April and May are months that are hot, humid, yet so charmingly awaited. The days of these months were once as sweet as misty mornings, even when the sun would blaze to its fullest, threatening to wear everyone down, except perhaps the busy bees — children on vacation for whom sun or rain, April and May meant nothing but outdoors and tonnes of fun.
The mango trees would be laden, and what else spells bliss except to land a few of those raw gems with a well-aimed stone strike? Is there anything else that means happiness more than playing on the sand, building makeshift houses with sticks and knitted coconut fronts? And who can forget those tense cricket matches with bats and rubber balls bought via crowdfunding?
The umpteen goli sodas to be got from one of the few shops in the sprawling vicinity of a verdant countryside, the exclusively vacation-time local friends, the evening that would mean a quick shower, some prayer, and chitchats with grandparents, hiking up trees with red ants in tow, the smell of jackfruit emanating from the kitchen backyard, the ponds almost dry yet with enough water to brush up on swimming skills, and two lovely souls who lavished all their tenderness, unlike parents who rolled their eyes at our smallest flaws — heaven could not have been anywhere else.
Well, these scenes are from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Times have indeed changed for school children, for whom summer holidays no longer promise the same outdoor experiences. “We try to take them out, but again, it would be for a few days because schools may get the break for two months, but we won’t from our work,” says medical practitioner Anjana Gopalakrishnan Hari.
With grandparents now mostly settled in cities, the village vacation in ancestral homes and the scenes associated with it, which were part of every child’s life some 30 years ago, are slowly fading into oblivion or turning into sweet nostalgia that makes for enchanting social media reels.
“Parents have no option but to explore summer camps to keep them engaged. They will have kids their age there and activities that will keep them busy. Maybe they will find something that they will want to pursue in the future,” observes Lakshmi Mohan, who used to run a playschool that doubles as an activity centre during summer vacations.
Child specialist Dr Naveen Jain feels the need for summer camps is felt more now, with a grandparents’ home in a rural setting and cousins to share with increasingly becoming a luxury.
With parents also out at work, all children do is get hooked to screens or mobile games. But summer camps, which simulate a school structure, are adding to the routine of children who experience the same during the entire academic year.
“What is needed are summer camps that fill in the gaps. Most children may hate summer camps if they are just going to get ready during their vacations and follow another routine,” says Dr Naveen.
“A day without any structure, where they can do what they want, is their ideal sense of fun vacations. So, summer camps that allow that free mind space for children, where there is a lot of physical activity — something that is abysmally poor in schools — and activities that allow children to explore their talents or bring out what they are good at, may be the need of the hour.”
Here's a quick scan of summer camps across the city
1. Don Bosco Sports Academy
A fun-filled camp with sports & creativity
Activities: Swimming, football, dance, personality development, music (vocals & instruments).
When:
1st Camp: April 2 to April 25
2nd Camp: May 1 to May 20
Where: Don Bosco, Vaduthala, Kochi
Contact for Registration: 9496180045 | 9400916512
2. Momboree Summer Camp (Moms of Kerala)
Activities: Craft & engaging programmes for children aged 5 to 13.
When: April 1 to May 31
Time: Weekdays, 10am to 1pm
Where: Kakkanad, Tripunithura, Ravipuram, Fort Kochi (Parvana)
WhatsApp Booking: 9747574315 | 9656839420
3. Move-Mental Dance Studio
Activities: Contemporary dance, waacking, freestyle, hip-hop, Afro, Bollywood, and choreography.
When: Starts on April 7
Where: Move-Mental Dance Studio, Kaloor
Contact for Registration: 7012231263
4. Dancity Academy
Activities: Dance with joy – contemporary, bollywood, jazz funk, hip-hop, gymnastics, masterclasses, mentorship, and certification.
When:
Batch 1: April 2 to April 25
Batch 2: May 7 to May 27
Time: 9 am to 1 pm & 2pm to 5pm
Where: Dancity Academy of Dance, Panampilly Nagar
For Registration: 7034899777 | 8281085662
5. Football coaching camp
Focus: Sports and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
When: Starts on March 31
Where: Playzone Turf, Kolenchery
Contact for Registration: 7012368412
6. Explorlife camp
Activities: Real-world adventure & skill-based learning. Archery, chess, yoga, kalari, karate, and life skills.
When: April 2 to May 16
Time: 9:15am to 3:15pm
Where: The Friends School, Thevara
Facilities: Van & lunch (add-ons)
For Registration: 6238130309 | 9746829144
7. Backyard Academy Splash 2025
Activities: Clay modelling, football, swimming, taekwondo, and more.
When: April to May
Where: Backyard Academy, Kangarappady
Facilities: Transportation available
For Registration: 9846911222
8. Regional Sports Centre
Activities: Aerobics, zumba, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, cricket, football, golf, gymnastics, karate, kickboxing, yoga, and more.
When: April 1 to to May 30
Where: RSC, Kadavanthra
Contact: 0484 220 4068
9. Mazhavillu children’s theatre workshop
Activities: Interactive theatre training for children aged 8 to 16.
When: Starts on April 2
Where: Lokadharmi Naadakaveedu, Vypeen
Contact:94474 14200 / 97466 94534
10. Little Britain
Activities: Creative arts & outdoor fun for children aged 3 to 10. Pencil shaving, vegetable printing, sand painting, watercolour painting, board games, and more.
When: April 1 to May 23
Time: 10am to 1pm (daycare available until 5pm)
Where: Little Britain, Kaloor & Kakkanad
Contact: 95445 04666 / 94970 25317
11. Creativity @ Imutsa
Activities: Art & craft, drawing, painting, cookery workshops, aeromodelling, public speaking, creative writing, team bonding, and friendship-building activities.
When: April 2 to May 16
Time: 10am to 1pm
Where: Imutsa Creative Centre, Kakkanad
Contact: +91 90747 95030 / +91 99461 90902
12. Model Finishing School AI & robotics camp
Activities: AI-driven IoT, robotics, and machine learning workshops for children
When: April 1 to April 10
Where: Model Finishing School, Kaloor
Contact: 0484 2985252
13. Flowers Badminton Academy
Focus: Expert coaching for beginners & intermediate players.
When: April 1 to April 30
Time: 5pm to 7pm
Where: Flowers Badminton Academy, Puthiyakavu
Contact: +91 98096 01006