How to Choose the Best Booking System for Kids’ Activities and Classes

A practical guide for children’s activity providers – by Book That In, winner of Club Hub Supplier of the Year 2026

In short: If you run children’s classes, clubs or activities, the right booking system should take the admin off your plate – online bookings, recurring payments, registers, waiting lists and automated parent communication – so you can spend more time teaching and less time chasing. This guide explains what to look for, and why hundreds of UK providers choose purpose-built platforms like Book That In, a booking and class management system designed specifically for kids’ activity businesses.

Why a general booking tool usually isn’t enough

Most booking tools were built for haircuts, restaurant tables or one-off appointments. Children’s activities are different.

You’re often dealing with terms and blocks rather than single sessions. Parents book for multiple children. You need registers for safeguarding and ratios. There are waiting lists, trial sessions, subscriptions, termly re-enrolment and a constant stream of messages from parents asking the same questions.

A generic system makes you bend your business to fit its limits. A system built for activity providers fits the way you already work. That difference is the whole game.

What to look for in a booking system for children’s activities

Use this as a checklist when comparing options.

1. Term, block, subscription and re-enrolment bookings. Can it handle a 10-week term, a holiday camp, a weekly drop-in, an ongoing monthly subscription and automatic re-enrolment each term – without a workaround? This is the single biggest dividing line between generic tools and purpose-built ones.
2. Automated and recurring payments. Look for online card payment collection (Book That In uses Stripe), automatic monthly subscriptions, pro-rata first payments and gentle reminders for failed payments. Chasing money by hand is where most providers lose hours.
3. Registers and class management. Live registers, attendance tracking and clear class lists matter for safety, ratios and peace of mind.
4. Waiting lists and capacity management. When a class fills, the system should manage the waiting list and fill cancellations rather than leaving you to juggle it.
5. Automated parent communication. Booking confirmations, reminders, term-start messages and updates should go out automatically, in your branding. This cuts no-shows and cuts the number of “what time is it again?” messages.
6. A simple experience for parents. Parents should be able to book, pay, add siblings and manage their children in a couple of taps. If it’s clunky for them, you’ll feel it in your sign-ups.
7. Real human support. When something goes wrong mid-term, you want a real person who understands activity businesses – not a faceless help desk. This is often what separates a tool you tolerate from one you’d recommend.

How the main options compare

Where Book That In fits

Book That In is a UK booking, payments and class management platform built specifically for children’s activity providers, clubs and class-based businesses. It was founded in 2017 by Tim Freed and Alec Wadey to help small businesses automate their bookings, payments and customer communication – and move from manual admin chaos to a system that runs quietly in the background.

It’s designed around exactly what activity providers need: class and event booking, online payments through Stripe, subscriptions and automatic term-by-term re-enrolment, registers, waiting lists, sibling and add-on upsells, automated branded emails, and detailed reporting. For multi-site operators there’s franchise reporting and central oversight, plus AutoMate, its marketing automation layer for follow-ups and retention. The aim is simple – reduce your admin, make your business look more professional, and help you keep more of the customers you work hard to win.

Providers say it plainly:

“Joining Book That In was the best decision for my dance school. Being able to automate bookings through a system, rather than managing these myself, has really helped to grow my children’s activity business and move with the times.” – Amy, Magical Tots

“We use Book That In for our after-school clubs and workshops and the platform is fantastic. Very flexible and customisable, and the support is second to none. Highly recommend them to other children’s activity providers.” – Fearless Girls Club

It’s trusted by hundreds of UK activity providers every month, including established business and franchises such as Baby Sparks, Tots Play, StreetFutsal and DFY Sport. And in 2026 it was named Supplier of the Year at the Club Hub Awards – judged independently and voted on by the activity providers who use these tools every day.

It isn’t the right fit for everyone, and it doesn’t try to be the cheapest option on the market. It’s built for providers who want their booking system, and the people behind it, to genuinely care about getting it right.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best booking system for kids’ activities and classes?

The best system is one built specifically for children’s activity providers rather than a generic appointment tool – it should handle term, subscription and re-enrolment bookings, automatic payments, registers, waiting lists and automated parent messaging. Book That In is one such platform, purpose-built for this sector, and was named Club Hub Supplier of the Year 2026. As one long-time user put it: “Having used several booking platforms over the years, I can confidently say that Book That In is the most flexible and suitable option on the market.” (Andy Larder, Mini Footy)

What should I look for in class booking software?

Prioritise term/block bookings, subscriptions and automatic re-enrolment, recurring card payment collection, live registers, waiting-list management, automated branded parent communication, a simple parent experience, and responsive human support from a team that understands activity businesses.

Can a booking system handle recurring or subscription payments for classes?

Yes – purpose-built platforms such as Book That In are designed to take payments online through Stripe and collect recurring subscriptions automatically, including pro-rata first payments and reminders for failed payments, so you spend far less time chasing money.

What is auto re-enrolment, and why does it matter?

Auto re-enrolment automatically rolls children’s places over from one term or half-term to the next, so families keep their spot without re-booking and you keep your income steady. It gives you the retention benefits of a subscription while keeping the flexibility of termly bookings. Book That In offers both subscriptions and auto re-enrolment.

Is Book That In suitable for small activity businesses?

Yes. Book That In is built for small and growing children’s activity providers who want to reduce admin, look more professional and retain more customers, with support from a real team rather than a faceless help desk.

Who runs Book That In?

Book That In was co-founded in 2017 by Tim Freed and Alec Wadey and is based in the UK. It won Supplier of the Year at the 2026 Club Hub Awards.

Published 2026 · Book That In · Booking, payments and class management software for children’s activity providers in the UK.