All-action contingency plan

Aquasports offers individual tuition for all levels and ages and group taster sessions at the Aqua sports lake in Merstham, Surrey. They also run week-long summer camps for ages eight-13, packed with watersports - in which participants can gain qualifications in windsurfing, dinghy sailing and kayaking - treasure hunts, regattas, orienteering and campfire evenings. Courses start on Mondays, Mon 17 Jul-Mon 28 Aug, £175 incl food and accomodation. For details call 01737 644 288 or visit www.aquasports.co.uk

Nestled between Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf is the seven-acre, purpose-built Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre, offering courses in sailing, canoeing and dragon-boating, as well as angling and climbing. Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre, 3-4 Shadwell Pierhead, Glamis Road, E1 (020-7481 4210).

Activdays runs five-day, non-residential watersport camps in Wimbledon Park for ages eight-16, including canoeing, paddleboarding, sailing, raft-making and rowing, along with team challenges on and off the water, with a BBQ and award ceremony on the final day. Courses start on Mondays, Mon 17 Jul-Mon 21 Aug & Tue 29 Aug, 9am-5pm, £125. For details call 020-8408 7124 or visit www.activdays.com

Paintballing

Set in 100 acres of beautiful forest, paintballing - under the expert eyes of the Campaign staff - makes for an adrenaline-fuelled day out. Dressed in camouflage suits, padded hoods and Darth Vader masks, you'll play between eight and ten games - running through the trees, sneaking along trenches, hiding behind wooden huts and firing semi-automatic paintball guns at the opposite team. BBQ lunch (with a veggie option) and refreshments throughout the day. All types of groups. Kids must be over eleven. Campaign Paintball Park, Hook Wood, Old Lane, Cobham, Surrey (01932 865 999) or visit www.campaignpaintball.com prices from £17.50.

Art workshops

Feeling creative but hate the thought of crusty paint brushes and clay balls trodden into the carpet? Let someone else worry about the mess and head to one of London's art cafes, or join a workshop where you can try painting, spongeing, mosaics, T-shirt printing, pottery-making and decorating. Materials and equipment provided.

Art 4 Fun has branches in West Hampstead, Muswell Hill and Chiswick catering for adults (with a BYOB policy) and children, running non-residential summer camps, Mon 24 Jul-Fri 1 Sep. One week, full-day £141, half-day £94. Or just drop in and create something. Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-8pm. Call 020-8994 4800 for information.

Pottery and sculpture for adults and a summer art school running from Mon 17 Jul-Fri 1 Sep for children with outings to the Tate Modern at Nellies Art Class 152 Arlington Road, NW1 (020-7428 7600).

Cockpit Arts Free Summer Fun For All is a programme of free family workshops where you can learn new skills from professonal design-makers. Choose from Busy Beading (Wed 26 Jul), Print A T-shirt (Wed 2 Aug), Fuzzy Felt (Wed 9 Aug), Decorate A Candlestick (Wed 23 Aug) at Cockpit Yard, Northington Street, WC1 (020-7419 1959). All workshops 11am-4pm.

Tate Britain are running family workshops - introduce the little ones to this temple of British painting. Curious Quest Art Adventure: clue-solving, collage and word games, Mon 24 Jul-Thur 3 Aug, Mon-Thur 11am-12.30pm & 2pm-3.30pm, ages five-11, £3 per child, adults free. To book call 020-7887 8888. Also, there is The Art Trollery: drop-in drawing and making activities based on the paintings and sculpture on display, Sun 2pm-5pm, ages three-12, free. For further information call 020-7887 8888.

Singing Workshops

Fancy yourself in the lead role of a West End musical? Or do you just want to quash the rumours you screech like a cat caught in a fan belt? Broadway And West End Musicals offers regular Saturday courses and, this summer, is running an Oliver! themed performance workshop for kids and parents. It's never too late to learn to warble in tune! Broadway And West End Musicals, St Mary's Church Hall, Hendon Lane, N3 (020-8449 0011). Family Oliver! workshop, Mon 24-Thur 27 Jul, 10am-12.30pm, public performance Sat 29 Jul, £75. Adult Saturday courses featuring songs from West Side Story, Chicago, Grease and Les Mis?rables, Sat 15 & Sat 22 Jul, morning workshop, 10.30am-1.30pm, afternoon workshop, 2pm-5pm, £20 each.

Fila Soccer Camps

Former Liverpool and Scottish international Ian St John has been organising soccer camps for boys and girls aged eight-15 for 20 years, offering Beckhams and Bergkamps of the future five days of top-class coaching.

Campers have the chance to meet Premiership stars and be recommended for youth schemes at professional clubs. There are prizes to be won and merit awards given out every day.

Each day starts at 10am and finishes at 3.45pm. £60 for five days. Reading and Winchester: Mon 7-Fri 11 Aug. Croydon: Mon 28 Aug-Fri 1 Sep. Details and booking on 0151 707 9300 or visit www.soccercamps.co.uk

Go Wild In London

Mention 'wildlife' in London and you think of revellers spilling onto the pavements of Soho. Actually, Central and Greater London are full of natural wildlife, you just need to know where to look. Join one of 600 free events run by the London Wildlife Trust each year, aimed at both children and adults - from bat walks in Regent's Park and frog hunts in Barking, to wildflower trails and practical conservation workdays all over the place. For a copy of the Going Wild In London guide call 020-7261 0447.

Get Stuck In

Go London, part of Community Service Volunteers, welcomes volunteers for projects all over the city from painting a community centre or building animal shelters in a farm to cleaning up the Thames. So if you can put aside a few hours why not give them a call.

Projects this summer include clearing streams and undergrowth at Mudchute City Farm, E14, Sun 23 Jul, 11am-3pm; The Winchester Project, NW3, an annual community festival for local families and kids manned entirely by volunteers, Sun 6 Aug, 11am-3pm; and urgent repair work to animal shelters at Vauxhall City Farm, SE11, Sun 13 Aug, 11am-3pm. For details of Go London events call 020-7643 1341 or visit www.gocity.org.uk. All ages welcome.