents telling us they felt completely comfortable leaving their child with us.

It's families booking again.

It's siblings joining us.

It's a friend arriving next school holiday because a parent recommended Practically Family in the playground or the class WhatsApp group.

It's children coming back year after year and our Crew getting to watch them grow.

That's how we know it's working.

It looks like play. And that's exactly the point.

We don't want children walking into Practically Family and feeling as though they've arrived for another day of school.

It's the holidays. We want them to play. We want them to choose. We want them to laugh loudly, get messy, make friends, follow their curiosity and sometimes do things simply because they're fun.

But behind the giant inflatables, den building, obstacle racing and wild painting is a team asking:

• Why are we doing this?


• How can we make it work for every child?


• What difference could it make?

Intent. Implementation. Impact.

The 3 I's might sound like childcare terminology. To us, they simply mean we care enough not to wing it. Even when it looks like we are…

Looking for a Holiday Club in Stockport?

Practically Family runs Ofsted-approved Holiday Clubs in Stockport for children aged 3-11, with child-led days packed with creative, active and adventurous school holiday activities.

With flexible booking options and three local Stockport venues, we're here to support families while giving children school holidays full of new experiences, friendships and freedom to be themselves.

Come and see what we've got planned… Check out all our clubs right here.