Holiday club checklist: 10 questions parents ask before they book

Hours, prices, staff, refunds: before booking, parents want clear answers. Here are the 10 questions to answer on your booking page and in your booking form.

Before booking a holiday club or camp, parents tend to ask the same questions. What time is drop-off? What’s included in the price? Who will be looking after my child? And what happens if they’re ill the day before?

If you run sports, creative or educational holiday clubs, those questions come in by email, phone and message, especially around the time bookings open. Answering them clearly on your booking page and in your booking form reassures parents, makes booking easier and saves your team from answering the same questions again and again.

This checklist is about what parents need to find before they book. For running the camp itself, read How to Organise a Holiday Camp: 10 Practical Tips.

Here are the 10 questions to answer before bookings open.

1. What age is the holiday club for?

Parents want to know whether the club suits their child’s age and ability.

List the age groups you accept and, where relevant, the level or experience needed. Explain how you group children: by age, by ability or both. It helps parents choose the right club and saves you moving bookings around later.

2. What are the hours, and is there early drop-off or late pick-up?

Working parents plan their day around your hours.

Give clear start and finish times, and say whether you offer early drop-off and late pick-up, with the times and any extra cost. Explain where children are dropped off and collected, and who is allowed to collect them.

3. What does my child need to bring?

Depending on the activity, children may need sports kit, a packed lunch, a water bottle, sun cream or specific equipment.

A clear kit list, sent a few days before the start, helps parents get everything ready in time. Say what you provide too: equipment, snacks or a hot lunch.

4. Who will be looking after my child?

Parents want to know who they’re leaving their child with.

Introduce your team, their experience, relevant training and the safeguarding checks their roles require, such as DBS checks. Depending on your club, you can also share group sizes, staff-to-child ratios and what happens in an emergency. If you’re registered with Ofsted or another regulator, say so.

5. What’s included in the price?

Parents want to know the full cost and what it covers: activities, equipment, lunch, trips.

Mention any extras, such as early drop-off, a hot lunch or a day trip, and the difference between your options: full or half days, a whole week or single days. Clear prices avoid surprises at checkout.

6. How do I book, and when do I pay?

Booking should be simple: an online form, an instant confirmation and clear payment terms.

Say whether parents pay in full when they book, whether a deposit is possible and which payment methods you accept. The confirmation shows parents their place is secured.

Plan for full sessions too: say whether there’s a waiting list and how families hear when a place comes up.

7. What if my child is ill or we need to cancel?

Something unexpected can stop a child from attending. Parents want to know your cancellation policy: a refund, a credit towards another session or a swap to another week.

Make the policy visible before booking and keep it simple, for example a full refund up to a set date and a credit after that. It avoids misunderstandings and case-by-case discussions.

8. Are there sibling discounts, and can I use Tax-Free Childcare?

Families booking several children or several weeks often look for a better rate. If you offer sibling discounts, weekly rates or early-bird prices, explain clearly when they apply.

Many parents will also ask whether they can pay with Tax-Free Childcare or childcare vouchers. Tax-Free Childcare only works with providers that are registered or approved for it, for example with Ofsted in England, and that have signed up to the scheme. Childcare vouchers can still be used by parents who were already in an employer scheme. Say clearly which schemes your club accepts.

9. How do I tell you about allergies or additional needs?

Some children have allergies, take medication or have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Your team needs to know before the first day.

Add a dedicated question to your booking form rather than relying on emails. Only ask for what you need, and make sure only the staff looking after the child can see it.

10. How will you keep me updated, and who do I contact if there’s a problem?

Parents want to know how they’ll hear about anything important before and during the club.

Say how confirmations, reminders and any changes are sent. Share a phone number or email address that’s monitored during the club: a parent who gets a quick answer is a reassured parent.

Well-informed parents, easier bookings

A good booking starts long before the first day. When parents can easily find your hours, prices, staff and cancellation policy, they book with confidence.

For you, it means time saved: fewer repeated questions, everything in one place and smoother communication with parents. A complete booking page, a well-designed booking form and messages sent at the right moment already make a real difference.

Once your booking page is ready, read 15 Ways to Fill Your Activities Faster to get it in front of more families.

More than 500 organisers already rely on Stageo, with bookings, payments, waiting lists, sibling discounts and messages to parents all in one place. See how Stageo works for holiday camps →