Junior Zone will be launching in September 2024 at Richhill Recreation Centre, to offer primary school aged children an activity based after school care, and school holiday club.
This will be an expansion of the multi-award winning Happy Kids Daycare, started by husband and wife Martin and Karen Kelly in 2018.
Running all year round, Junior Zone will offer school pickups, homework assistance, and age appropriate based activities from qualified staff and sports coach. With a dedicated secure app, parents will be provided with live updates on their children, and can easily communicate with Junior Zone staff.
Martin explained: “Kids are sitting in school all day. Often when they get home, they are inside looking at screens. Here, they’ll be playing a range of activities such as football, rounders, basketball, badminton and gymnastics, to name a few.
“They’ll be exercising without knowing they are. Our kids will be having fun whilst socialising with friends as well. We will also be providing nutritious meals and snacks, prepared by our fully qualified chef.”
Karen said they noticed a gap in the market which had a need for young people to get more active outside of school: “We chose Richhill as it is central to schools in Armagh and the surrounding areas for our school pickup service. The facility itself is huge, with a massive indoor hall where we are going to facilitate team activities, an arts and crafts room with a reading corner, homework assistance space, and outside there are 3G pitches.”
Junior Zone’s after school offering will run from 1.30pm to 5.45pm Monday to Friday, with local collections arranged from schools including Armagh, Richhill, Loughgall, Ballyhegan, Hamiltonsbawn and the surrounding areas. Parental drop off to the recreation centre is also an option.
During school midterm and holiday breaks, Junior Zone will operate from 8am to 5.45pm Monday to Friday.
This offering is a natural expansion to cater for Primary school aged children from the already thriving Happy Kids Daycare, awarded the Families First ‘Exceptional Daycare’ in Northern Ireland in 2023 and ‘Highly Recommended Daycare’ Northern Ireland 2024.
Both of these nominations came from parents/guardians who use the service including feedback such as ‘The days my child goes to Happy Kids are his favourite days. We had concerns about his speech and language development as well as socialisation, not to mention being a picky eater. We are astounded at the improvements he has made since being with Karen, Martin and staff.
Happy Kids Daycare is situated at Fruitfield, on the main Armagh / Portadown road. It is a purpose built nursery with two baby rooms (0-2 years), a toddler room (2-3 years), a pre pre room (3-4 years) and a preschool room (4-5 years).
They also have the added bonus of an indoor sensory room. This space allows the children to relax and explore in a therapeutic environment. It has been designed to provide calmness and comfort to the children in a very busy world of growing and learning. There are available places within the Daycare, however these are limited.
To enrol your child for the upcoming afterschool and school holiday spots, please contact Karen and Martin via email juniorzonerrc@gmail.com or telephone Happy Kids Daycare 02838879682.
