Scaling Children's Activity Business & How: Programs, Camps, Parties, and more!

Running a children’s activity center isn’t just about classes anymore—it’s a full-blown adventure! One day you're organizing a week-long camp, the next you're hosting a superhero-themed birthday bash, and in between, you're managing your regular programs like a pro. Programs, camps, parties—they’re all essential to keeping your business buzzing and your community coming back for more.

And when you’re juggling all these moving parts, things can get pretty chaotic pretty fast! Managing classes, responding to bookings, organizing seasonal camps, or even planning birthday parties- and doing all of these together, at once? We get it, and we’re always working to make things a little easier for you.

Children’s activity centers thrive on energy, creativity, and connection—but running one shouldn’t mean drowning in admin. As AI and automation reshape how modern businesses operate, now’s the time to lean in, not fall behind. With the right tools, you can cut down on repetitive tasks, simplify bookings, and stay effortlessly organized. That means more time to focus on what really matters—building joyful, lasting experiences for every child who walks through your doors.

Here’s what’s new, what’s important, and how each of these can support the way you run your children’s activity business:

1. Make Party Bookings Simple and Stress-Free
2. Offer Recurring Classes without the repetitive work
3. Make seasonal camps easier to plan and fill

Let’s break down these into easily digestible steps that you can start and support your business right away-

1. Make Party Bookings Simple and Stress-Free

If you offer party packages—birthdays, weekend group events, or celebrations—you know how quickly things can get complicated. Between collecting RSVPs, setting up custom pricing, and managing payments, it's a lot to keep on top of.

Now, you can:

• Create party listings with your pricing, age groups, and staff assignments- ‍

As a children's activity business, you can now create detailed party offerings with specific pricing, age restrictions, and assigned instructors or hosts.

Example: If you're a swim school, you can list a "Pool Party Package (Ages 6–9)" with a certified lifeguard already assigned, and even limit availability to weekends.

• Offer add-ons like decorations or extra time slots-

Add-ons are a great way to enhance the party while generating additional revenue. Think extra time in the facility, premium decor, or goody bags.

Example: Children’s activity providers could offer “Art Party Add-Ons” like a DIY craft station or themed decorations, which parents can select during booking.

• Share RSVP links so families can confirm attendance easily-‍

You can generate a simple RSVP link that parents can send to guests. Attendees can confirm their spots, provide names, and even note food allergies or preferences in advance—making it easier for everyone to stay informed and organized.

Example: At a kids' activity center hosting birthday parties, a parent booking a “Jungle Adventure Party” can include an RSVP link in their invites. As guests respond, you’ll know exactly how many children are attending, their names, and even important info like if someone has a peanut allergy or needs a vegetarian snack. No more chasing down headcounts or last-minute changes—it’s all tracked and ready in your dashboard.

• Let guests pay fully or in part—and even leave a tip if they’d like-

Let parents choose to pay in full or just leave a deposit to hold the booking—aimed at making it easier for them to commit. You can even allow tipping for your staff directly through the dashboard. This makes a huge difference!

Example: A parent booking a party at your indoor play center can pay a 30% deposit upfront and add a tip for the party coordinator who helps run the event.

2. Offer Recurring Classes Without the Repetitive Work

Keeping up with individual bookings can be challenging for those of you who run weekly classes or structured programs—like after-school sessions, beginner-to-advanced courses, or themed learning tracks.

What you should be rather doing is:

• Let clients sign up once and automatically enroll them for all future sessions-

Instead of having families register for every single class week by week, you can now set up programs where a client signs up once and is automatically enrolled for all upcoming sessions.

Example: A swim school offering an 8-week beginner course can now have parents enroll just once, and the child is added to all 8 sessions instantly. No more reminding parents to book every week or managing late sign-ups—they're already on the roster.

• Offer flexible pricing, drop-in options, and refund policies-

You can customize your pricing for full-program payments, allow drop-ins for those who can’t commit to the full series, and define clear cancellation and refund terms that work for your business.

Example: A kids’ activity center offering a monthly after-school art program can offer a full-month price with a slight discount, allow one-off drop-ins at a higher rate, and set up a 24-hour cancellation window—so families know what to expect and you retain control over your schedule.

• Organize your schedule without needing to manage each date manually-

You no longer need to create individual listings for every single session in a program. Once a program is set up, the system takes care of enrolling participants across all sessions, keeping your calendar organized and your headspace clear.

Example: A summer enrichment club running a 5-day STEM boot camp can set up the full week in one go—no need to create five separate class entries. Parents get a single enrollment flow, and your team sees one organized program instead of a fragmented calendar.

3. Make Seasonal Camps Easier to Plan (and Fill)

Seasonal camps can be one of the most rewarding parts of your business—but also the most complex to manage. From scheduling different age groups to offering tiered pricing, it can quickly become overwhelming.

How you can make client experience smoother:

• Create flexible camp formats, whether they’re one day, a weekend, or multiple weeks-

Design camps that run for a single day, a weekend, a full week, or even several weeks—without having to rebuild your setup every time.

Example: A kids’ activity center running a “Mini Makers Day Camp” on Saturdays in June. For that you can create a recurring slot that runs every Saturday, set age limits, pricing per session, and staff assignments, and also enable parents to book for one Saturday or all Saturdays at once.
Similarly, for a “Summer Creativity Week” in July, you can build a one-time, multi-day camp that runs across five consecutive days in the week, offers tiered pricing (e.g., full week pass or 3-day option), and along with that add add-ons like a camp t-shirt, art materials kit, or extended pick-up hours or include custom questions like emergency contact info or allergy details in the registration form.

• Offer multiple pricing tiers to make your programs accessible-

Set up different pricing levels based on session length, number of days, or included extras. This gives parents options to make their children join while helping you increase overall booking value.

Example: A summer camp might offer:

1. 5-day pass for the full program
2. 3-day option for families with tighter schedules
3. Single-day drop-ins at a higher per-day rate
   This makes your camp more accessible and appealing to a wider range of families.
   

• Add custom questions or add-ons like t-shirts, meals, or extended care-

You can collect info like emergency contacts, allergy notes, or t-shirt sizes—all during registration. You can also offer paid extras like lunch, extended care, or camp kits.

Example: A swim camp might include options like “Add Swim Cap & Towel Pack” or “Lunch Included,” while also gathering dietary preferences and pick-up contact details upfront—saving you from back-and-forth later.

• Manage everything from one place—no extra tools needed-

With Omnify's Camp feature- You can view registrations, payments, participant details, add-ons, and even attendance from one dashboard. No more juggling spreadsheets, forms, and calendars.

Example: Whether you’re preparing rosters, tracking who ordered the camp t-shirt, or checking how many signed up for extended hours, it’s all in one place—easy to access, easy to update.

Why This Matters for Growing Your Business?

As a kids' activity center, it’s easy to stick with what works—like drop-in classes or weekly sessions. But if you want to create a more sustainable, impactful business, it’s time to think bigger.

By offering a variety of services—like birthday party bookings, seasonal camps, and structured programs—you’re not just adding revenue streams. You’re giving families more ways to engage, stay longer, and keep coming back.

If you’re ready to take that next step, book a free demo with us—we’ll walk you through exactly how Omnify’s Children’s Activity Software can help you streamline operations and grow smarter.

👉 Book your free demo now