Summer Holiday Activities and Sports Camps in Cramlington

Six weeks is a long time to fill, and the summer holidays in Cramlington are a mix of organised camps and days out. The two main kinds of camp are council-funded holiday activities for children who qualify, and paid sports and activity camps that any family can book. Both are held at local schools and sports grounds around the town. Around them sit holiday swimming courses at Concordia, the library and some of the best outdoor spaces in south east Northumberland.

This guide explains how each one works rather than listing one year's dates, because camps are announced shortly before each holiday. Please check current dates and prices with the provider before you book.

Council-funded holiday camps (HAF)

The Holiday Activities and Food programme, usually shortened to HAF, is funded by the Department for Education and coordinated in the county by Northumberland County Council. It runs in the main school holidays, including summer, and is for children who receive benefits-related free school meals.

The council's summer 2026 guide for parents describes two types of activity:

• Camp activities, where children attend without a parent or carer and get at least four hours of activities plus a meal each day.
• Family activities, where a child attends with a parent or carer, with a meal or food voucher for the child.

Eligible families receive a text and email with a voucher code and a link to book through the HolidayActivities website or app. In summer 2026 each child had 16 credits, with one credit per activity. The council asks families to book through the platform rather than contacting providers directly, and to cancel at least 24 hours ahead if a child can no longer go, so the place can go to someone else.

In summer 2026, HAF camps in and around Cramlington were held at venues including Cramlington Learning Village, Hareside Primary School, Cramlington Village Primary School, SS Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary, East Hartford Community Centre and the Cramlington Town FC ground at East Hartford, with sports, football and martial arts among the activities. The programme also included relaxed swim sessions with Places Leisure for children with special educational needs. Venues and providers change from one holiday to the next, so use the app's area filter to see what is on near you.

Questions about eligibility or booking go to the council's HAF team at haf@northumberland.gov.uk.

Best for: Best for: families on benefits-related free school meals, with funded places that include food.

Paid sports and activity camps

Several coaching companies run day camps at Cramlington schools during the holidays, open to any child in the age range. They typically run for most of the school day, sometimes with early drop-off and late pick-up for an extra charge, and many can be booked by the day or by the week.

MJ Sports Stars is one example. In summer 2026 it ran the Cramlington Village Summer Activity and Sports Camps at Cramlington Village Primary School on Bowmont Drive, for children aged 5 to 11, from 9am to 3pm with early drop-off from 8am and late pick-up until 4pm. Its booking page posts new camp dates ahead of each holiday.

Other camps come and go from year to year, including football and futsal camps. Your child's football club, school newsletter and the HolidayActivities app are good places to look for what is running next.

Best for: Best for: working parents who need full days of supervised activity, and children who love sport.

Swimming and indoor activities at Concordia

Concordia Leisure Centre on Forum Way is the main indoor option in the town. Places Leisure runs holiday intensive swimming courses for children who want to progress faster, and the centre also has a family pool with a splash pad, a four-storey soft play for children up to 12, eight bowling lanes and a Clip 'n Climb arena. Holiday sessions get busy, so book ahead online.

Next door in the Hub, Cramlington Library runs children's sessions through Northumberland Libraries, booked on Eventbrite. It is worth checking its listings before and during each holiday.

Outdoor days in and around Cramlington

When the weather is good, there are big outdoor spaces within a short drive or bus ride, plus a few attractions for a special day out.

• Northumberlandia, the giant earth sculpture of a reclining woman on Blagdon Lane, has paths, ponds, woodland and a visitor centre cafe. See our guide to visiting Northumberlandia.
• Plessey Woods Country Park, on the River Blyth near Hartford Bridge, has woodland and riverside paths, a play area, climbing boulders and a cafe.
• Seaton Delaval Hall, the National Trust house near Seaton Sluice, has gardens and seasonal family events. Check the National Trust website for summer activities and admission prices.
• Whitehouse Farm Centre near Morpeth, with animals, tractor rides and play areas, is a good summer day out, as it closes only over the winter.
• Kids Town in Bebside is an indoor soft play and role-play centre for a rainy day.

Tips for the summer holidays

• Book early: the council says some HAF activities fill up quickly, and popular paid camps can sell out too.
• Check the age range: each camp sets its own, and on the HAF platform camps your child is too young or too old for will not appear.
• Pack for the weather: many camps spend time outdoors, so send sun cream, a hat, a water bottle and a waterproof.
• Mix and match: a couple of camp days a week, a swim and a day out can make the holiday go further than a full week of camp.
• Check the dates: Cramlington Learning Village and some academies set their own term dates, so check our school holidays guide for when the summer break starts and ends.

For more ideas see our guides to free things to do in Cramlington, rainy day things to do, parks and green spaces and the best days out from Cramlington, or visit the families hub and our directory.

Spotted a change? Get in touch and we'll update the guide.