HAF SUMMER 2026
HAF SUMMER 2026
This summer, IDEA Design Hub CIC brought creativity, learning, healthy living and fun to children across London through our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programmes, delivered across Ealing, Bromley, Kingston, Southwark, Redbridge and Hounslow. Our camps provided welcoming and inclusive spaces where children could spend their school holidays exploring new interests, expressing themselves creatively, staying active and building new friendships.
Throughout the programme, children took part in a wide range of hands-on art, design and creative learning activities. From painting, drawing and model-making to architecture, fashion and imaginative design challenges, every project encouraged children to experiment, solve problems and bring their own ideas to life. Our young creators designed colourful underwater worlds and coral reefs, constructed miniature houses, personalised tote bags, created summer-inspired sunglasses and explored food through playful art projects. Rather than focusing on one "right" outcome, children were encouraged to use their imagination and develop creations that reflected their own personalities and ideas.
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Creativity was also used as a way to introduce children to wider themes. Activities inspired by the ocean encouraged conversations about nature and the environment, while food-themed projects helped children explore healthy eating and balanced diets in an engaging and accessible way. Children sculpted colourful fruits and designed imaginative dishes while learning that nutritious food can be exciting, varied and enjoyable.
As part of the HAF programme, children were provided with healthy hot meals, fresh fruit and vegetables, helping to promote positive eating habits throughout the school holidays. Physical activity was equally important, with outdoor play, games, movement and team challenges incorporated into the programme to encourage children to stay active, have fun and enjoy time away from screens.
Beyond the artwork produced, some of the most rewarding moments came from watching confidence and friendships grow. Children worked together, exchanged ideas, helped one another with creative challenges and celebrated each other's achievements. Our designers and educators created an environment where every child was encouraged to participate, experiment and feel proud of what they had accomplished.
Funded through the Department for Education's Holiday Activities and Food programme and delivered in collaboration with local authorities and community partners, IDEA's Summer HAF Camps demonstrate how the school holidays can become an opportunity for much more than recreation. They can be a time for children to discover new talents, develop confidence, stay healthy, connect with others and experience the joy of creativity.
We are incredibly proud of everything our young creators achieved this summer and of the enthusiasm, imagination and energy they brought to our camps every day. Most importantly, we hope every child left IDEA HAF with new skills, new friendships, happy memories and the confidence to keep imagining, designing and creating long after the summer is over.