Teens Social Group vs School Holiday Program: What’s the Difference?

Parents often ask us how our two teen programs compare. While both focus on friendships, independence, and life skills, they run at different times and offer slightly different experiences. Whether your teen needs a relaxing social outlet or a structured school holiday routine, we’ve got options.

Here’s a guide to help you decide:

🎉 Saturday Teens Social Group

📅 When it runs: Every Saturday during the school term

🎨 Style: Free-flowing, teen-led, no set activity schedule

Key Benefits:

🗣️ Choice & Self-Advocacy Each week, teens help decide what they’d like to do — whether it’s games, a cooking challenge, music, crafts, or just hanging out. This promotes confidence, decision-making, and a sense of ownership over their time.

🤝 Social Skills It’s a relaxed and welcoming space where teens can connect naturally, build friendships at their own pace, and practise collaboration without pressure.

🧽 Daily Living Skills From preparing snacks to cleaning up as a group, we model practical life skills in a fun, low-pressure way that encourages independence.

Best For:

Teens who thrive on flexibility, want weekend connection, and enjoy choosing how they spend their time.

🗓️ School Holiday Day Program & Social Group

📅 When it runs: Weekdays during QLD school holidays

📋 Style: Structured, with planned activities and a consistent daily routine

Key Benefits:

📆 Routine & Structure School holidays can throw some teens off balance. Our program provides consistency and rhythm through daily schedules and familiar group leaders — helping participants feel calm, secure, and engaged.

🎯 Capacity-Building We intentionally plan activities that build confidence and capability. This includes teamwork, creative projects, cooking, life skills, and community outings (like nature days or team challenges).

🎲 Social Skills in Action Group activities are designed to encourage turn-taking, communication, problem-solving, and respectful collaboration — all in a supportive, strengths-based environment.

🥣 Practical Life Skills Each day includes hands-on tasks like shared cooking, setting up group areas, or planning parts of the day — because we believe real-world learning happens through doing.

Best For:

Teens who benefit from guided activities, enjoy routine, or need a meaningful and social way to stay engaged during school breaks.

👥 Support Ratios That Work

We keep our groups small and well-supported — because that’s when teens thrive.

✅ Our standard ratio is 1 staff member to every 2 participants, meaning there’s always support nearby without it feeling clinical or restrictive.

✅ We cap groups at 8 participants, keeping things calm, predictable, and inclusive.

✅ Need extra help? We can offer 1:1 support within the group for teens who require closer guidance or more hands-on support to feel safe and successful.

Whether your teen is neurodivergent, shy, adventurous, or all of the above — our team is here to support them with kindness, structure, and flexibility.

💬 Which Program Should You Choose?

It depends on your teen’s personality, goals, and your family’s schedule:

✨ Start with the Saturday Social Group for a low-pressure, regular weekend connection.📚 Add the School Holiday Program for structure, routine, and skill-building when school’s out.

🔄 Choose both for continuity across the year — many teens do!

Still unsure? Get in touch. We’re always happy to talk through what’s right for your teen and how each program can support their NDIS goals.

📍 Based on the Gold Coast | Limited spots available!