Smart Program Design: How to Build Classes & Camps That Truly Serve Families

Let’s face it — parents have a lot on their plates. Between juggling school calendars, work schedules, multiple kids, and (somehow) keeping everyone fed and dressed, families are craving convenience, clarity, and flexibility when it comes to enrichment programs.

The good news? A few strategic program design choices can make a huge difference in enrollment, retention, and word-of-mouth referrals. Here’s how to design programs that meet families where they are — and grow your business at the same time.

👶 Ages: Capture More Families by Expanding Age Ranges

If you’ve ever tried to get two kids to two different camps across town at the same time, you understand the struggle.

Parents love programs that accept siblings in the same age window or at least offer options during the same hours. Even better? Run a parallel “Littles” group (ages 4–6) alongside an older kids’ program — same theme, same time, different curriculum. It’s efficient for you and a game-changer for parents.

Remember, families with preschool-age kids are often new to this whole camp thing and eager for a solution that breaks up the day and gives them a breather (or time to work). Offering something for 4–6 year-olds — even a short 3–4 hour session — can help you capture a whole new customer segment.

⏰ Hours: Longer = Better for Parents

Here’s a stat that might surprise you: Programs under 3 hours long are far less likely to get booked.

Why? Because by the time a parent drops off, runs an errand, answers a few emails, and gets a coffee, it’s already time to circle back for pickup. That’s stressful — and not super productive.

Even just bumping your end time back by 30–60 minutes (say, from 12pm to 1pm) can make a big difference.

We’re seeing the sweet spot land around 8:30am–1:30pm for morning programs and 1pm–5pm for afternoon ones — especially for younger kids.

If you can build in a lunch break or snack time, even better. Kids stay fueled and parents stay sane.

🗓️ Timing: Pay Attention to the School Calendars

This one’s a total game-changer: Check your local school district calendars. (Yes, plural.)

Many providers forget about year-round schools, but those families have entirely different breaks — like long 3-week intersessions while traditional schools are in session. That’s a huge opportunity to run mini camps or workshops that serve an entirely new audience.

Pro tip: School calendars are posted publicly online. Look at the start dates, breaks, and early release days. Then build your programming around those windows when parents need coverage most. You might be surprised by some of the days off — like Professional Development Days and Emergency Closure Days — that are unique to each year and each school district.

📅 Publish & Open Registration Early

Parents plan early — especially working parents trying to line up coverage for spring break, summer, or random school closure days. The earlier you post, the more likely you are to get on the calendar before it fills with other commitments.

On Enrichment.kids, your order form displays schedule, dates, age ranges, themes, and prices up front so parents can quickly scan options and start building their kids’ enrichment plans for after-school and school breaks. When it’s easy to understand, it’s easy to buy.

😵‍💫 Remember: Some Parents Are Brand New to This

Many of today’s parents are signing up for camps and classes for the very first time. Their kids may have just aged out of full-day preschool or daycare, and they’re now experiencing the public school calendar — and on average more than 15 weeks off from school over the course of the year — for the first time.

Let’s put that in perspective:

• Kids are in school about 1,000 hours per year
• Full-time working parents work about 2,000 hours per year

That’s a lot of coverage to fill. And many families are in a state of shock the first time they realize it. The easier you make it to find, understand, and register for your programs, the more likely you are to convert curious parents into loyal repeat customers — and bring their siblings too.

📣 Don’t Forget the Marketing Piece

Once your programs are thoughtfully designed, you still need to make sure parents know about them!

👉 Check out our last blog post on marketing strategies to ensure families are finding, sharing, and registering for your offerings.

We also just added a new “Share” button on the parent dashboard and on each listing in the order form. Parents can copy the share link for a specific session and text or email it to friends — and the link will automatically add that exact session to their friend’s cart. It’s a super simple way for families to coordinate schedules and free marketing for you!

Want help setting up your schedule or optimizing your listings on Enrichment.kids? We’re always here to support you — just reach out!