Summer holidays can be fun and relaxing but at the same it can be very daunting for parents. The prospect of filling the season with engaging activities to keep the kids entertained and the ‘I’m boreds’ at a minimum can be little challenging.
While the temperatures hitting the 40s in Dubai may get truly scorching, it should not be your main concern. From the best summer camps and water sports to indoor summer activities, we’ve put together some ideas on how to keep your kids moving and be creative during this summer.
| Best Summer Camps in Dubai | Dubai Indoor Summer activities | At-home DIY summer activities |
| Aventura | Oli Oli | Make ice-cream |
| The Green Planet Summer Camp | Mercato Mall | Science experiments |
| EMAAR Entertainment Summer camps | Indoor Petting Zoo, Dubai Festival Plaza | Play water balloons |
| Hamilton Aquatics | Kidzania | Creative Painting |
| Huna Aquatics | Bake Together | |
| Woo-Hoo | Play board games | |
| Set up a treasure hunt |
Best Summer Camps in Dubai
Aventura
An adventurous summer camp at the Largest Adventure Zipline park in the Middle East? Yeah, you do it right! The Aventura Life Skills Holiday Camp is a haven for all adrenalin junkies. It is specially designed for kids aged 5-12 years.
The camp works on four modules: Adventure & Wellness, Arts & Crafts, Survival & Team Building and Nature & Sustainability. Activities in these modules include exciting science experiments, arts and crafts, nature exploration, team building exercises, climbing, ziplining and shelter-building.
- Dates: July 4th – August 26th
- Location: Mushrif Park
- Timings: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning) | 01:00 pm – 06:00 pm (Afternoon) | 09:00 am – 06:00 pm (Full day)
- Cost: Starts from AED 180. All prices include activities, Adventure Park access (except the morning session), entry fee for Mushrif Park, snacks, and unlimited water.
The Green Planet Summer Camp
The Green Planet is Dubai’s indoor tropical rainforest and has more than 3000 plants and animals.
The Green Planet is bringing back the ‘Summer Camp in the Rainforest’ running throughout the summer season. The eco-based camp starts from 18th July and runs for a month, hosted from Monday to Thursday for children between 5 to 12 years of age. There will be nature-inspired fun activities, animal interactions, sustainable-themed explorations of the bio-dome, treasure hunts and surprises galore.
- Cost: 4 days at AED 750 or for a daily price of AED 225
- Timing: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, Mon – Thur
- Location: City Walk – Al Wasl – Dubai
EMAAR Entertainment Summer camps
Emaar entertainment has launched 4 incredible summer camps to keep your kids fully entertained all summer long. Running until September 1, 2022, the camps are open to kids aged 3-14 years old and found in locations such as The Dubai Mall, Dubai Hills Mall, and Springs Souk.
Kids can spend weeks of fun and learning at four camps at Dubai Mall, Dubai Ice Rink, Adventure Park by Emaar and Dig It.
Read More: Emaar Entertainment launches 4 amazing summer camps
Hamilton Aquatics
At Hamilton Aquatics, its the “Summer of Swimming”! The popular swim club runs swim lessons for those wanting to learn how to swim, as well as squad lessons for the experts to go up their swim game. If your child is interested in artistic swimming or water polo, they also have coaches who can help. There’s also Synquatics, which is like synchronized swimming but more fun.
Cost: AED300 per week (early bird, book by Sun Jun 19); AED350 per week (regular)
Timing: Mon – Fri, until September 2nd
Location: Multiple including Dubai British School, Jumeirah Park, GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis and more
Huna Aquatics
Huna Aquatics is the perfect combination of summer camp and field trips. ‘The action-packed summer camp run by Huna Aquatics allows kids to enjoy a trip to Wild Wadi and the Jumeirah turtle sanctuary, water sports and games, arts and crafts, board games, gaming, dance, swimming lessons, cooking classes, movies, LEGO, plus plenty of time to play on the jungle gym and trampoline.
Age Groups: 4 to 13 years old
Dates: Sun – Thu, until Aug 27th
Timing: 9:00AM – 2:00PM
Cost: Regular Price: AED 649 per week, Daily: AED 149
Locations: Circle Mall and Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Woo-Hoo
This summer camp will take your curious little one to travel around the world in just forty days. Woohoo! The world tour begins from North America, followed by Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, South America, Central America, and end in the Islands. Your kids can explore iconic landmarks like Notre Dame, Ancient Rome and The Pyramids by engaging in hands-on activities and learning bits of information about each place they virtually visit.
Age Group: 4 – 9 years old
Dates: 4th July – 24th August
Cost: From AED 890 per week | AED 35 per meal (They offer sibling discounts)
Timings: 08:30AM – 01:30PM
Dubai Indoor Summer activities
Oli Oli
Oli Oli, meaning ‘Joy’ in Hawaiian, is an experiential interactive play museum located in Al Quoz. It features eight galleries and more than 40 exhibits spread across two floors inspired by the work of leading educators, artists and developments psychologists. Oli Oli encourages kids to learn with play at these dedicated spaces: Air Gallery, Water Gallery, Incredi-Balls, Creative Lab, Future Park, Toshi’s Nets, Mission Oli Oli, Toddler Gallery and Cars & Ramps.
Oli Oli also have Summer Blast camp especially curated for kids between 4 to 10 years old. Wee campers will explore a different theme each week like Cosmic Blast, Jurassic Blast, Splash Blast, and Powers Blast.
- Dates: July 4th – Aug 26th
- Cost: AED 1090 per week for morning session, AED 790 per week for the afternoon session, and AED1,650 per week for the full day sessions.
Mercato Mall
This Italian-themed mall is hosting various exciting family experiences this summer during the Dubai Summer Surprises festival. Kids and adults can enjoy their incredible circus, magic show, kids workshop and roaming performances promising families a spectacular time at the venue. The circus shows changes upon every two weeks such as Mongolian, European, Russian etc.
What’s more, everyone’s favorite slide is back at the mall where you can slide again and again. Don’t forget to carry your socks before leaving from home.
Location: Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 1
Cost: Free
Indoor Petting Zoo, Dubai Festival Plaza
If your little ones love pets, head to Festival Plaza, Jebel Ali where a fun pet festival is taking place. As a part of Dubai Summer Surprises, it will run throughout July.
Every Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 6pm, you will find a number of animals including red foot tortoises, snakes, rabbits, a goat, hamsters, guinea pigs, a hedgehog and a friendly iguana at the indoor petting zoo. There will also be a number of colorful birds present including a South American blue and gold macaw parrot, an Indian ring-necked parrot and budgies.
Spend 20AED anywhere in the mall and use your receipt as entry to the indoor zoo.
Kidzania
Kidzania in Dubai Mall is a 7,000 square meter city of fun with over 40 activities for children aged 4 to 16 years. Children can tackle real-life scenarios like adults, role-play different jobs like pilots, firefighters, doctors, and even actors. They can also earn special ‘Kidzania’ currency.
- Ticket Price: Starts from AED 80
- Timings: 10AM to 10PM
You might also like: 13 Free things to do in Dubai
At-home DIY summer activities
Assuming most of us can’t afford to send our kids to summer camp all summer long. Instead, you can create your own summertime magic by hosting your very own DIY summer activities at home, as few shared below:
Make ice-cream
Every kid loves ice-cream. Instead of buying it, making ice-cream is a great activity to do in the summer with your kids. Making a basic vanilla or chocolate ice cream is easy and delicious. You can also try making different flavours like mango strawberry or watermelon sorbet.
Science experiments
Cure the curiosity of your little ones with some interesting science experiments. Although it can be a little messy, it will be really exciting for kids of all ages.
Some of the popular science experiments carried out at home are walking water experiment, Baking Soda volcano experiment, dancing spaghetti experiment etc.
Play water balloons
Water balloon games can be old-fashioned, yet they bring out the greatest joys on hot summer days. If just tossing them isn’t enough to get your kids laughing, there are various other water balloon games like water balloon spoon race, water balloon squat relay, water balloon dodge ball, water balloon piñatas and water balloon painting.
Creative Painting
How about adding a new approach to artistic expression? You can dust off the normal paint brushes and encourage your kids to get creative. Instead of brushes, grab a new tool to craft your designs. Hands, feet and fingers are fun ways to paint. Make them also paint with a sponge, paint roller, eye droppers, soda bottle, fork, blow painting with straws and of course vegetables like ladies finger, onion, beetroot etc.
Another very vibrant creative painting technique which every kid will love it is painting with ice cubes. Just freeze some cubes of paint of your favorite colors or a drop of red or yellow food colorings with water and place a short popsicle stick into beach ice cube mold. Once froze, pull on the sticks to remove from the tray. Kids can hold the wooden sticks to paint with and the fun can begin. I bet this ice painting activity will be a hit among the kids. Try it, you can thank me later!
Bake Together
Baking can encourage your child to be creative and boost their math skills by reading quantities, doubling or halving ingredients, arithmetic and ratios. It also increases critical thinking skills such as following directions and attending to precision. Ask them questions like how much flour, how much sugar, how long does it take etc while baking.
Play board games
Play board games like Monopoly, Game of Life, Scrabble, etc with your kids and watch the time fly.
Set up a treasure hunt
Set up a treasure hunt for the kids with a fun prize at the end. It will definitely keep them busy for a while.
