03/03/2023

The UK's favourite holiday club

For the past 30 years, Barracudas Activity Day Camps has been providing a fun and safe environment for children to enjoy a wide range of activities during school holidays. With over 50 locations across the UK, Barracudas has become a household name for parents looking to keep their kids entertained during the summer, Easter, and half-term breaks.

Humble beginnings

The story of Barracudas begins in 1992 when Neil Greatorex, passionate about providing children with opportunities to learn and grow through play, opened the first 2 Barracudas Activity Day camps in London and Surrey.

The mission was to create a space where children could try new activities and build new friendships in a supportive and positive environment. The aim was to give every child such an amazing experience they can’t wait to come back!

Getting bigger and better

The first Barracudas camp was an instant success. Within 3 years Barracudas had expanded to 5 camps and 10 years later had grown to 28 summer camps and 6 Easter camps throughout the South East.

Today Barracudas is proud to have 50 summer camps, 40 Easter camps and 12 half term camps, giving even more children the opportunity to try new things, meet new friends, develop new skills and boost their confidence in the school holidays.

With a fantastic variety of activities, including swimming, sports, teambuilding, arts and crafts, and outdoor adventures, all led by qualified and experienced staff, kids are guaranteed an adventure at Barracudas.

Reassuringly innovative

Barracudas has continued to grow and develop over the years. We’re committed to offering the best experience both for children and parents.

We know the booking starts with you. We offer a seamless customer experience, with easy and accessible online booking 24-7, flexible booking and payment options, easy contactless check in and a handy parent app. Of course, our friendly and professional customer service team are always on hand to support parents throughout their journey with us too!

Barracudas also offers convenience and flexibility for our bookers. With Flex booking options available to protect bookings from changes and cancellations, interest-free payment plans, Tax-Free childcare and Childcare Voucher payments, Early & Late Clubs and additional Skills Builder courses, we’ve thought of everything.

An amazing experience for kids

We want kids to keep returning to us in the school holidays, so Barracudas constantly reviews and updates our offering.

From investing in new equipment like our more environmentally friendly electric vehicles in 2022, to introducing specialist football camps and coding and baking courses at selected venues, we’re always thinking about ways we can WOW children.

In 2022, Barracudas celebrated our 30th anniversary, a testament to our commitment to providing children with quality experiences during their school holidays.

Approved holiday clubs

You can have peace of mind your kids are in safe hands and living their best lives at Barracudas!

All our camps are Ofsted registered and with more ‘Outstanding’ ratings than any of our competitors, you can be sure we’re a safe and nurturing environment for children in the school holidays.

Not only that, but we receive consistently positive responses in our post camp parent surveys and have over 1,200 independent Trustpilot reviews and an excellent rating.

Market leading holiday clubs

Today, Barracudas is the UK's leading activity day camp provider, offering camps during the Easter, summer, and half-term breaks for children aged 4 ½ to 14. Our commitment to providing children with a safe and supportive environment to try new things, build confidence, and make new friends remains at the heart of our mission.

Barracudas' 30-year history is a story of passion, dedication, and innovation. From our humble beginnings in London and Surrey to our position as the UK's leading activity day camp provider, Barracudas has remained committed to providing children with quality experiences during their school holidays. Here's to another 30 years of fun, adventure, and growth!

Want to know more about the story of Barracudas? Get our full 'Life cycle of Barracudas' series for more insights: 

Part 1 - The Vision, Part 2 - Starting Out, Part 3 - Growing up, Part 4 - Expanding the Family Part 5 - Latest Years and Part 6 - The Future's Bright.