Active Gamers, a new activity for kids, is coming to the Illawarra

Active Gamers has been operating in the ACT for the past four years and a program of age appropriate video games along with sports sessions for children aged eight to 13.

Co-founder Ravi Sharma said for a Canberra-based business, the Illawarra was the natural location to expand into.

"It's close to Canberra and we can get there easily," he said. "We can be really hands-on in the Illawarra, which is great."

The team is currently in talks with the NSW Department of Education to run the program on school grounds during the school holidays, and is looking at two schools at either end of the region, with the hope of being up and running by the end of this year.

"We anticipate this will take around six months," Mr Sharma said. "If we're lucky the October [school holidays] but then definitely by the summer [break]."

A father of two himself, Mr Sharma said the school holiday activity program was about matching up with where kids are already spending a lot of their time.

"I've got a nine year old and an 11 year old and while they do socialise in person, they do a lot of socialising online with their direct friend group," he said.

"This is just the world we live in now."

The games on offer include mass favourites such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite, and as well as 'free play' time, the program includes in-house designed team building sessions.

These sessions involve developing teamwork and communication skills and education sessions on cyber safety are woven into the lesson plans.

Aside from time in front of screen, the program also includes two fitness sessions each day, designed and delivered by sporting organisations including the AFL and Cricket Australia.

Mr Sharma said the sports offering was location specific, and in the Illawarra this could involve collaborating with Surf Life Saving groups for water-based activities.

Participants are split by age into groups of between 11 and 15 with a dedicated staff member and parents can sign up for two or more days at a time.

Mr Sharma said the format had been a success in the ACT so far, with days booked out in advance, and had spurred connections outside of the program itself.

"We have children that meet at the program. They arrive, speaking the same language when they don't know each other, and then we find they make friends there and they're playing online after the program for years."