Summer Sports Camps in Newcastle

Six weeks is a long time to fill, and for working parents in and around the city centre the summer holidays can turn into a juggling act. The good news is that Newcastle has a strong set of organised sports camps that come back year after year, run by professional clubs, universities and experienced local coaching companies. Most also run shorter versions at Easter and during half-terms, so a camp your child enjoys in August can become a fixture for the rest of the school year.

This guide covers the providers that reliably run holiday camps close to the centre, who each one suits and how to book. Dates and prices change every year, so treat this as a starting point and check each provider's own booking page for the current programme.

Football

Newcastle United Foundation

The club's official charity, the Newcastle United Foundation, runs Holiday Courses through the school breaks, built around fun football sessions, skills challenges and plenty of small-sided games. Courses are aimed at children of all abilities, and recent summer programmes have been open to ages five to 13. The Foundation's base is NUCASTLE, its community hub on Diana Street, around five minutes' walk from St James' Park, and over the years courses have also run at venues across the wider region.

Bookings are made through the Foundation's online shop on the ABLER platform, where each holiday's venues and dates are published. First-team players sometimes drop in to kick off the summer courses, which goes down very well with young fans.

Best for: football-mad children who want proper coaching with a black-and-white connection.

Multi-sport camps

Northumbria Sport Kids Camp at Sport Central

Northumbria University runs a Multi-Sport Kids Camp at Sport Central, its large sports complex on Northumberland Road. The summer camp is aimed at children aged 6 to 11 and runs on weekdays through the holidays, with drop-off from 8.30am and pick-up by 5pm, which fits around a working day better than many shorter camps.

The programme rotates through football, basketball, cricket, dodgeball, netball, hockey and rounders, and the standout feature is that children can swim and use the climbing wall every day, both supervised and both optional. Sessions are led by qualified student coaches. Children bring their own packed lunch and snacks. Places are booked through the Northumbria University online store under its kids camps section, and the university has also run Easter camps in the same format.

Best for: children who want a bit of everything, with swimming and climbing built in.

Sport North East

Sport North East is an Ofsted-registered holiday club provider whose camps run in the school holidays, currently from the sports building at Newcastle Preparatory School in Jesmond. Each day mixes sport with arts and crafts, team games and free play, so it suits younger children who might find a full day of sport too much. Its own camp pages list a 3 to 13 age range.

A big draw for working parents is that wrap-around care before and after the main activities is included at no extra cost, so a long day is covered without paying extra for early drop-off. Single days, several days or a full week can be booked online.

Best for: younger children and families needing long, flexible days.

Basketball

Newcastle Eagles Community Foundation

The Eagles are one of the most successful clubs in British basketball, and their community foundation runs holiday camps across the school year at the Vertu Motors Arena, the club's own arena on Scotswood Road just west of the centre. Camps have catered for everyone from first-timers picking up a ball to players wanting to develop, with recent summers offering separate days for different age groups and a mix of skills-focused and more relaxed holiday activity camps.

Camps are announced and booked through the Eagles' online portal, known as the Nest, so it is worth signing up there and checking back as each holiday approaches.

Best for: budding basketball players, from complete beginners to keen juniors.

Tennis and squash

The Northumberland Club

The Northumberland Club on North Jesmond Avenue describes itself as the largest rackets facility in the North East, and it runs holiday camps at various points through the year. There are Mini Tennis camps for around 4 to 9 year olds, tennis camps for 9 to 16 year olds and squash camps for 6 to 16 year olds, so siblings of different ages can often be booked in at the same time.

Camp days run from 10am to 4pm, and extra supervision from 8am to 6pm can be added when you book online. It is a good route into racket sports for complete beginners as well as children who already play.

Best for: racket-sport fans and families wanting tennis and squash under one roof.

Free places through the holiday activities programme

Children in Newcastle who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals can often get free places on holiday camps through the council's Holiday Activities and Food programme, which runs at Easter, in the summer and at Christmas. Several of the providers above, including the Newcastle United Foundation, have taken part, and sessions usually include a healthy meal. The council's Children and Families Newcastle website lists what is on each holiday, and our guide to school holiday learning in Newcastle has more ideas for filling the weeks.

Tips for booking a summer camp

Book early. The most popular weeks, especially the first and last weeks of the holidays, tend to fill as soon as booking opens, and that is often in late spring. Signing up to each provider's mailing list or booking portal means you hear about new dates first.

Check age bands and times carefully. Some camps run a full working day and others finish mid-afternoon, and wrap-around care is not always included. Ask about lunch too, as most camps expect a packed lunch.

Pack for the weather: a named water bottle, suncream, a cap, trainers and a waterproof cover most days. If swimming is on the programme, send a towel and costume. Finally, it is reasonable to ask about coach qualifications and safeguarding when you book; reputable providers use qualified, DBS-checked staff and are happy to explain their arrangements. If your child wants more time in the water over the summer, our swimming pools guide covers the city's public pools.

Know a great holiday camp we have missed? Let us know.