School’s Out! An Insider Guide to Kids’ Summer Holiday Activities

Although all kids love the school summer holidays, it can be a stressful time for busy working parents at a loss for how to occupy their ever-energetic children. For others, it may be a rare opportunity to spend some quality one-on-one time with your little angels, but picking activities you’ll both enjoy isn’t always child’s play. But fear not, as Localiiz brings you our all-encompassing summer guide for both working and stay-at-home parents. Fill up your child’s time off with our bright and brilliant Hong Kong activities and make this is the best summer holiday season ever! Out and Active Tennis Although some kids use summertime as an excuse to sit back, stuff their faces and generally stay in sloth-mode, a break from school does not have to spell lazy days for all. Tear your tikes away from the TV and get them active with fun outdoor activities, games, drill practices and training in their favourite sports. Peak Performance Tennis Academy is running tennis summer camps led by two of Hong Kong’s finest coaches. Whether your child is already a pro or simply a beginner, Peak Performance will cater to their level and teach them the skills they need to serve a superior smash. Take a swing at it yourself and join your kids for a match or two once they’re up to speed! All camps run from 9am-12noon every Monday to Friday, with the last week starting on Monday August 12th. Camps are held at the Aberdeen Tennis and Squash Centre and cost HK$3,000 for the week. For more information, call 9190 3369 or email via the Peak Performance Localiiz profile page. Soccer If your children are more Beckhams than Beckers, try tiring them out with some fun football at Asia Pacific Soccer Schools (APSS), where boys and girls can shoot for glory all summer long. After some serious skill sharpening to kick things off, your kids can put their talents to the test in an exciting match to round out the day. APSS will be running both weekday and weekend classes throughout July and August. Camps will take place at Stanley Ho Sports Centre, Kowloon Cricket Club, Sai Kung Town, Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, Tung Chung, Hong Kong Football Club and YMCA Central. Courses start from HK$150 per session. For more information, check out summer holiday courses on the APSS website, call 2385 9677 or email via the Localiiz profile page. For tiny tots eager to find their feet, Kinder Kicks offers summer soccer sessions, which work to improve coordination with a well-balanced programme of fun and learning, for kids aged five and under. Summer holiday classes will be held throughout July and August at Stanley Ho Sports Centre, YWCA Central, Stanley Market Sports Centre, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Kowloon Cricket Club, Sai Kung Town, Hang Hau Sports Centre, Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club and Tung Chung. For more information, check out the Kinder Kicks online schedule, call 2385 9677 or email via their Localiiz profile page. Rugby If your children are rugby lovers eager to test their tries at a national level, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union’s Summer Performance Programme will help aspiring boys and girls bring their A-game to the table. Participants will undergo a fast-track course of three intensive training sessions per week from July 15th to 26th. After a final assessment, the brightest stars will be selected to train for a further three weeks. Practices will held at Kings Park for boys and at Happy Valley for girls. For HK$300, each player will also receive two training tops. Fill out an application form on their website or email for more information. Swimming Worried that the heat might be too much for your little ones? Turn them into water babies with swimming lessons at Harry Wright International. See your kids finally let go of that float as they learn to swim like a fish while keeping cool in the pool. Catering to all ages, Harry Wright International’s Infant Aquatic Programme and a Learn to Swim Programme divide kids according to ability levels. Also offering a Competitive Swim Programme, Harry Wright International gives students the option of training at the Canadian International School, West Island School and South China Athletic Association. Intensive summer holiday weekly programmes for preschoolers will be held at WIS from July 2nd to August 16th, costing HK$1,050 for both beginner and advanced classes. CDNIS is also offering weekly programmes from June 17th to August 14th for $945. Both schools offer once-weekly lessons as well. For more details, visit the Harry Wright International website, call 2575 6279 or email via the Localiiz profile page. Fitness Bootcamp Get your kids firm and fit this summer at Elite Personal Training (EPT) summer camps for kids and teens. Helping 10-13 year-old budding athletes reach their potential, the FITKIDS Summer Programme places emphasis on improving speed, agility and maintaining a healthy body weight. Kids will also learn the importance of a balanced diet and the value of sleep and hydration to prepare them for a lifetime of healthiness! For aspiring teenage athletes, the FASTKIDS Summer Programme for 14-18 year-olds introduces students to training techniques used by professional athletes. Aiming to develop a basic body strength specific to each child’s age, EPT will also teach teens how to use gym equipment safely and improve their flexibility and mobility in a fun environment. The two-hour summer programme sessions will be held throughout July and August for HKD$400 per session or HKD$1,000 per week. EPT is also offering an exclusive family price of HKD$1,000 for groups of three children. For more information, see the FITKIDS Summer Programme or FASTKIDS Summer Programme online, call 2552 9925 or email through the Elite Personal Training Localiiz profile page. Lead by example and get fit and healthy alongside your kids with EPT’s 13-day Intensive Summer Bootcamp for adults. This challenging yet rewarding training crash course will take place at Repulse Bay Beach and in EPT’s studio in Wong Chuk Hang. Adults will undergo a range of activities to improve both strength and stamina. This two-week intensive summer programme costs HKD$1,800 but comes free for those with EPT monthly memberships for July and August. For more information, check out the website, call 2552 9925 or email via their Localiiz profile page. Surf and Learn Give your kids the best of both worlds by helping them get fit and clever at the same time with educational adventure camps! Based in the village of Sai Wan in the heart of Sai Kung East Country Park, Surf Hong Kong has teamed up with ITS Tutorial School to teach your kids valuable lessons about water awareness, environmental ethics and ocean conservation while they learn to surf, snorkel and kayak. The 3-5 day courses also see kids learning bush skills in a beautiful environment as they camp behind a white sandy beach and splash about in the clean, clear water. Three-day camps cost HK$2,600 per student, while five-day camps cost HK$4,100, with discounts available for group bookings of four and repeat visitors. Programmes will run throughout July and August. Check out the website, call 2116 3916 or email via the ITS Tutorial School Localiiz profile page for more information. Cool Off and Stay Chilled Indoor Play If the heat is resulting in more sweating than smiling for your family, indoor activities will come as a welcome relief. Hong Kong’s premiere indoor entertainment centre FunZone provides a 10,000 square foot facility where children can learn the value of exercise, play and air-con. Also offering bilingual playgroups in English and Mandarin for children up to 12 years of age, FunZone allows parents to accompany their child to a class before joining them for some free rough and tumble! Parents in need of a bit of a break will be pleased to know that there is also a cosy café with free Wi-Fi, allowing you to chill out and check your emails while the kids tire themselves out. FunZone is open from 10am to 7pm on weekdays and 10am to 9pm on weekends, including public holidays. Don’t miss their special Summer Holiday Happy Hour from July 1st to August 18th. For more information, visit their website , call 2258-9558 or email via the FunZone Localiiz profile page. Cooking Classes Filling your kids’ bellies with tasty home-cooked treats is always a winner, but why not use the summer holidays to train up your little helpers with some relaxed cooking classes? Perfect for extremely hot or rainy days, One Food Cake offers creative cooking classes to help your kids find their inner mini master chefs. You never know, they might enjoy themselves so much that you’ll be relieved of kitchen duties all together! One Food Cake will be running cooking classes almost every day throughout the summer holidays. Check the online schedule for details, call 2884 4462 or email via their Localiiz profile page. Song and Dance Singing School Get the kids in tune during the holidays with Katterwall's summer programme, a perfect way for kids who love singing to spend their free time. And with a host of classes for both children and adults, you’ll be Hong Kong’s answer to the Vontrapp family by the start of the new school term. Throughout July and August, Katterwall will be holding singing lessons for children, teens and adults. Let your 5-10 year olds have a crack at Songs from the Big Screen, including all the classics from Mary Poppins, An American Tail and Toy Story. Alternately, take them on an adventure on the ocean with Splish, Splash, Splosh songs from the sea, including shanties from The Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stich and Popeye. Both programmes are priced at HK$1,500 per group. Teenagers with raging hormones and few hobbies can let off some steam and enjoy time with friends at the Katterwall Youth Music Theatre programme, which will run from July to August for HK$2,200 per group. For those interested in being the next Britney or Bieber, Katterwall is also hosting a special three-day Pop Music Workshop in July for HK$2,500 per group. If you feel like you’re missing out and want to get in on the musical action, Katterwall also provides classes for adults, including the Kassia Choir’s Summer Fling 2013. Rehearsals will be held at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre every Monday and Wednesday from August 5th, culminating in a final performance at St John’s Cathedral. The programme costs HK$2,200 and an audition will be required. If you’re looking for something a little less serious, check out daytime and evening Singing Circle, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout August for HK$2,000 per group. Everyone is invited to come along and sing for enjoyment. If you want to boost your musical theory knowledge however, sign yourself up for Saturday morning Basic Music Theory lessons throughout August. A course of five sessions costs HK$2,200. Sign up for Katterwall’s summer activities by downloading enrollment forms from the Holiday Courses area of their website, calling 2575 3931 or emailing via the Katterwall Localiiz profile page. Dance Classes Have your kids got the coordination and energy of a river dancer? Drop them off at Echoes of Erin School of Irish Dance and tire them out with a good old-fashioned Irish jig. Offering traditional and contemporary classes for all ages, ranging from toddlers to adults, Echoes of Erin’s world ranked Irish dancers will put the whole family through their paces. Echoes of Erin has separate schools in Sai Kung and Hong Kong Island. If you live near Sai Kung, sign your kids up for the six-week Jungle Playhouse course, which costs HK$1,200 and runs from July 4th to August 8th. If you’re located on Hong Kong Island however, classes for all ages will be held every Wednesday at North Point from July 3rd to August 7th. For more information, check out their website, call 9093 2015, or email via the Localiiz profile page. Acting Are your kids feisty film fanatics? At the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT), 11- 18 year-olds can attend a Teen Filmmaking Summer Camp where they can learn how to write, shoot, direct and edit short films. Taught by experts in the industry, the course will give your kids the opportunity to build on their creativity, confidence and teamwork skills while getting a taste of what it takes to make on-screen magic. After completing a course, teens will also have the opportunity to gain IAFT diploma course credits for screenwriting, cinematography and directing. IAFT is running two separate Teen Filmmaking Summer Camp sessions; July 2nd to July 22nd and July 15th to August 2nd. Also on offer is the Youth On-Camera Acting Workshop, a fun-packed programme focussing on acting, auditioning and improvisation for film and TV. Aimed at kids between the ages of nine and 16, all budding stars will receive their own show reel upon completion of the course. Programmes comprise of six workshops across Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the first camp starting on July 2nd and the last on August 13th. For more information, call 5808 3443, or email via their website Localiiz profile page. Art Attack Broaden your kid’s imagination while keeping the mess out of your home with summer holiday art classes. Aimed at teaching children the concepts of artwork and engaging them in independent thinking, Hong Kong Art Tutoring's summer courses encompass drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpting. You can even enjoy a complimentary cuppa and put your feet up on their shady outside terrace while you wait for your kids to finish their masterpieces. Summer classes run from June 17th to August 24th, with both morning and afternoon sessions available. Courses are priced at HK$1,000 for five days, with discounts available for those who book multiple courses. For more information, visit the website, call 9722 8353, or email via the Hong Kong Art Tutoring Localiiz profile page. Need to take a break? Make time for yourself and drop your kids off at The Studio, where they can get their hands dirty with a whole rainbow of colours. Located in Stanley Market, The Studio provides educational art lessons, art jamming sessions and painting parties for kids aged two to 16. Workshops are held for two hours each day over a four-day period. Fore more information, check out their website, call 5332 2429 or email via the Localiiz profile page. Educated Minds Although the classroom is closed, the summer holidays are a great time to enroll your kids in enjoyable activities that will open their minds without them even knowing it. So while you sit back stroking your beard of eternal wisdom, invest in your child’s future with a balanced ‘work hard-play hard’ summer programme. Language Courses Give your child a summer kick-start on the path to becoming bilingual…or better yet, trilingual! Kids have an amazing ability to absorb different languages with little effort, so get them started as early as possible before their brains turn to mush! In such a culturally diverse city as Hong Kong, another language under the belt is an asset for life. At Hong Kong Institute of Languages, your child can learn a whole tangle of tongues throughout the summer, including French, Spanish, Japanese Mandarin, Cantonese and English. For more information on programmes for kids aged 12 and under, visit the website, call 2877 6160 or email through their Localiiz profile page. Brain Training If you simply want to get your kids back up to speed before they start a new school year, tease their brain with PowerBrainRX. The Jordan-based brain training school will enhance their attention, concentration and memory in just three sessions a week using new techniques developed by brain researchers and professionals. For more information about special summer camps, check out their website, call 2302 0180 or email via the PowerBrainRX Localiiz profile page. Cultural Courses Do your children truly know about the culture they are living in? ITS Tutorial School's summer camps and courses provide lessons about the important cultural landmarks and history of our city via field trips that combine exploring with English lessons. The five-day summer courses about Hong Kong during World War II are sure to open the eyes of kids aged nine and above. Camps are priced at HK$1,950, which includes lunch and transportation costs. English and Creative Writing ITS Tutorial School also provides creative writing courses to teach budding summer authors how to be descriptive and engaging. Ideal for primary school students, these five-day programmes will teach your children how to apply the skills needed to pen an intriguing story, an imaginative poem or an illuminating script.

If, however, you also want your kids to be active while they learn, ITS Tutorial School offers English through football classes. For more information or to book a place for your child, visit their website, call 2116 3916 or email via the Localiiz profile page.

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