School holidays are fast approaching, and if you’re on the hunt for the best ways to keep the kiddos occupied and entertained throughout the long break, then fear not as there are loads of summer camps in the city.

We’ve pulled together the best summer camps in the city, ranging from nature-focused fun, arts and crafts workshops, horse-inspired entertainment and awesome science activities. There’s literally something for everyone.

Here’s our round-up of kids’ summer camps in Dubai and, with some offering early bird discounts, it’s worth booking in now. Happy kids, happy parents, right? Enjoy!

Adventure Zone

If your kids are looking for an action-packed way to beat the heat this summer, book them in at Adventure Zone. With various locations across the city, including Times Square Center and The Galleria Mall Al Barsha, there are ample ways to help kids aged four and above burn off energy. Think climbing, yoga, knots courses, camping basics, skateboarding, Ninja fitness challenges, trampolines, skate park and team-building activities, all aimed at promoting fitness, teamwork and personal growth.

Dhs199 per day, Dhs599 per week, and Dhs999 per month. Mon to Fri, Jul 3-Aug 18, 8am-12pm. Various locations, adventurezone.ae

Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Spa

Got a kid who simply can’t wait to get in the saddle? The Summer Pony Camp offers little riders big adventures. Suitable for ages five and up, you can opt for a day, three-day or five-day camp, and watch them learn, play and bond with horses.

Dhs300 for one day, Dhs810 for three days, Dhs1,000 for five days.Various dates from Jul 15-Aug 23, 8am-10.30am. Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Spa, Wadi Al Safa 5, alhabtoorpoloclub.com (04 436 2222).

Aventura

Aventura indoor summer camp will last for six weeks this summer, centred around weekly themes of Under the Sea, Lost in Space, Jurassic Week, Forest Life, Forensics Week and Camp Olympics. All camps include elements of science, art and physical activities as well as nature and sustainability. For children from ages 5 to 12, from July 8 through to August 16, it’s sure to go down well with young curious minds.

Dhs190 for one day, Dhs795 for five days. Jul 8-Aug 16, 9am-2.15pm. Raffles International School, Umm Suquiem, aventuraparks.com (052 624 5007).

Courtyard Playhouse

Dubai’s favourite theatre has a raft of workshops and camps on this summer, perfect for kids with a passion for acting, improv and theatre. Offering different camps for ages four to 14, there is something for everyone. The Mini Storytellers camp for 4 to 7 year olds follows themes of ‘imagination sparks adventure’ and ‘be your own superhero’. For 8 to 11 year olds, the Junior Actors Camp features themes of Fantastic Mr Fox and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, while for 12 to 14 year olds, the Young Performers Camp channels themes of folktales, mythology and horrible histories.

Dhs1,183 per week. Jul 8-Aug 23, 9am-noon and 1pm-4pm. The Courtyard, 4B St, Al Quoz, courtyardplayhouse.com (050 986 1760).

Dubai Sports Camps

This is an all-singing, all-dancing sports camp for three to 14 year olds, perfect for kids who like to do a bit of everything. Activities range from football, tennis and gymnastics, to arts and crafts, team mini Olympics and talent shows. It’s the perfect place to make friends and socialise whilst learning a new skill. The summer camps take place at three locations – Dubai International Academy (DIA) in Emirates Hills, Raffles World Academy (RWA) in Umm Suqeim in, and Deira International School (DIS) in Al Badia.

DIA: Dhs250 per day, Dhs850 per week, Dhs3,000 per month. Jul 8-Aug 16, 8am-2pm
RWA: Dhs250 per half day, Dhs325 per full day, Dhs850 per week (half day) and Dhs1,050 per week (full day), Dhs3,000 per month (half day) and Dhs3,750 per month (full day). Jul 8-Aug 23, 8am-2pm or 8am-5pm
DIS: Dhs225 per day, Dhs750 per week, Dhs2,700 per month. July 8-Aug 23, 8am-2pm, dubaisportscamps.com (055 592 1908).

ESM Holiday Camp

This award-winning holiday camp offers a multi-activity experience for kids aged 4 to 12. With experienced coaches from leading UAE academies, child development is prioritised with a focus on social interactions and quality programmes. Tailored sessions are catered to each child’s age and ability, with professionals leading activities in dance, cricket, tennis, gymnastics, badminton, karate, basketball and more. There’s also bus transport provided.

Dhs180 per day, Dhs900 per week. Open Mon-Fri 9am-1.30pm, Jul 8-Aug 23. Various locations, esm.ae/holidaycamps/summercamp (04 369 7817).

Expo City

Expo City Dubai will host a summer camp for kids aged 5 to 12, from July 8 to Aug 23. This year, the camp will include fun workshops, mini games stations and tours of Expo’s flagship pavilions, including Alif, Terra, Vision and The Women’s pavilion. Building on the brilliance of Expo 2020, it promises a world of interactive edutainment and exciting activities. The camps run from 9am to 2.30pm, with options for early drop-off and late pick-up to make life that little bit easier for parents.

Dhs165 per day, Dhs735 per week, Dhs2,500 for seven weeks (summer pass). Jul 8-Aug 23. expocitydubai.com

Fit Republik

For ages five to 14, this camp offers loads activities and loads of fun. Here kids can splash, dance, craft and play all while focusing on enhanced physical fitness, creativity and skill development and social interaction and teamwork. Kids can enjoy a swimming pool obstacle course, fitness games, painting, parkour, martial arts and loads more.

Dhs260 per day, Dhs1,100 per week, Dhs2,000 for two weeks. Jul 1-Aug 23, 8.30am-2.30pm. Fit Repulik Fitness Center, The Academies, Dubai Sports City, fitrepublik.com (04 556 1800).

Millennium Place Barsha Heights

Millennium Place Barsha Heights is running its Hospitality Ninjas program, dedicated to kids aged 5 to 10 from July 8 until August 23. This summer camp runs from 9am to 3pm, Mondays to Fridays, and bookings can be made by the day or week. Hosted by the hotel’s hospitality team, kids can unleash their inner masterchef via hands-on cooking classes, spark their creativity with arts, crafts and engineering sessions, take part in treasure hunts and bed-making classes and learn how to make fluffy towel art animals. Snacks are all provided, so need to panic about packed lunches!

Dhs125 per day, Dhs485 per week. Jul 8-Aug 23, 9am-3pm. Barsha Heights, millenniumplacebh.com/hns (04 875 0000).

Museum of the Future

If your child has an inquisitive mind, the summer camp at Museum of the Future might be the perfect place to let it bloom. Its three-week camp runs from July 15 to August 1, tailored two different age groups: 6 to 9 year olds and 10 to 13 year olds. Your ‘Future Heroes’ will take a journey of discovery learning about sustainability (Week 1), space exploration (Week 2) and technology (Week 3), whilst uncovering the mysteries of outer space, mastering techniques to safeguard our planet and immersing themselves in the marvels of technology. There will be interactive workshops to dive into, as well as amazing experiments, and hands-on activities.

Dhs1,299 per week. Jul 15-Aug 1, 9am-3.15pm. Trade Centre, museumofthefuture.ae (800 2071).

OliOli

OliOil’s Summer Blast Camps let kids aged 4 to 10 years old dive into fun-packed activities at this edutainment space in Al Quoz. Running from July 8 to August 23, the camps follow four different rotating themes:Jurassic Blast, active expeditions and hands-on activities themed on dinosaurs, Cosmic Blast, spectacular intergalactic-themed workshops, Mess Blast, for those who love to get messy and creative, and Tinker Blast, for those who like to get stuck in with learning new skills, there is something for everyone. The OliOli summer camps have three daily schedules, morning, afternoon and all day, plus don’t miss out on early bird offers available for bookings made until July 1.

Dhs1,190, morning 9.30am-1.30pm; Dhs890, afternoon 2pm-5pm; Dhs1,750, all day 9.30am-5pm, Jul 8-Aug 23. 62 4 A St, Al Quoz, olioli.ae.

Orange Wheels

Definitely one of the most colourful camps on the scene, this summer the play space is launching its Treasured Tales camp at its four Dubai venues in Town Centre Jumeirah, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Nakheel Mall and Circle Mall in Jumeirah Villa Circle. Running from July 1 to Aug 23, it’s the perfect place to engage curious minds. It’s themed around nine key modules – circle time, story time, science experiments, let’s create, art attack, little chef, fun time, creative play, and fitness and sport – all designed to enhance physical growth and mental development. Don’t forget the early bird deal, that gives you 15 per cent off weekly and monthly camps if you book before June 1.

Dhs855 (per week), Dhs3,040 (for a month). Daily 9am-pm and 3pm-8pm, Jul 1-Aug 23. Various locations, orangewheels.com

Parkour DXB

Little ones who want to explore the world of Parkour in a safe and engaging environment can do so at Parkour DXB’s three locations this summer. The camps are for age five to 13 year olds, with three-hour sessions from 10am until 1pm each weekday. It’s the perfect way to give kids the freedom to run wild and jump, climb and bounce off the walls (safely), whilst burning a heap load of energy!

From Dhs733 per week. Jul 1-Aug 23, 10am-1pm. Al Quoz, JVC and Port Rashid branches, Parkour.ae (800 727 5687).

Splash N’ Party

Starting from July 3 until August 25, this summer camp at this kiddies water park will keep the little ones entertained – and cool – with an array of activities to ensure they stay both active and stimulated. If you don’t want to worry about making packed lunches, there’s a handy option to add on lunch. The camp is suitable for four to 10 year olds. Just don’t forget to pack the suncream and a spare pair of dry clothes!

Dhs150 (day), Dhs499 (per week), Dhs2,000 (per month). 9am-1pm. Al Safa 2, Jumeirah, splashnparty.ae.

Studio One Hotel

Designed to ignite curiosity, foster essential skills and empower kids with mindfulness and gratitude skills, the summer camp headed up by Pure Minds Academy is a vibrant hub for inquisitive minds. With camps for four to 14 year olds, it offers STEM, robotics, coding, business, finance and cybersecurity all with hands-on experiences and interactive projects.

Dhs1,150 (per week). July 8-Aug 23, Mon-Fri 9.30am-2pm. Near Arabian Ranches 1, stemforkids.ae

The Green Planet

Returning from July 8 to August 22, the camp will run every Monday to Thursday from 9am to 2pm. This year, the camp is powered by Instashop offering junior campers the chance to explore habitats, loads of animals, and conservation through interactive games and arts and crafts, ensuring plenty of entertainment. It’s perfect for budding junior biologists and mini explorers between ages five and 12 wanting to learn all things nature. You can also add on a packed lunch for Dhs50 per day or Dhs180 a week. Book between June 1 and June 7 for the early bird offer of a weekly camp price of Dhs600.

Dhs250 per day, Dhs750 per week (four days). Jul 8-Aug 22, 9am-2pm. City Walk, thegrenplanetdubai.com (800 7699).

Woo-Hoo

This colourful and creative summer camp runs for eight weeks, kicking off on July 1 until August 23. Keeping kids busy from 8.30am-1.30pm every day, the Woo-Hootopia camp will be filled with interactive arts and science workshops, thrilling games and loads of indoor activities helping kids beat the heat in style. There will be sink and float experiments, aerodynamics, friendship bracelet-making sessions and heaps more.

Dhs890 per week, Dhs1,600 for two weeks, Dhs3,200 for a month. 8.30am-1.30pm. Jul 1-Aug 23. Al Quoz, woo-hoo.ae (800 966 466).