Summer is a time for rest, but also for exploration, sparking joy and building friendships. The run-up to summer has been very different this year, so the prospect of a long summer holiday may not be as exciting as usual – but Zein Holiday Activity Camps have the answer…!

Zein offers a wide variety of day-long multi-activity and themed holiday camp programmes that allow children aged 4-12 to have fun, learn new skills, discover their talents, and make a few new friends along the way.

Based across six different locations in The Hague and conveniently located close to the city’s international schools, this year there are nine themes to chose from.

Children can express their creativity at Arts and Crafts Camp, delve into the world of theatre and improvisation at Performing Arts Camp, study bubbles and bangs at Science Camp, embark on a culinary journey at Master Chef Camp and enjoy improving their team-building skills at Multi-Sports Camp.

Zein – named after the organisation’s international founder – has been running summer activity camps for over a decade and based on experience feedback, developed a programme that makes camp a real ‘adventure’ this summer. ‘The main purpose of our camps is for the children to be engaged and truly have a fun time,’ explains holiday camps manager Thanos Papanastasiou.

For the campers and parents alike, Zein offers a welcoming family-oriented environment. Children are grouped according to age and participate in age-appropriate activities and workshops designed to spark children’s interest and develop their skills and self-confidence.

‘Our staff are registered childcare teachers with extensive pedagogical and safety training,’ says Papanastasiou. ‘They are passionate in leading the themes related to their area of expertise, while paying particular attention to making each child feel at home at camp’

In particular, the staff’s international backgrounds, and the many languages they speak are useful for children who just relocated to the Netherlands or whose parents happen to be here only for the summer months. ‘These children enjoy the international environment, making friends and exchanging details, and some of them even start learning English,’ Papanastasiou says.

Zein’s week-long camps cost €99.50 per day, for a full day programme from 8am until 6.30pm and including hot, organic meals and snacks, professional instruction and all learning and play materials.

Unlike most other day camps, the majority of families where both parents are working in the Netherlands can claim some of this cost back from the state. The Zein office staff can provide full assistance in applying for this subsidy.

At Zein, the emotional and physical safety of every child and staff member at our camps comes first. ‘This commitment is evident in all elements of our careful approach to health and safety, which has been adapted to suit the current circumstances,’ Papanastasiou says.

‘Working within spacious and state-of-the-art facilities, our professional teachers support the needs of each child individually, taking a proactive approach in ensuring their wellbeing.’