Dutch school kids get about 12 weeks off a year, spread across breaks like voorjaarsvakantie in spring, meivakantie in May, the zomervakantie in summer, herfstvakantie in October and kerstvakantie at the end of the year. If you work full-time, that’s a lot of childcare to sort out, and a day camp is usually the easiest fix. Kids go for half or full days, they try something new, and you get your inbox back for a few hours.
The tricky part is that camps run at different times, in different corners of the city, at different price points. Below is how to think about it for the four biggest camp periods (summer, herfstvakantie, kerstvakantie and meivakantie), plus where to actually find the current list.
The one resource behind all of this: vakantiekamp.amsterdam
Every camp mentioned in this guide, and hundreds more, are collected on vakantiekamp.amsterdam, a listings site run by a parent for exactly the same reason Amsterdam Kids exists: to save other parents the digging. It’s updated for each vacation period separately, so you’re not scrolling through camps that already finished.
For every camp on the list you get the activity type, the dates, the age range, the location and the price, plus a direct link to the sign-up page. The camp organizers themselves check the information before it goes up, so it isn’t just scraped from somewhere and left to go stale.
Zomervakantie: summer camps (the busiest by far)
Summer is when the list is longest, several hundred camps across the city in a single vacation period. This is also the period where you’ll find the widest spread of activities:
- Sports camps built around a single sport a kid already loves
- Theater camps that build up to a final performance for parents
- Tech camps where kids build a robot or program their first video game
- Science-focused camps
- Arts and crafts camps
Because summer is the longest break by far, most camps let you book single days, single weeks, or the whole run, and choose half days or full days depending on what your schedule needs. With this many options and this much competition for spots, don’t leave summer booking until the last minute, popular weeks and popular activities (robotics and theater especially) tend to fill first.
If you’re already planning the rest of the summer calendar, our school holidays activity guide covers what else is on across all the break periods, not just camps.
Herfstvakantie: the October break
Herfstvakantie is much shorter than summer, so the camp list for it is smaller too. It’s still worth checking vakantiekamp.amsterdam specifically for this period rather than assuming summer’s camps repeat, providers add and drop weeks depending on demand, and a one-week break sells out its spots faster relative to how much time you have to plan around it.
If a day camp doesn’t line up with your dates that week, browsing the Amsterdam Kids directory is a good way to fill in single days with other kid-friendly things to do.
Kerstvakantie: the Christmas break
The end-of-year break is the longest stretch outside summer, and because it falls over the holidays themselves, availability can be tighter, both because families travel and because some regular providers scale down over the holidays. Check the list early for kerstvakantie dates rather than assuming spots will still be open once the school term ends.
It’s also a natural time to combine a camp day with something else, a birthday falling over the break, or a family meal out afterwards. If you’re planning either, our posts on kids’ birthday party providers in and around Amsterdam and kid-friendly restaurants in Amsterdam are worth a look.
Meivakantie: the May break
Meivakantie’s length varies by school, but it’s usually long enough that most parents need at least a few camp days to cover it. As with herfstvakantie, check vakantiekamp.amsterdam for this specific period, camp availability for May is listed separately from summer’s, and the activity mix on offer can differ week to week.
What actually happens once you sign up
Once you book a spot, you’ll usually get a confirmation email with the practical details: drop-off and pick-up times and location, if your kid needs to bring their own lunch or snacks, any equipment to pack, and a request for allergy information and emergency contacts. Keep that email somewhere you can find it on the morning of, it’s the one with the address and timing you’ll actually need.
On the first day, kids meet the caregivers and the other kids in their group, hear how the day or week is structured, and then get into the activity itself. If your child is younger or hasn’t done a day camp before, it’s worth reading through that confirmation email with them the night before so the drop-off itself isn’t the first they’re hearing about any of it.
Because camps run in different neighborhoods across Amsterdam, it’s worth picking one that’s actually convenient for your drop-off and pick-up routine rather than the single best-reviewed option across town, a shorter commute matters more than it sounds like it should on a work day.
FAQ
Where do I find the full, current list of holiday camps in Amsterdam?
vakantiekamp.amsterdam lists camps by vacation period, with activity, dates, age range, location, price and a sign-up link for each one. It’s updated separately for each break rather than kept as one long-running list.
How far in advance should I book a holiday camp?
As early as you can once a vacation period’s camps are listed. Summer has the most options but also the most demand, several hundred camps fill up across the city, and popular activities and weeks go first. Shorter breaks like herfstvakantie and meivakantie have fewer spots overall, so the same booking-early logic applies even harder.
What information will I need to provide when signing up?
Camps typically ask for allergy information and emergency contacts as part of sign-up or in the confirmation email afterwards. You’ll also get details on drop-off and pick-up times, whether to pack lunch or snacks, and any equipment your kid needs to bring.
Can kids do single days instead of a full week?
Yes, most camps offer single days as well as full weeks, and half days as well as full days. That flexibility is exactly what makes camps useful for patching together childcare across a longer break like summer or kerstvakantie without committing every day to the same activity.
