With the summer vacation finally here and exams over, many kids are excited for a long break full of fun and new experiences.
For parents, the big challenge is finding safe, engaging activities that keep their children busy and away from screens.
For working mother Gehad Mabrouk, this summer was different.
Her eight-year-old daughter had always spent her holidays at the same nursery she attended since she was little.
This year, Mabrouk decided it was time for a change.
“I didn’t want to leave her at the nursery anymore,” she said.
“I wanted her to join a proper summer camp or activity centre that fits her age,” she told The Egyptian Mail.
Like many working mothers, Mabrouk needs a safe place for her daughter during the day, while she is at work.
“Children this age can’t stay home alone, but they’re also too old to spend the whole day in a nursery with much younger kids,” she explained.
“They need a chance to learn new skills, enjoy their holiday, and spend time with friends,” she said.
She eventually enrolled her daughter in a summer programme at the Child Museum, which offers science workshops, arts and crafts, storytelling, museum tours, and group activities that build creativity, teamwork, and innovation.
The children also enjoy hands-on projects and outdoor trips.
Across Cairo, summer camps and activity programmes have become very popular.
Many private schools and specialised academies run camps for children aged 5 to 15.
Weekly fees usually range from EGP 1,000 to EGP 2,000.
Activities include coding and artificial intelligence workshops, chess, sports training, swimming, football, gymnastics, and more.
Amr El-Raie, who runs a summer camp in Maadi, says these programmes offer much more than just childcare.
“A summer camp isn’t only a safe place for kids, but also a real solution to screen addiction,” he told this newspaper.
He believes children turn to screens because they are the easiest option.
When kids have real adventures, make real friends, and achieve things they can feel proud of, screens lose a lot of their pull.
For 10-year-old Omar Hisham, summer camp has been a chance to try new things.
His mother signed him up at a big sports club so he could explore different sports and find what he enjoys most.
However, these programmes can be expensive.
Enas Sameh, a mother of three, says sending all her children to summer camps would cost around EGP 12,000 a month, far more than she can afford.
Instead, she enrolled them in a public library’s new summer programme, which offers affordable workshops, astronomy activities, science experiments, and other educational sessions.
