Summer schools in Barcelona
School will be out soon and the kids won't be going back for a long, long time. Nearly three months of long, sunny carefree days may be a delight for the children, but it can leave a lot of parents scratching their heads about what to do with them, particularly if mum and dad both work.
Luckily, there is no shortage of options to keep younger members of the family happy and busy. Many local parents turn to casals (summer day camps) for the remainder of June and at least some of July. Most schools, public and private, run camps which cost around €100 per week, including lunch; there is usually a half-day option too. So, if you prefer your children to be in a familiar environment, this is a convenient and cheap option.
The casals run on a weekly basis, so you can sign your kids up for as long as you want to. How exciting and adventurous the camp is will depend very much on the school. There is usually lots of arts, music, workshops and excursions, while some will have more of a specific focus. Casals are also run in local civic centres. The Generalitat has a comprehensive guide to all of these casals—read more here.
Here's our selection of some of the best casals around Barcelona. And if you can recommend any others, please add them to our Comments section at the end of the article.
ENGLISH SPEAKING
American School (Esplugues) The American School is holding a summer camp from June 26th-Friday July 21st and offer morning (9.30am-2pm) and all day (9.30am-5pm) options. Activities include arts, sports, video and swimming. All teachers are qualified, native English speakers and transportation to and from the school is provided. www.asbarcelona.com
Benjamin Franklin International School The BFIS is offering a Young Scientist Summer Camp, focussed on a different science project each week. It takes place from June 26th to July 21st, offering both half day (9am-1.15pm) and full day (9am - 5pm) programmes, and 9am - 5pm for children aged six to 12. They also offer a Little Campers programme designed for young children aged three to five. www.bfischool.org
Collage: This creative and educational centre in Gràcia will hold casals from June 26th – July 28th and September 4th– 8th, for children aged between four and 13 years old. The team is native English speaking and there are no more than five children per carer to ensure specialised attention is given to each child. Each week has a different theme, including bookmaking, theatre, science and sustainability. www.collagebarcelona.com
Oak House. Native English teachers lead the 30th edition of this summer camp, which is open from June 26th til July 21st and welcomes children from age three to 14. They offer lots of sports, including sailing, fencing and swimming, and a weekly outing to the Canal Olímpic. The timetable is 9am til 5pm (with the possibility to extend to 8am and 6pm without any additional costs). www.oakhouseschool.com
Santa Clara International School. The school's summer camp is open to children aged from two to 17. It will offer children a range of indoor and outdoor activities, in the form or excursions, performing arts, technology, language learning, sports, and much more. The schedule is from 9.30am - 4pm. http://santaclaraic.com
Highlands School Barcelona: Our qualified English teachers lead the 15th edition of the Highlands School Barcelona Summer Camp, welcoming students from two to 12. Our educational and creative Summer Camp will focus on a different project each week, with the weekly outing being just one of the surprises as well as offer students the chance to play lots of sports, including tennis, paddle, hockey, football, and swimming. Dates: from 25th June to 20th July; Timetable: from 9 am to 4:30 pm; Before school care: from 8:30 am to 9 am. http://www.highlandsbarcelona.es
La Marelle: This is a great option for younger children. The cafe/activity centre in the Born will offer casals from June 26th till August 4th and September 4th till the 8th. Catering to children from 15 months to six years, days will be packed with music, art, play and trips to the park. They speak Catalan, Castilian, French and English, and cook organic food. Choose between a half day or a full day. lamarelle-barcelona.blogspot.com.es
Kinder: This preschool in Poblenou offers various camps throughout the year, with a team who speak Catalan, English, German and Spanish. There summer camp begins on June 26th til July 28th, with different language groups, or from July 31st til September 1st, which consists of a multilingual camp. The accent is on creative play and they cater to newborns and children up until the age of six. www.kinderbarcelona.org
Happy Milk: This 'Moms and Kids Club' in the Eixample offers a packed calendar of activities for parents and children all year round. Their summer camp takes place on various dates between June 26th and Sept 8th, with weekly and six-week packages available. http://happymilk.org
Keiko's Dream: This centre in Poblenou offers activities in English all year round. Their Urban Camp runs from June 26th - July 15th, with various options and packages to choose from. Keiko's dream is born from inspiring children from the age of two and upwards to learn English and French in a natural way, whilst having fun and participating in enriching activities. www.keikosdream.net
British School of Barcelona: Located in Castelldefels and Sitges, the British School offers four casal options: the Summer Play Programme for three to five year olds, the Activity Programme for six to 13 year olds, and the Language Programmes (in English or Spanish) for those aged between 12 and 15 years. They run from June 28th to July 21st. www.britishschoolbarcelona.com
International School of Catalunya (La Garriga): ISCAT offer a Harry Potter themed summer camp for this year, targeting children aged between three and 11 years old From June 26th until July 21st, children can participate in workshops, activities, sports, games and excursions to the local forest, drawing on the magic of the infamous children's story. The summer school is designed and run by native professionals, where activities have a special emphasis on language acquisition. www.iscat.es
BARCELONA CLASSICS
Barcelona Zoo: The Zoo holds very popular casals with different focuses, such as little explorers, getting to know the aquatic animals, learning about different species, farm animals and more. Each particular casal is designed for a specific age group, from between five and 16 years. The casals run from June 22nd till September 9th. There are discounts for zoo card holders. www.zoobarcelona.cat
Olympic rowing channel: Sporty children can opt for a themed casal, where the Olympic channel provide camps for a range of watersports, such as kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, wakeboarding and more, or for those wanting to explore options through multisport activities, including art, skating, dancing, athletics, cooking, magic and circus training and more. There is also an option with more limited sports available for under sevens. There are both full and half day choices between Casals take place throughout on the summer, on selected dates for each course. www.canalolimpic.cat
Base Nautica: Kids can learn to sail at one of Barcelona's best sailing schools. Besides sailing, they can also try their hand at kayak, windsurf, paddle surf and surf. The casals range in duration from four days to 10 days, beginning on June 26th and running until September 15th. www.basenautica.org
Club Natació Barceloneta: The CNB offers different camps for children aged two and a half to 14 years from June 26th til September 8th. Elder children can make the most of the junior and triathalon camps, which include skateboarding and padel surf, and biking, running and swimming respectively. Younger children can learn how to swim, with a variety of crash courses throughout the summer. http://cnb.es/
SPECIAL INTEREST
Al Carrer Escola de Skate Barcelona
Al Carrer is the first skate school in Barcelona that actually takes place in the streets. Classes introduce kids to skateboarding from an early age and help them learn new social and physical skills such as balance, physical fitness, perseverance and respect.
Lifeline Learning
This summer, Lifeline Learning present their Sustainable Summer Camp, due to take place July 10th- July 14th. The camp aims to empower youths to develop leadership skills and educate them about sustainability and the environment. It comprises three environments: the organic garden, where children can experience hands-on learning about agriculture, the sustainable kitchen employing an interactive programme of cooking with sustainable and nutritional products, and the lab, which explores the relationship between sustainability and technology. http://lifeline-learning.com/join-us-for-summer-camp/
Kids Hack Club
Children aged between 4 and 12 years old can learn how to program, code, problem solve, and get creative with their three week summer camp. The camp commences on Monday June 26th, with a week-long course aimed at teenagers beginning on July 17th. http://www.kidshackclub.com/