Review Time
We couldn’t be happier with my daughter’s experience at Barracuda's Norwich!As this was her first experience of needing to attend a holiday club as she's only 5, she was initially very nervous, as it was at a new location to her usual school, but when we arrived we got a really warm welcome from Amelia, who sensed the nerves and immediately calmed my little girl by being so smiley and friendly. Everyone there seems really focused on creating a fun and safe environment for the little people. Every day was packed with exciting activities—from outdoor adventures, arts and crafts to team games. My daughter came home each evening buzzing with stories of all the fun and exciting things she did and asked to go for even longer than we had booked for!A big thank you to everyone, especially Amelia and Connie at Barracuda's Norwich for taking such great care of my little girl and making it such a memorable and joyful experience, which is a huge weight of for this parent trying to juggle everything during the summer holidays.We’ll be booking again next year.
THE best holiday camp by far. Staff are absolutely amazing and make the day so fun. My 11yr old is not keen on holiday camps in general but now looks forward to every day he spends there. Big shout out to Cobham Barracudas! You are fantastic!
From the offset, the welcome at Bishops Stortford was warm & friendly. We just knew our little one who is 8 years old was going to have fun. She had the most amazing time! The list of activities seemed endless, she made new friends and she came home every day exhausted and ready for wind down and bed. On her last day she hugged them all and promised to go back if she was allowed. We loved the fact she was having the best time in a safe and regulated environment. We'd highly recommend.
We are from Glasgow, Scotland and my 5 year old son travelled down to Norwich with me for the week for work. He attended the Norwich camp and loved it. He was so excited to go to camp each day and built some really good relationships with the staff and other kids. I was a little worried on the first day that he would be a little nervous but he was made to feel really comfortable and very welcome by all the staff. Thank you Barracudas! He is hoping to come back next year x
My daughter has attended Chelmsford Barracudas this summer and has had a great time. There is a wide variety of activities on offer and my daughter loves that she can choose between two options for each of the sessions during the day. The staff are friendly and professional and the venue has parking making drop offs and collection easy. A great kids activity camp!
Our recent experience with Barracudas Summer Camp in Balham was deeply disappointing. My 4-year-old son, who is currently in Reception, is full of energy, friendly, and polite. Like many children his age, he is still learning to manage his emotions — something completely typical in early childhood development.On his first day, we explained clearly to the staff that our son can struggle with changes in routine and may become frustrated in certain situations, particularly if another child takes a toy from him or disrupts his play. His emotional reactions, such as hitting or biting, are rare and not premeditated — but when they do occur, it’s usually because no adult was close by to help him regulate in the moment. At his school and after-school club, this hasn’t been an issue because staff know how to guide and pre-empt these situations with care.What was most upsetting was how quickly we were told that if it happened again, our child could be excluded. I spoke with Sara (from head office, I believe), and I was shocked by how she described my son — as if he were a much older child capable of fully understanding and managing complex emotional expectations. He’s not. He’s 4.From a child development perspective, emotional self-regulation is something that continues developing well into primary school. At this age, children rely on adults to help them co-regulate. Punitive measures like exclusion are not only ineffective — they are inappropriate when used as a first response to completely age-typical behaviour. The strict, rigid way the camp was run felt far closer to a military training program than a nurturing children’s summer camp.Adding to our concern, there were three separate occasions when our son came home with visible injuries — a bruise on his nose, a scratch on his chin, and even a bruise underneath his eye. In none of these cases were we informed by staff about what had happened. Each time I asked, the answer was the same: “I’ll check and get back to you” — but nobody ever did. This lack of transparency and communication is unacceptable in any childcare setting.Because we were told our son might be excluded, and before that could even happen, my husband and I made the decision to remove him and enroll him in another summer camp. I spoke with the manager at the new camp directly, and she immediately showed a much deeper understanding of young children’s needs and behaviour. It was a clear contrast in professionalism and developmental knowledge.If a holiday camp cannot support a child in Reception who just needs some adult guidance and patience, then I genuinely question whether they are equipped to be working with young children at all.To be clear, my son does not have any diagnosis, is not on the autism spectrum, and does well in structured settings where staff are trained to understand child behaviour. But if your child is the kind who doesn’t immediately “follow the book,” Barracudas is not the right place.That said, I want to thank Patrice and Fran, who were kind, understanding, and the only part of this experience that felt genuinely child-centred. They clearly care and tried their best.For one of the most expensive camps in the Balham area, we expected a much higher standard of emotional understanding, communication, and basic safety. We won’t be returning, and I know we’re not alone.
I signed up my 4 year old daughter who has ADHD, this summer for the 1st time, I was quite anxious it might not work for her. But I must say it was amazing : The staff was very helpful, fun and friendly. My daughter loved the activities especially swimming and dancing / karaoke, and her behaviour really improved (her social skills were not the greatest when she started). I will definitely sign her up again !
Our daughter has the best time at this holiday club and looks forward to every day which is amazing. I absolutely cannot fault the team who are always enthusiastic and excellent with the kids! The only reason for 4 stars and not 5 is because the systems let the staff down. Over summer the poor team has had so many problems with scanners not working which has led to huge queues waiting to get in. Admittedly this is not every day. But please please please could the team have better scanners and a quicker system to get kids in??
The activities are great but unfortunately my son has caught an infection 2 years in a row and my daughter had an infection on her face. The first year his nose got swollen to twice its size and this year he caught an inflection just under his eye. Either the pool or environment isn’t cleaned properly. It’s a shame because they love it there but unfortunately after 3 years I won’t be sending them back.
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The UK's favourite school holiday childcare provider!
Giving Children an Unforgettable Holiday Experience for 30+ Years
For over 30 years, we’ve been a market leader in running fun-filled, Ofsted-registered holiday camps for children during Easter, summer, and half-term breaks. Our mission is simple: to give every child such an amazing experience that they can’t wait to come back!
We offer a full day of fun from 8am to 6pm, giving children plenty of time to explore, play, and make memories – and giving parents peace of mind.
With over 80 activities to choose from – including swimming (at camps with pools), team building, sports, arts & crafts, plus exciting specialist options like motor sports, archery, and fencing – we’re proud to be the only provider that lets children choose their activity every single session.
Parents can rest easy knowing safety and quality are at the heart of everything we do. All our staff are enhanced DBS-checked and trained for the activities they lead, with qualified Early Years Managers on site. Our excellent staff-to-child ratios mean every child is supported, encouraged, and included.
Whether your child loves to be active, creative, or try something new, our camps are designed to inspire confidence, build friendships, and create memories that last long after the holidays are over.See more
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