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Barracudas Summer Camps 2026 Round-Up: A Summer of Fun, Friendship and Adventure
What a Summer We've Had!
As another incredible summer draws to a close, we've been reflecting on the amazing memories made across our camps this year.
From first-day nerves turning into newfound confidence, to children discovering new interests, building friendships and creating memories to last a lifetime, Summer 2026 has been truly special.
Across our 47 Activity Camps, 15 Coding Courses and 5 Football Camps, we welcomed an incredible 20,500 children throughout the school holidays. Supported by our fantastic team of over 1,680 seasonal staff and 16 Area Managers, we delivered an amazing 124 camp weeks of fun, adventure and active play.
That equates to an incredible 6,200 hours of camp fun, packed with activities, laughter, learning and unforgettable experiences.
Whether children joined us for a single day or spent multiple weeks at camp, our goal remained the same: to provide safe, exciting and enriching school holiday experiences where every child can thrive.
Champions of Fun!
At Barracudas, fun sits at the heart of everything we do.
Throughout the summer, children enjoyed the freedom to choose from a huge range of activities every day. From swimming, archery and motor sports to arts and crafts, dance, drama and team games, there was something for every child to enjoy.
Our camps are about much more than keeping children occupied during the school holidays. They provide opportunities to:
Build confidence
Make new friends
Learn new skills
Stay active
Develop independence
Create lasting memories
We loved seeing children challenge themselves, celebrate achievements and return home each day full of stories about their adventures.
Seven Weekly Themes, Endless Imagination
Every week brought a brand-new adventure through our exciting Weekly Themes.
From travelling through time and exploring new worlds to celebrating sporting heroes and embarking on wild adventures, our themes helped bring an extra layer of excitement to camp life.
Across all seven themed weeks, children enjoyed:
Creative arts and crafts projects
Themed games and challenges
Special Friday Finale celebrations
Unique activity twists
Fancy dress fun and camp-wide events
The imagination, enthusiasm and creativity shown by both children and staff made every week feel completely different and ensured no two visits to camp were ever the same.
Specialist Courses and New Experiences
Alongside our Activity Camps, thousands of children enjoyed specialist programmes designed to develop new skills and discover new passions.
Coding Courses
Our Coding Courses continued to grow in popularity, with 15 courses delivered throughout the summer. Young coders explored exciting digital worlds, developed problem-solving skills and built their confidence through engaging technology-based learning.
Football Camps
We also delivered 5 Football Camps, giving aspiring players the opportunity to improve their skills, learn from experienced coaches and enjoy a week immersed in the sport they love.
Skills Builder Courses
Available to add on to activity camp bookings, our 4 Skills Builder courses gave children the opportunity to do a deeper dive into specialist activities, developing skills and growing passions.
New Activity Trials
Innovation is an important part of the Barracudas experience and this summer we introduced five new activity trials across selected camps.
These exciting trials gave children even more opportunities to try something different, helping us continue to evolve and enhance the camp experience for future summers. Children really enjoyed:
Laser tag
Axe throwing
Dragon Boat racing
Battle Archery
Interactive audio visual games
We're excited to share more about these activities and the outcomes of the trials in the months ahead.
Our Commitment to Quality and Safety
Providing safe, high-quality childcare remains our highest priority.
This summer, four of our camps received Ofsted inspections.
While the final reports are still being released, we were delighted with the positive inspections and initial feedback received from inspectors. We look forward to sharing the full outcomes once they become available.
The inspections reflect the dedication, professionalism and care shown by our camp teams every day throughout the summer.
From our robust recruitment procedures and comprehensive staff training programmes to our experienced management teams and carefully planned activity schedules, everything we do is designed to ensure children enjoy a safe, supportive and enjoyable environment.
Thank You to Our Incredible Staff
Summer camp simply wouldn't be possible without our amazing seasonal team.
From Early Years Group Leaders and Group Leaders to Activity Instructors, Lifeguards, Specialist Instructors, Camp Managers and Area Managers, every member of the team plays an important role in creating the Barracudas experience. See more in our summer camp staff roundup.
Their enthusiasm, energy, creativity and commitment help transform each camp day into something memorable.
We'd like to thank every member of our summer team for the care, passion and professionalism they brought to camp this year.
Parent Feedback That Makes Us Proud
One of the highlights of every summer is reading the feedback we receive from parents and guardians.
We're incredibly proud of the many positive reviews shared across Trustpilot and Google this summer, recognising everything from our activity programme and facilities to our staff teams and customer service.
With over 1,880 Trustpilot reviews and an excellent rating, we couldn't be happier with the feedback from parents this summer.
Here are just a few examples of the wonderful feedback we've received:
"As a parent , I could not be any happier as she absolutely loved this location. Everything about this camp including the staff members , care from them, to activities are fantastic. "
"Both of my daughters, aged 5 and 8, attended and had a brilliant time. The wide variety of activities was excellent, with my eldest particularly loving the swimming and dancing and my youngest the race cars and bouncy castle. Everything was so well organised, and all the staff were incredibly friendly, warm and pleasant"
" They have so many fun activities and games and always come home happy, having had the best day. It really is the best holiday camp in the area. All of the leaders are fun and friendly, especially Nicky who always goes above and beyond!"
Thank you to every parent who took the time to share their experience. Your feedback helps us continue to improve and ensures future families can book with confidence.
Summer 2026 By The Numbers
20,500 children attended camp
47 Activity Camps
15 Coding Courses
5 Football Camps
124 camp weeks delivered
6,200 hours of camp fun
5 new activity trials
4 Ofsted inspections
7 Weekly Themes
1,680+ seasonal staff
16 Area Managers
Thousands of smiles, friendships and memories made
Moments captured on camp

Looking Ahead
As Summer 2026 comes to an end, we'd like to say a huge thank you to every child, parent, guardian and staff member who joined us this year.
The energy, enthusiasm and sense of community across our camps have made this one of our most memorable summers yet.
We're already busy planning even more exciting experiences for future school holidays and can't wait to welcome children back for more fun, friendship and adventure.
Until then, thank you for helping make Summer 2026 such a fantastic success.
Here's to many more memories still to come!



