Summer Camps in Palma: Online Registration Open – Places at Four Sports Facilities

Summer Camps in Palma: Online Registration Open – Places at Four Sports Facilities

More choice, familiar places: Son Moix, Son Hugo, Rudy Fernández and Antoni Servera take part

Summer holidays are announcing themselves in Palma's streets: more scooters, fewer schoolbags, and at the café tables on Avinguda Jaume III days are being filled with timetables for the children. Anyone who has lived in Palma in recent years knows the ritual – the search for reliable care in July and August. From today, part of that search works digitally: the IME sports institute has opened online registration for the summer camps.

This year the programs run in four well-known sports facilities: Son Moix, Son Hugo and the Rudy Fernández hall remain involved, and the program is complemented by the Antoni Servera facility in Arenal. The planned Germans Escalas site is not available this time because the facility is being renovated. The camps are aimed at children aged three to 14 and offer a colourful sports program: swimming, climbing, gymnastics and similar activities where children can try things out and be active.

The core daily hours are from 9:00 to 14:00. Parents who work outside these times will find flexible solutions: both early and late care can be booked additionally, as well as the option to add lunch. Practical for those working along the harbour promenade or in the Son Castelló industrial area – someone who sets off in the morning from the Paseo Marítimo can drop their child off on the way to work and keep the journey short.

In total 3,840 places are available this year, slightly fewer than last year. That means deciding quickly can help. Places in popular weeks – for example when the swimming program is intensified or climbing sessions are on the schedule – are usually filled quickly. Registration is online via the IME pages; fees and the exact weekly programme are also listed there.

What I notice on the way to the Son Moix sports centre: grandparents sitting on benches, parents discussing bicycle helmets at the gates of the facilities, and from the halls the sound of balls striking the floor or the shy cheer of a newcomer who conquers the climbing wall for the first time. For many families these camps are more than just care – they are a piece of everyday neighbourhood life: the same coaches, the same groundskeepers, familiar faces from school.

Why is that good for Palma? Practically speaking: the camps relieve families, give children space to run around and encourage movement at a time when screen time can easily take over. For the city it means: using infrastructure, employing staff and activating spaces – especially in neighbourhoods like Son Pastilla or Es Fortí where sports facilities are fixed meeting points. Furthermore, such programmes give young people opportunities to discover new sports that may spark interest in local clubs, or lead them to events such as the Free youth padel tournament in Palma.

A small tip for parents: when choosing weeks, pay attention to the age groups and additional offers. Some days are more focused on swim training, others on gymnastics or ball games. If lunch is booked, clarify whether special diets or allergies are taken into account – most facilities provide separate information for that.

Registration is open, the summer holidays are coming – and with them the familiar scenes: bicycles outside the gyms, wet towels in car trunks and the relieved smiles of parents who know their child has a week of activity, new friends and care ahead. So if you want a place, don't wait too long. And if your preferred week is full: children often move up from waiting lists, or there are free days at neighbouring facilities.

For families who have newly moved to the island this summer: the camps are a good way to make connections; for other local activities, Palma's casals open enrollment lists courses that may help with meeting people.

Short and practical: Online registration now via IME. Age group: 3–14 years. Core care: 9:00–14:00. Extras: early care, late care, lunch. Facilities: Son Moix, Son Hugo, Rudy Fernández, Antoni Servera (Germans Escalas closed due to renovation). Places: 3,840.