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Activities

What to do this weekend, and every one after it.

The weekend is two days long and children are awake for all of it. This section keeps the calendar full without emptying the wallet: events, sports clubs, places to go and holiday programmes that actually take children off your hands.

Mother and daughter flying a colourful kite on a beach
Kite afternoon
Interactive

Weekend picker

Weather, ages, budget, energy: an idea for Saturday in ten seconds.

Events

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Festivals, fairs, markets, concerts for children and the town fiesta: Europe's event calendar is generous to families if you know where to look. We list what is on, what is worth travelling for and how to do big events with small children.

Good to know

  • Arrive early, leave before the end. You miss nothing that matters and skip the crush.
  • Ear defenders for under fives at anything with a stage.
  • Fiestas in Spain run late. Nap in the afternoon, go out at eight.

Guides in the works

  • Family festivals in Europe worth the tripsoon
  • Spanish fiestas with children: the ones to seesoon
  • Christmas markets with a pushchair: a survival guidesoon
Tell me when they land

Sports clubs

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Clubs give children a team, a coach and a Saturday morning routine. Finding a club, understanding fees and licences, dealing with the sideline parents and knowing when it has become too serious: we cover the club side of childhood sport.

Good to know

  • Watch a training session before you sign up. The coach matters more than the club.
  • Fees vary wildly. Ask about kit, travel and tournament costs before the first season.
  • If the child stops smiling at training for a month, talk about it.

Guides in the works

  • How to choose a sports club for your childsoon
  • Football, basketball, swimming, padel: what clubs cost in Spainsoon
  • Sideline etiquette for parentssoon
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Places to go

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Zoos, aquariums, science museums, adventure parks, castles, caves and beaches with a bit more to them. Our place guides are written by parents who went, with the details that matter: parking, pushchair access, food, shade, toilets and how long it really takes.

Good to know

  • Check opening days. Many attractions close Mondays.
  • Annual passes pay off after two visits. Buy them for the place nearest home.
  • The café near the exit is always worse than the one by the entrance.

Guides in the works

  • The best days out in Mallorca with childrensoon
  • Science museums in Europe that children actually enjoysoon
  • Caves, castles and things you can climb onsoon
Tell me when they land

Holiday programmes

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School holidays add up to about fourteen weeks a year and most parents get five. Holiday clubs, sports camps, language camps and city programmes bridge the gap. We compare what they offer by age, what they cost and how to check the quality.

Good to know

  • Book Easter and summer camps by February. The good ones fill.
  • Half day camps suit under sevens. Full days are a lot for small children.
  • Ask about staff ratios and first aid training. Then ask another parent.

Guides in the works

  • Summer camps in Spain for local and international childrensoon
  • Holiday clubs by age: what to expect from three to fourteensoon
  • Grandparents, camps and swaps: covering the school holidayssoon
Tell me when they land
Quick answers

Questions parents ask about activities.

How do I find family events near me?

Town hall websites, library notice boards, school newsletters and local parenting groups on messaging apps are usually more current than event platforms. In Spain, the ayuntamiento site lists the fiesta programme every year.

How much do summer camps cost?

Local half day camps in Spain start around 80 to 150 euros a week. Full day sports or language camps run 200 to 400 euros. Residential camps abroad cost 800 euros and up for a week.

What can we do on a rainy weekend with children?

Indoor play centres, swimming pools, museums with a children's area, cinemas and libraries cover most rainy days. At home, a fort, a baking session and a film fill an afternoon. Our weekend picker filters ideas by weather.

At what age can children join a sports club?

Most clubs take children from four or five for football and swimming, six or seven for basketball and tennis. Before that, parent and child classes are the better option.

Keep going

Sections that usually come next.

Kids & Teens From first steps to first phones. Family Travel Holidays that work for every age at the table. Education Schools, tutors and the roads that lead to them.
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