Holiday club business tips: How to see success ALL YEAR
Written by The MagicBooking team | Apr 14, 2025
14 min read
Running a holiday club that thrives all year round takes more than just great activities - it requires smart planning, creative marketing, and reliable systems.
This guide packs in proven strategies to help your club grow – let’s run through how to boost attendance during quiet months, increase revenue with clever promotions, and streamline admin to save time.
Read on to discover how to attract more families, keep them coming back, and build a club that’s not only fun - but financially sustainable too. Let’s talk school holiday club strategies and more!
Fancy skipping the read? Get in touch for tailored advice on how we can help you.
Boost Attendance with Creative Offers and Incentives
One of the most effective ways to increase holiday club attendance consistently is through innovative offers and incentives that appeal to both new and returning families. By adding value to your services, you can encourage families to keep coming back. Here’s some holiday club success tips...
Exclusive Events and Membership Perks
- Create "members-only" events or special experiences to attract repeat visits.
- Introduce tiered membership options that offer benefits such as priority booking, discounts on special activities, or free access to certain events.
- Consider bundling services—for example, a “family pack” that includes entry for multiple children or a group discount.
- Offer a “bring a friend” incentive, where existing members can bring a friend for free or at a discount.
Flexibility and Add-ons
- Introduce free add-ons for quieter times, such as free snacks or extra engaging activity club sessions.
- Offer flexible scheduling options to allow families to book on short notice, appealing to off-peak attendance.
MagicBooking streamlines booking processes and allows you to manage member tiers and track attendance, so you can offer tailored experiences to keep families engaged. Get started now with award winning after school club software – book your demo today!
Boost Holiday Club Revenue with Discounts & Promotions
Strategic discounts and promotions can drive bookings, particularly during low-demand periods. Here’s top tips on how you can encourage parents to sign up:
Referral Programmes and Early-Bird Deals
- Offer a referral discount, such as free sessions, when parents bring in new families.
- Provide early-bird discounts to parents who book in advance, ensuring you can plan staffing needs and secure income.
Seasonal and Flash Sales
- Run flash sales with time-limited offers to create a sense of urgency and fill spots during quieter months.
- Offer seasonal promotions tied to specific holidays or local events to boost attendance during low seasons.
Loyalty Programmes
- Implement a loyalty programme where parents earn rewards or discounts for repeat bookings, or for referring others.
Our schools & clubs say MagicBooking positively impacts their cash flow by 73%!
MagicBooking's parent booking system allows you to create special discounts, track referral programmes, and automate loyalty rewards for your clients with ease. Get access to these features by booking a demo or leaving a message for one of our friendly experts.
Holiday Club Marketing: Build a Strong Online and Offline Strategy
To ensure consistent visibility, you need to leverage both digital and traditional holiday camp marketing methods to reach new families.
Digital Presence and Paid Ads
- Regularly send out newsletters and updates to keep families informed about upcoming activities, offers, and important parts or updates to be aware of. Top tip: Keep your registration forms SIMPLE, and reach out to whoever signs up.
- Build a strong social media presence on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to showcase highlights and connect with your audience.
- Invest in paid advertising through Facebook, Google, or even local radio to attract more families. Top tip: Showcase the fun, but don’t forget to reassure - like all staff being DBS-checked and Ofsted-registered.
Local Promotion and Local Community Outreach
- Distribute flyers, posters, or business cards in local businesses, schools, libraries, and community centers.
- Encourage word of mouth: Partner with local schools and after-school clubs to cross-promote your holiday club, offering discounts for families attending both services.
Want to consult our data? Here’s our 2024 report on what we helped our clients achieve.
MagicBooking’s platform provides tools for managing communications with parents and can integrate seamlessly with your website and social media platforms to boost engagement. Get a free, tailored tour of our system here.
Create a Thriving Community Around Your Holiday Club
Building a strong community can keep families engaged and loyal to your club. It’s important to nurture both online and offline connections.
Parent and Alumni Engagement
- Host parent events, such as coffee mornings or kids' book swaps, to create a sense of connection and allow parents to network.
- Organise alumni events or reunions for past club members, such as a sports day or an activity to celebrate the club's success.
93% of our schools & clubs find MagicBooking increases parent access. Inquire now.
Online Spaces for Interaction
- Set up a private Facebook group or WhatsApp group for parents to share updates, photos, and feedback with one another.
- Use these platforms to communicate directly with families about upcoming events, special offers, and community news.
Check out our previous article on efficient customer communication tools.
MagicBooking’s integrated communication tools allow you to easily send SMS and email updates to parents, utilise marketing materials, and create dedicated online spaces for club communities to stay connected. Get access to these features by booking a demo or leaving a message for one of our friendly experts.
Maintain Cash Flow with Smart Planning During High and Low Seasons
If you manage holiday club cash flow effectively, you will ensure the longevity of your holiday club, particularly during periods of low attendance.
Flexible Payment Plans and Pre-Booking Options
- Offer payment plans that allow parents to pay for the year in installments, spreading out the cost for families and smoothing cash flow for you.
- Set up a pre-booking system that allows families to reserve spots in advance, helping secure income during quieter periods.
Adjust Pricing and Diversify Revenue Streams
- Track seasonal trends to adjust pricing during high and low seasons, ensuring you remain competitive.
- Consider offering additional services like extended care or workshops to offset quieter periods.
- Make your club accessible to families of all incomes by ensuring you accept childcare vouchers, like HMRC Tax-Free Childcare Vouchers.
80% of schools & clubs find planning for the future easier with MagicBooking than other systems!
MagicBooking offers flexible payment and pre-booking solutions to help you manage cash flow and streamline holiday club admin, while also tracking seasonal trends to optimise pricing and staffing. Cumbersome financial tracking and reports? We automate it! Get a free, tailored tour of our system here.
Expand Your Programme with New Activities and Special Interest Clubs
Offering a diverse range of activities can attract different families and keep the experience fresh. Let’s talk kids holiday club ideas!
Seasonal and Theme-Based Activities
- Offer holiday-themed clubs (e.g., Halloween, Christmas) and host special events on bank holidays with activities that align with the holiday’s theme.
- Organise theme days such as Pirate Day, Jungle Day, or Circus Day to keep the excitement going for kids.
Special Interest Clubs and Workshops
- Expand your offerings with specialised clubs like arts and crafts, science, sports, or drama.
- Host weekend workshops or field trips to local attractions for a fun, educational experience outside the holiday periods.
Check out our previous article on growing and scaling your club.
MagicBooking’s scheduling system makes it easy to organise and promote new programmes, ensuring families can easily book their spots for special events. Book a free demo now to see how easy we make it!
Success in Action: How Inspired Learning Group Transformed Their Holiday Clubs
Inspired Learning Group (ILG), a leading group of independent schools, significantly boosted the success of their holiday clubs by switching to MagicBooking. Previously bogged down by time-consuming manual processes and limited to children within their own schools, ILG wanted to streamline admin tasks and grow their reach.
By implementing MagicBooking, they were able to centralise operations, improve parent experience, and - most importantly - increase revenue.
“The system has allowed us to open up our holiday clubs to children outside of our schools which has increased our revenue as well as footfall onto the school site.” - ILG
With easier access for parents and automation across the board, ILG not only reduced the time spent managing bookings but also expanded their customer base - unlocking new childcare club growth strategies with less effort.
Read the full ILG case study to see how they did it.
Your Roadmap to Holiday Club Success
Building a successful holiday club isn’t just about offering fun activities—it’s about creating a connected community, delivering flexible options that families love, and running your business with efficiency and confidence. By using creative strategies to boost attendance, offering smart holiday club promotions, and implementing effective marketing, you can grow your holiday club and keep it thriving all year round.
Consistent cash flow, high parent satisfaction, and diverse activities aren’t just goals—they’re achievable with the right tools.
MagicBooking helps holiday clubs like yours streamline admin, increase bookings, and delight parents with a seamless, easy-to-use system. In fact, 92% of our schools and clubs find MagicBooking outshines their previous systems!
Schedule a free demo today to discover how MagicBooking can help you grow a successful, scalable holiday club.
Talk to our team and learn how our management software can help you achieve year-round success.
FAQs
How can I attract more families to my holiday club?
Consider offering member-only events, referral discounts, and seasonal promotions to create buzz and encourage families to book early.
Consider a wraparound care and holiday club booking system like MagicBooking to automate the everyday!
What is the best way to manage cash flow during off-peak seasons?
Implement flexible payment plans and pre-booking options, and diversify your revenue by offering additional services like workshops.
How can I increase engagement with parents and kids?
Host social events, create online communities, and offer themed activities to keep families connected and excited about your holiday club.
Book a free demo to see how MagicBooking can help boost engagement and automate school holiday club management here.
