How to bag kids' summer holiday sports clubs for £7.50 a day (or 1,500 Nectar points) – but you'll need to go quick

The summer break is looming, and if you want to get your kids doing something fun and productive, Sainsbury's runs holiday clubs for children aged 5-15 in 70 locations across England and Wales.

Its Active Kids clubs cost just £7.50 per day or 1,500 Nectar points (worth £7.50 if spent in Sainsbury's) – and that includes a healthy lunch and snacks.

This is a steal considering the average cost of holiday childcare in the UK is £133 a week, according to a 2018 study by the Family and Childcare Trust.

The clubs run from 15 July to 4 September, between 9am and 4pm. They get kids playing tennis, rounders, cricket, dodgeball, football and fencing. Your little ones can also have a bash at gymnastics, circus skills and arts and crafts. (Exact activities and dates vary by location.)

There's no limit to how many sessions you can book per child, and you can book up to the day before the date you want to go. (If there are spots left, that is.) Unfortunately, it doesn't accept childcare vouchers.

Book as soon as possible, as once places are gone, they're gone. Sainsbury's said: "There are still thousands of spaces, and there is availability in the majority of locations, but spots are going quickly."

We did a quick search and the majority of places had spots left, including Barking, Birmingham, Bolton, Brixton, Crawley, Selby, Stratford, Sunderland, Torquay and Warrington.

See our Things to do with the kids guide for free activities, restaurant offers & more.

Anyone can book – you don't need to shop at Sainsbury's or have a Nectar card

The scheme's run in partnership with sports education provider Premier Education, and you don't need to shop at Sainsbury's or have a Nectar card to book a session.

You can book through the Active Kids website. To book with a debit or credit card, find a club in your area. Then register on the site, and select the club and days you'd like your child to attend.

Got a stash of Nectar points? You could be onto a winner

If you've a stash of Nectar points, this is a brilliant way to use them. I got five days of childcare for 7,500 Nectar points (worth £37.50 if spent at Sainsbury's). Similar clubs nearby were charging a hefty £125.

Usually when spent in store at Sainsbury's, each Nectar point is worth 0.5p (so 500 points equals £2.50 off shopping). See our Loyalty Points guide for more info.

With some retailers you can boost Nectar points to double or triple their value, but 1,500 points for a whole day's childcare seems like a bargain to me. You can check the Nectar website for a full list of offers.

If you don't have enough points, you can buy codes in increments of 500 Nectar points, and make the rest up in cash. Here's how to book:

  1. First use the Club Finder to find one near you. You won't be able to swap the vouchers back into points or cash, so before you exchange check it has the dates you want.

  2. Go to Nectar to exchange your points for an Active Kids voucher. An email with the code should arrive in a few minutes. You can use the codes until 3 September 2019.

  3. Follow the link in your voucher email to book as soon as possible. You don't have to pay solely in Nectar codes, you can make the rest up in cash.