Abu Dhabi: Exams across the capital are drawing to an end and parents have begun to scout for activities that can keep their children occupied over the summer break.
A host of camps offering activities such as cookery classes, sports and art sessions are gearing up to receive children.
“I want my children to keep busy and develop life-long hobbies so I enrol them in summer camps every year,” Ola A., a 35-year-old Syrian mother-of-four told Gulf News.
In the past Ola has enrolled her two older sons in swimming and music classes.
“I usually give them about two weeks off after their exams and they then start attending these classes for at least two hours a day,” she said.
Lamya Al Barasi, a 38-year-old Jordanian mother, also said that she was considering a summer camp to keep her children occupied.
“My seven-year-old son will soon be done with his school term and I do not want him to get bored while he is at home. In addition I don’t know if I will have time to take him out every day so a summer camp would be a good option for our family. Moreover, the last time my son attended a summer camp it did wonders for his sense of confidence,” she said.
Binu Thomas, an Abu Dhabi resident and father of a seven-year-old son, said that he usually sends his son to summer camps but they are overpriced, adding that “as most families here are middle class, they should take that into consideration when setting the prices.”
He said that he had not enrolled his son yet but he will if they do not go on vacation.
Gihan Matbouly, an Egyptian living in Sharjah and mother of a seven-year-old girl, said that “summer camps in Dubai are overpriced and are not very beneficial. Sometimes it is better to send kids to overseas camps as they are much more informative”.
Kimberlee Marina Aaron, a Sharjah resident and mother of a 12-year-old, said she is looking for a summer camp for her daughter.
“I think they are a good way to spend their time as you cannot always go on vacation out of the country.”
She added that sometimes they are overpriced and they make it seem like it’s a “posh” thing.
“In the US it’s really normal to go to summer camp but here they make it seem like you are lucky we are letting you join.”
She added that transportation was a main factor when choosing a camp as she is a working mother. Aaron also noted that there are not enough summer camps targeting older children. “The cut-off age is usually 11 or 12… older children also need something to do in the summer.”
In a statement sent recently by the Ministry of Interior, Captain Aisha Mohammad Al Za’abi, awareness official at the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate, urged parents to enrol children in summer camps. This will help children spend their free time on beneficial activities and keep them away from traffic dangers, she added.
Despite their interest, parents were, however, concerned about the rates at many camps.
“With Ramadan round the corner, many families are not travelling and it seems as if organisers are taking advantage of this to hike the rates. Each week of sessions costs hundreds per child, and this can be unaffordable for many residents,” Lamya added.
Camp organisers, meanwhile, reported greater demand this year for the sessions on offer.
“Last year nearly 500 children attended our summer camp. This year we are seeing even more interest,” said Laurice Balictar, a receptionist at Abu Dhabi Country Club, where a summer camp for children aged four to 14 started on June 2.
The club offers facilities such as swimming, basketball, Tae kwondo and arts. Camp attendants are divided into different age groups for their activities. Weekly rates per child are around Dh700 and discounts are available for those with club membership.
Responding to concerns about price Balictar said there had been no increase in prices compared with last year.
“We have seen the greatest demand for the first and last weeks of camp and we suppose this could be because many families will travel mid-summer,” she added.
Zayed Sports City (ZSC) is also launching a holiday camp for children aged between six and 14 and activities include ice skating, table tennis and arts and crafts. A healthy lunch is also provided every day.
“The camp runs from 8.30am to 5.15pm and the comparatively longer duration is geared towards parents who are working,” said Barry Bremner, general manager at ZSC.
According to a leaflet distributed by the ZSC one week of summer camp at the facility costs Dh800, while two weeks are priced at Dh1,400.
Bremner also highlighted the discounts available for families.
“We also want to make the camp accessible for the community and families will be pleased to know that discounts are available for additional siblings and additional weeks,” he said.
— with input by Noorhan Barakat, Staff Reporter
