Comedy festival, indoor skydiving and more – Camp Australia raises the bar for Vac Care

Large outside school hours care (OSHC) provider Camp Australia has announced a vacation care/school holiday program which aims to provide “some of the most exciting and adventurous experiences” for primary school children over the April school holidays, with experiences including indoor skydiving, a partnership with a leading Australian comedy festival, and opportunities to learn programing and coding principles. 

The offering is known as Rocketeers, (formally known as Holiday Club), and provides all-round tailored holiday experiences inspired by children and informed by family and expert feedback.

Children attending Camp Australia services over the April break will enjoy a number of exciting activities and experiences, including; 

1. Rainbow Race – a multiple service event celebrating diversity and inclusion where children will race and complete various physical challenges around a course, wearing a Rocketeers branded shirt, neck scarf and a pair of goggles while being sprayed with a rainbow of colours.

2. iFly (indoor skydiving) – children learn indoor flying basics before receiving their ‘flight gear’ and participating in an indoor ‘dive’ with an instructor by their side.

3. Comedy Festival (VIC only) – Rocketeers will partner with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Comedy Club for Kids for an amazing live comedy show.

National Handball Championships

Rocketeers will also provide the opportunity for children to compete in the National Handball Championships, joining over 4,750 children who already participated during after school care last week. 

During the Autumn break, all children will get an extra chance to compete to get through to the Regional finals in May. The National Handball Championships is set to be the largest handball competition in the country, in partnership with Handball Australia and endorsed by Life Education.

Diverse experiences core to Camp Australia rebrand

The relaunch of the program forms part of the whole-of-company rebrand Camp Australia announced in February, marking a new chapter in the organisation’s strategic direction.

“The diversity of experiences in Rocketeers is designed to reflect the diverse interests and needs of children who are part of these adventures,” Camp Australia COO Brett Comer explained. 

“While providing fun and extraordinary experiences during the school holidays is the focus of Rocketeers, importantly the program offerings celebrate children’s differences and growth.”

Educators, he continued, are dedicated to enriching the care experience of children attending Camp Australia services, and building their understanding of the world through participation in the providers programs. This dedication is “grounded on respect and empathy, values which are instilled at a very early age and a reflection of the conversations as a society we are having today.”

He hopes that through participation in activities such as the Rainbow Race, children will also embrace values of diversity and inclusion, and build a spirit of collegiality as children adjust to school and care post COVID-19, particularly in Victoria. 

“It’s critical they have a supportive environment for the ‘new normal’,” Mr Comer said. 

“Young children are still carrying anxiety from last year and feelings of being disconnected due to the transition to remote learning last year. While we saw a lot of children increase screen time, we also saw children exploring new areas of art and other hobbies to express themselves and cope.”

Building on the positive themes, the Rocketeers activities have been programmed to reflect a mixture of fun, flexibility and education “so we can help form connections with others and build children’s resilience.”

225 Rocketeers locations currently operate the activities across Australia, excluding Tasmania. To learn more about the Rocketeers program, please see here.