Looking for a fun, hands-on holiday activity for your child? Why not join our Merrist Wood Holiday Club – Keeper Experience!

Based at Merrist Wood College, children will have the opportunity to meet and care for a variety of animals, including tortoises, rabbits, reptiles, birds, meerkats and our rare breed farm animals. Activities take place across our animal biomes, pet area and farm, with some outdoor activities included, weather permitting.

Throughout the day, children will enjoy a range of engaging activities, including:

Animal feeding and watering

Learning how to safely handle a variety of animals

Animal encounters and interactive sessions

Species identification

Outdoor activities (weather permitting)

End-of-day review and reflection

The day begins with a welcome briefing and finishes with a review of everything the children have learnt and experienced.

What to Bring

Please ensure your child brings:

A packed lunch

Snacks

A refillable drinks bottle

Suitable clothing for indoor and outdoor activities

Sturdy footwear

Please note that lunch is not provided.

Important Information

We are a nut-free Holiday Club.

Animal species available each day will vary depending on animal welfare requirements.

Activities may change depending on the weather and the needs of our animals.

Come and experience what it's really like to be an Animal Keeper and enjoy a day full of discovery, learning and fun at Merrist Wood College!

Sibling Discount: Book siblings at the same time and receive £5 off using the discount code Siblings.

Holiday Club – Additional Needs & Inclusion Statement

Our Approach

We are committed to providing a fun, safe and welcoming environment for all children attending our holiday club. We value inclusivity and aim to support a wide range of needs wherever reasonably possible within our setting.

Nature of Provision

Our holiday club is delivered in a group setting with set staff-to-child ratios. Activities are designed for groups and involve shared participation, movement around site, and interaction with others.

While our staff are experienced in working with children, they are not specialist SEND practitioners and we are not resourced to provide one-to-one or highly individualised support.

Assessing Suitability

To ensure every child has a positive and safe experience, we ask parents/carers to inform us of any additional needs prior to booking. Please send enquiries to mwevents@activatelearning.ac.uk. This includes (but is not limited to):

Medical conditions

Behavioural or emotional needs

Sensory or communication needs

Requirements for 1:1 or specialist support

We will consider each child’s needs on a case-by-case basis and may request further information to assess whether we can reasonably meet those needs within our provision.

Please note: Our staff are unable to administer medication under any circumstances. If your child requires medication during the day, a parent or guardian will need to attend the site to administer it.

When We May Not Be Able to Offer a Place

There may be occasions where, following discussion, we feel we are unable to provide the level of support required to ensure a child’s safety, wellbeing, or enjoyment. This may include situations where:

1:1 supervision is required

Specialist training or interventions are needed

The group environment may be overwhelming or unsuitable

In such cases, we will explain our reasons clearly and sensitively. This decision is always based on the suitability of our provision, not the individual child.

Working Together

We encourage open communication and welcome early conversations so we can give clear guidance before a booking is made. Our aim is to be transparent and supportive, helping families make informed decisions.

On the Day

Parents/carers must remain contactable at all times while their child is attending. If a child becomes distressed or we are unable to safely support their needs, we may ask for early collection.

Ongoing Review

We regularly review our provision and communications to ensure clarity and fairness. Feedback from parents and carers is always welcomed.

Description supplied by the event organiser.