Summer holidays are made for adventures. This summer is packed with sport, from the World Cup, to Wimbledon and the Commonwealth Games! It's a great time to explore locally around Edinburgh and try new sports activities with the kids. Need some inspiration to help get you started? We have six great sports activities for your family to try and how to get involved right here at Oriam!
Adventures around Campus
Walk, jog or cycle with the family
Edinburgh has some beautiful parks, pathways and countryside to explore, Oriam included! We are located on Heriot-Watt Campus with several campus trails and paths to explore with the kids and it's free! Our Bike Bothy is open every Friday to support with bike hire and repairs if cycling is more your style. We also have a ParkRun which starts from our Walled Garden every Saturday morning! You can also pick-up a snack and drink after your adventures at Oriam Café. Dogs are also welcome on-leash in our reception area.
Kids Summer Sports Camps
This summer we have a variety of camps and activities available to kids aged 3 years and over. We have three great camps run by our own staff alongside a range of other options delivered by trusted organisations like Box Soccer and Kings Camps.
Here are a few highlights for the summer holidays 2026
- Mini Racquets Camp| Ages 3-5 years | Monday - Thursday each week
- short sessions perfect for our youngest sports fans, fantastic opportunity to explore different racquet sports and develop foundation skills through fun games and challenges. Class sizes kept small to maximise staff support for every child. - Junior Sports Camp| Ages 5 - 13 years | Monday - Thursday each week
- Action-packed 4-day camp, filled with a range of sports activities across Oriam's facilities including Tennis. - OYDP - Oriam's Youth Development Programme | Ages 11 - 18 years | Monday - Thursday each week.
- Train like a pro with our Sports Science team in our performance sport facilities. Perfect for young aspiring athletes or sports enthusiasts.
World Cup Fever! Get on pitch this summer
Looking forward to the football World Cup this summer? Your football group on summer break? Get the kids together for a kick-about on our synthetic pitches. 5-a-side and 7-a-side pitches available, indoors and outdoors so you can keep playing whatever the Scottish summer weather throws at us. Booking is quick and easy through the Oriam App, website, by phone, or at reception—so grab your boots and make the most of this Scottish summer of sport!
Pickleball
Pickleball is a paddle sport, rapidly growing in popularity across the world, including Edinburgh. What is Pickleball? It is a fun combination of tennis, badminton, and table tennis which is played on a small court, with light-weight plastic paddles and balls. This makes it really accessible and less intimidating for beginners and younger players.
The game is easy to learn but offers plenty of challenges to keep everyone engaged, and you can play in doubles, so you can get the whole family involved. At Oriam, we currently have 5 courts available in our sports halls and equipment is available to hire at reception!
Tennis
Tennis is a great sport to try with the family this summer. It is fun, engaging and quick to start playing at any age. A regular game of tennis has so many benefits for the whole family, building on agility, co-ordination and cardio health. Tennis also teaches a variety of life skills including teamwork and communication, especially when you're playing doubles!
Oriam's Indoor Tennis Centre is a great place to play whether you're a seasoned professional or a complete beginner. The indoor courts mean you can play rain or shine, and the high-quality acrylic courts are really consistent which helps beginners get into a game and seasoned pros perfect their technique.
Basketball
Basketball is a great option for your older kids and teens and you don't even need a full court, or a team, to start playing. Here are a few suggestions to try on one of our half-court sessions.
Skills and Tricks
Figure of Eights - Try dribbling the ball in a figure of eight between your legs as you move around the court.
Musical spot shooting - dribble around court whilst the music is playing, when the music stops, try to shoot or pass from where you've stopped.
Games
Around the World - Pick 3 spots from around the key to shoot from. First person to shoot from all 3 spots wins.
Horse - One player makes a shot and the next player has to copy it. If they miss, they get a letter from the word 'Horse'. The first player to spell "HORSE" loses.