What parents told us about camp in 2026

What Parents Told Us About Barracudas in 2026: Real Reviews, Real Experiences, Happy Children!

When it comes to choosing a school holiday camp, we know parents want more than just somewhere to keep their children busy.

You want to know they'll be safe, happy, well cared for and having a brilliant time. Somewhere they can make friends, discover new interests, grow in confidence and come home with plenty of stories to tell.

And, of course, you need childcare that works around busy family life.

At Barracudas, that's exactly what we aim to deliver. But rather than just telling you what makes our camps special, we thought we'd let our parents do the talking!

Throughout 2026, thousands of children joined us for school holiday adventures, and we've received some wonderful feedback from the families who know us best.

Across our Easter and summer parent surveys, we received over 3,000 responses, with parents sharing their experiences of everything from our activities and staff to our facilities and booking process.

Alongside the feedback families have shared on Trustpilot, these results give us a valuable insight into what matters most to parents when choosing holiday childcare.

And while every family is different, five key themes came through particularly strongly.

Here's what parents told us about Barracudas in 2026.

1. Trusted Care & Unmatched Safety

The provider parents trust.

Leaving your child in someone else's care is a big decision, particularly when they're attending a holiday camp for the first time.

We understand that parents need to feel completely comfortable with their choice, knowing their children are in safe hands with people who genuinely care.

And it's something that comes through time and again in our parent feedback.

Across both Easter and summer, our friendly, caring and supportive staff were consistently highlighted as one of the biggest reasons parents valued their Barracudas experience.

In our summer survey, 97.7% of parents rated our staff Excellent or Good, while 98% gave the same positive rating for their first impressions of camp.

Our Easter survey told a similar story, with parents praising the kindness, professionalism and enthusiasm of our teams.

Many particularly appreciated how staff helped nervous children settle in, supported children with additional needs and created a welcoming atmosphere from the moment they arrived.

For parents, knowing their child feels comfortable, included and happy makes all the difference.

From our Ofsted registration and enhanced DBS checks to our trained teams and secure check-in and collection procedures, safety and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do.

We're also proud that our Ofsted inspections in 2026 resulting in Strong Standard judgements.

For parents, it's the reassurance that their children are being cared for. For children, it's the confidence to relax, make friends and enjoy every moment.

One parent shared their experience on Trustpilot:

"Wonderful staff. Qualified and caring. The safeguarding in place was excellent. Daily communication gave me complete confidence in the team, the activities and the enjoyment my children experienced. We will be back next year for another exciting week ! " — Sarah, September 2026

2. Exceptional Experiences & Unrivalled Choice

More to explore. More ways to shine.

No two children are the same, so why should their school holidays be?

Some love getting stuck into sports and team games. Others are happiest being creative, performing, swimming or trying something completely new.

One of the things parents tell us they love most about Barracudas is the incredible variety of activities available and, importantly, the choice children have throughout their day.

In our summer 2026 survey, 97.8% of parents rated our activities Excellent or Good, with similarly positive feedback coming through at Easter.

In fact, one of the loveliest findings from our Easter survey was that many parents said their children "loved everything" or simply couldn't choose a favourite activity!

Swimming was the clear standout favourite at Easter, closely followed by motorsports, bouncy castles and inflatables, arts and crafts, and team games.

And it wasn't just the big, exciting activities that made an impression.

Parents particularly appreciated the balance of energetic adventures and quieter, creative experiences, giving children with different interests and personalities plenty to enjoy.

Our summer feedback reinforced this, with swimming, motor sports, dodgeball, archery, arts and crafts and inflatables among the most popular choices.

With over 80 activities available across our camps and a choice during each of our six daily sessions, children have plenty of opportunities to explore new interests and shape their own holiday experience.

Of course, activities vary between locations and seasons, but our aim remains the same: to offer an exciting mix of experiences that keeps children engaged, active and inspired.

Whether they're discovering a new passion or enjoying an old favourite, there's always something to look forward to.

We loved hearing this review on Trustpilot:

“She loved the variation; sport / active team games, calm, creative then just a fun bouncy castle or aqua play!” Charlotte — September 2026

3. Wellbeing, Confidence & Positive Growth

Where confidence grows every day.

School holidays are about having fun, but they can also be an amazing opportunity for children to develop.

Trying something new, joining a team, making a decision independently or simply finding the courage to say hello to someone new can all be important little milestones.

And sometimes, it's the smallest moments that mean the most.

One of the most encouraging themes from our Easter survey was the positive impact our staff had on children who were nervous, shy or attending camp for the first time.

Parents shared how supportive staff helped their children settle in, feel included and grow more comfortable in their new surroundings.

There was also lovely feedback about the care and understanding shown to children, helping them enjoy their camp experience.

These experiences remind us that a great holiday camp offers much more than activities alone.

It's somewhere children can develop independence, practise teamwork, make decisions and build confidence in a supportive environment.

Our activity programme, based on our ACTIVE Motto, encourages children to try new things at their own pace, whether that's performing in a talent show, joining a sports team, getting creative or mastering a new skill.

And because children can choose from different activities throughout the day, they have the freedom to explore what interests them most.

Our feedback surveys also highlighted how much parents value opportunities for children to socialise, learn through play and experience a balance of physical, creative and calmer activities.

For us, these are all important ingredients in helping children feel happy, confident and ready to take on new challenges.

Because sometimes the biggest achievements start with the smallest steps.

One Trustpilot review this summer  explained: "My youngest was quite nervous on her first day". They went on to describe how the kindness and warmth of the team helped put their daughter at ease.

4. Fun, Friendship & Lasting Memories

The happiest part of their holidays.

Ask a child what they love about Barracudas and you'll probably get a very enthusiastic answer!

It might be the go-karts, the swimming pool, an epic game of dodgeball or a brilliant Friday Finale.

But often, it's the people who make those experiences even more special.

One of the loveliest things about our camps is seeing friendships develop, whether children arrive with school friends or don't know anyone at all.

Our activities encourage teamwork, cooperation and plenty of shared laughter, creating opportunities for children to connect naturally.

And the feedback suggests children are keen to come back for more!

99% of parents said they would or might book again, in our post camp bookers surveys.

That's a fantastic endorsement from the families who experience our camps firsthand.

Our Easter survey also achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 74, followed by a strong score of 68 in summer, reflecting parents' willingness to recommend Barracudas to others.

But behind these numbers are the experiences that really matter.

Children coming home excited to share what they've done. New friendships formed over team games. The pride of trying something for the first time. And those wonderful moments when children can't wait to return the next morning.

Our Weekly Themes, team challenges and Friday Finales add even more excitement, giving children shared experiences and memories to take home.

Because while the school holidays might only last a few weeks, the confidence, friendships and happy memories can stay with children long afterwards.

We were touched to receive this Truspilot review this summer:

"My eldest had no friends attending, she always struggles to make friends easily however she has now made a friend for life." Nakita - August 2026

5. Flexible Support for Busy Families

Holiday support that supports you too.

We know that juggling work, family commitments and school holidays isn't always easy.

For many parents, finding reliable holiday childcare is essential. But it's not just about covering the working day.

It's about finding somewhere children genuinely want to go, while making the practical side of family life a little easier.

And our parent surveys really brought this home.

At Easter, around 84% of respondents said they booked because they were working parents. In summer, 1,706 of our 2,130 respondents gave the same reason, representing approximately 80%.

It's a clear reminder of just how important dependable school holiday childcare is for families.

Our surveys also revealed that convenience, opening hours and price were among the factors parents considered when choosing a holiday camp.

That's why we aim to make booking and attending Barracudas as straightforward as possible.

Our standard camp day runs from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with Early and Late Clubs extending this from 8am to 6pm, helping families manage their working hours.

Parents can also choose individual days or full weeks, depending on their needs.

And we offer a range of booking and payment options designed to make planning ahead more manageable, including our interest-free Easy Payment Plan, Tax-Free Childcare, Childcare Vouchers and optional Flex booking protection.

It's also reassuring to see that parents appreciate the booking experience itself.

98% of parents rated their booking experience Excellent or Good in our summer survey, with similarly strong results at Easter.

We know family plans can change and childcare arrangements aren't always simple, so we're continually looking at ways to make the experience easier.

Because great holiday childcare should offer more than just a place for children to spend the day.

It should give parents peace of mind, knowing their children are safe, happy and having a fantastic time while they get on with everything else life brings.

We were thrilled to receive this review on Trustpilot over the summer:

"The venue is very convenient and the drop-off and collection times work really well for us." - Customer, August 2026

2026: A Year of Happy Children and Positive Parent Feedback

Across our two biggest holiday camp seasons, we received over 3k parent survey responses.

Here are just a few of the results we're particularly proud of.

These results mean a great deal to us, especially because they reflect the experiences of families across different locations and holiday periods.

And alongside the wonderful feedback we receive on Trustpilot, they give us plenty of reasons to feel proud of what our teams have achieved.

Your Feedback Helps Us Keep Getting Better

While it's wonderful to hear what families love about Barracudas, we're just as grateful when parents tell us where we could do better.

Across our Easter and summer surveys, parents shared some really helpful suggestions, from making daily activity information clearer to improving access to popular sessions and making communication even more straightforward.

We know there's always room to improve, and we're committed to listening, learning and making each season even better.

After all, the families who experience Barracudas firsthand are the people best placed to tell us what really matters.

And their feedback helps us continue delivering the fun, care and experiences children deserve.

Here's to More Adventures in 2027!

As we look ahead to another exciting year of school holiday camps, we'd like to say a huge thank you to every family who joined us in 2026.

Thank you for trusting us with your children, sharing your experiences and helping us create so many wonderful holiday memories.

We're looking forward to welcoming familiar faces back and introducing lots of new children to the Barracudas experience in 2027.

With exciting activities, new friendships, opportunities to grow and plenty of fun ahead, there's so much to look forward to.

Maximum FUN for them, peace of mind for you.

Ready to plan your child's next adventure? Look out for our 2027 camps announcement!