Exploring Summer Programmes For Primary School Students in Dubai: Fun, Learning and Friendship

When school’s out for summer, the long break is the perfect opportunity for children to play, have fun, and make friends at a summer camp. At a well-organised camp, they’ll be learning new skills, and the benefits for child development are far-reaching, too.

Here, we explore the advantages of summer camps in more detail and tell you about the amazing range of summer programmes for primary school students here in Dubai.

The Benefits of Summer Camps

At GEMS Education, we passionately believe in the importance of enrichment activities for children in and out of the school term. Summer is a great time to explore different extracurricular activities like sports, music, art, drama, and so much more. Here is how your child will benefit from a holiday programme, whatever they choose to do.

Make new friends and build social skills

Summer camps can boost your child’s social skills by giving them the opportunity to mix with a whole new group of peers and share exciting activities together. The warm, inclusive atmosphere of summer camps encourages children to:

• get to know others quickly
• build brand new friendships or strengthen existing ones
• enjoy the company of children from a range of different backgrounds

Camp leaders model teamwork, sportsmanship and how to build supportive relationships with peers, bolstering your child’s social skills ready for the next academic year.

Develop new interests and learn new skills

Your child will get opportunities to try something completely new at summer camp. The informal, friendly feel of camp supports children to give things a go with confidence. Whether you are signing your child up for sports, music, STEM or anything else, summer camp is a wonderful chance to:

• explore some potential interests
• begin learning a new skill
• further develop their talents

At high-quality camps, experienced, qualified adults lead activities so that you can be confident your child is accessing the best possible tuition.

Build self-confidence and other socio-emotional skills

There is evidence from educational research that summer camp attendance can help build socio-emotional skills:

• Self-confidence
• Independence
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Resilience
• Leadership

At summer camp, your child will be on an adventure, trying out new things away from their usual support groups at home and school, and growing their skills in an activity they love. This gives children the chance to gain some independence, make choices of their own, and grow in self-esteem. Summer camp leaders will know that all children are different and will welcome and encourage your child to grow in confidence, whatever their starting point.

Benefit from a structured environment

Summer programmes for primary school students in Dubai keep your child busy all day. Summer camps provide a safe, familiar environment and they maintain a routine through the day and week that should benefit your child. A consistent routine through the summer holidays will help your child feel safe, secure and relaxed so they can have fun, learn and develop.

Get some exercise and build fitness

All summer camps encourage children to stay mentally and physically active through the summer. There’s little sedentary time at a summer camp for primary school-aged children, even when it might be IT-focused, as your child will have lots of time to play games and enjoy the play areas at the camp’s location.

Many summer programmes for primary school students in Dubai have an active focus, such as sports, martial arts, or dance. These camps will provide your child with all the benefits of physical exercise, such as improved fitness and strength, and inspire your child to build healthy habits for life.

What’s Available at Summer Camps for Children in Dubai

At GEMS Education schools in the UAE, we offer outstanding learning environments. Across our family of schools, our facilities include:

• sports areas, such as Olympic-sized swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, astroturf fields, climbing walls, fitness suites and running tracks
• STEM resources, including a planetarium at GEMS World Academy, computing, science and design technology labs, and workshops
• arts facilities, such as fine art studios, music rooms, media suites, recording facilities and dance and drama studios
• outdoor learning classrooms and play areas
• cafes and dining facilities

These extensive resources mean we can team up with external providers to offer families some incredibly fun and varied summer camp options. Here are some activities that your child might like to try.

Multi-activity camps

Multi-camps offer a diverse mix of physically active and creative activities to suit primary-aged children. Your child could get involved in a great range of team and individual sports, performing arts, and arts and crafts. The timetable will vary from day to day but you can expect your child to get involved in several structured activities per day, with breaks to relax, play and eat.

Providers design multi-activity camps to suit all interests and abilities. They are ideal for keeping your child active, engaged and safe for full days over the summer holidays. You may be able to benefit from transport to and from camp, too.

This summer, ESM multi-activity camps will make great use of several GEMS campuses around the UAE, including GEMS World Academy - Dubai, GEMS Metropole School – Motor City, GEMS Wellington Academy- Silicon Oasis, and GEMS Royal Dubai School. Expert professional coaches will lead sessions for thousands of students at this incredibly popular summer camps for children in the UAE.

STEM and Robotics

Summer camps provide a fun environment for even the youngest children to explore the exciting world of technology and robotics. This summer at GEMS Modern Academy, Pure Minds Academy will host STEM summer programmes that will engage young minds and ignite their curiosity. Four- to six-year-olds can enjoy technology, robotics and Lego activities, while seven- to nine-year-olds can explore a variety of STEM, coding and robotics projects.

Business and Entrepreneurship

Children who are reaching the end of their time in primary school could spend their summer getting an introduction to the financial and business worlds. Pure Minds Academy will hold summer programmes for high school students in Dubai, as well as in GEMS Modern Academy, where children 10 years old and over can learn about branding, marketing, business ethics, and more.

Summer programmes for primary school students in Dubai provide excellent opportunities for children to have fun, explore interests, build social skills and self-confidence, and develop new talents. With diverse activities like sports, arts, technology, robotics, and entrepreneurship, every child can find something they love. GEMS schools’ top-notch facilities and expert camp providers will ensure an enriching and memorable summer experience for all.

Top Tips from Sarah McLean - Primary Principal, GEMS International School, Al Khail

Have some fun in the kitchen- Take up baking/ cooking! This is an excellent way to engage children in daily tasks, build practical skills and fosters great communication! You could start with planning a menu for the week, taking a trip to the grocery store and buying the things you’ll need. Cooking, with child safe tools, will support your little ones in building fine motor skills, self management skills and in building healthy life habits!

Once you have a routine established, you might notice your kids have suggestions or ideas and can lead the planning a little more.

• create a game box or ‘at home box’ to be filled with special, engaging, creative toys, games, crafts that is taken out only on days you’re spending at home. This box might include special paints, books, toys or whatever your children identify. Keeping the box in a special place will ensure that on ‘hot days or at home days’ the items inside have not lost their appeal, because they are not using it all the time.
• build an ideas box, which can be used when your children are feeling ‘bored’ this box is a brainstorm of ideas of things they might like to do at home. It could include things like ‘read a favorite book’ or ‘build a fort’; the box can come out on days that your little ones are looking for things to do!
• one of my favorite ideas for the ‘ideas box’ is making your own play dough or slime! It’s very easy, and goes along with tip 1 too! There are endless possibilities of how play dough can be used to keep little hands busy on hot summer days!
• start an indoor garden! It might be too hot to garden outside, but that won’t stop you from starting one inside! Fresh herbs are not only easy to grow, and it will support your children in building responsibility; not to mention get them excited about the possibility of using the herbs to help in the kitchen!