A few weeks ago, the students of the Baldiri i Reixac School in Barcelona went on a school trip. The children in I5, second, and fourth grade did. Until last year, all grades went, but the teaching staff decided to reserve them only for the end of the cycle because it was becoming increasingly difficult to find teachers willing to go each year. They thought that the fact that not everyone had to go each year would lead to greater availability on the part of the teachers. Years ago, the opposite decision was made. The trips were held at the end of the cycle, and it was agreed to extend them to all grades. “We teachers attached great importance to the trips, but little by little we have been getting worn out,” comments a teacher from the center.

“We paid for the summer camp and bought everything: the backpack, the sleeping bag, the mosquito repellent; but at the last minute she started crying and didn’t want to go,” explains Somaya about her 8-year-old daughter, Nadjat. It’s not the first time this has happened. Since kindergarten (i5), Nadjat’s school—located in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona—has organized a one- or two-night summer camp every two years, but Somaya has yet to get her daughter to go. According to the report Wasn't educational leisure a right? d'Alliance 360Participation in leisure activities (such as summer camps or extracurricular activities) varies drastically depending on origin and income: children from newly arrived families participate between 20% and 30% less in organized leisure activities compared to children from native families.

Nearly twenty years ago, Eva Boix took over Can Joval, a 12th-century farmhouse in Clariana del Cardener, in Solsonès, and forged a family-run summer camp project that, with 120 beds surrounded by forest and nature, offers family stays, burrows, esplais, and schools. It's a rustic farmhouse where they focus on personalized service and take care of every detail, both in the house and in the activities they offer. In the field of school camps, for several years now, they've offered themed stays and educational projects so children and young people can make the most of this break in their daily lives. It's a transformation they've also had to undergo to adapt to changing regulations in the sector, which restrict certain activities and games to avoid risks, which affects the design of these stays.

The Pere Tarrés Foundation's "Vamos en familia" program offers an accessible, fun, and educational alternative for families looking to spend a few days on vacation, enjoy a long weekend, or spend a weekend without having to worry about logistics, activities, or day-to-day planning. With stays starting July 26th, this program takes place in summer camps and youth hostels throughout Catalonia, taking advantage of the time when these facilities stop hosting school camps.

Going on summer camps is quite an adventure. Packing a backpack, traveling by bus, participating in outdoor activities, and... sleeping away from home. One, two, or three nights. For many children, this circumstance is irrelevant, but for others, it's one of the reasons they put off.

When summer arrives and schools close their doors, thousands of Catalan families prepare for an almost ritual event: summer camps. With more than sixty years of experience in the world of educational leisure, the Pere Tarrés Foundation has become a leading institution in Catalonia, enthusiastically and professionally preparing summer camps for children and young people to spend free time full of activities and learning. In 2024, nearly 2,000 children and young people participated, divided into fifty camp shifts organized throughout Catalonia.

The Government will screen activity leaders in summer camps, Tv3 has advanced and ACN has confirmed. The first will be made on Saturday and are aimed at monitors who take part in activities involving an overnight stay. The measure was communicated on Thursday at a meeting between the entities of the sector and the Directorate General for Youth. Initially there will be screening for activities with departures until Wednesday, and from next Thursday a second batch will begin for those who leave before Sunday. The Pere Tarrés Foundation and Fundesplai have valued the measure positively because it gives a "plus" to the protocols to which they are already subjected. The first entity has so far detected 17 cases and has 14 groups in isolation, while the second calculates 1% of groups are affected. ARA already reported on Monday that infections among activity leaders, children and teenagers attending camps were causing concern, with businesses regretting workers not having been offered a vaccine.