Winter Break Camps in the Triangle (2026): Day-by-Day Coverage for Dec 21 – Jan 1

Verified October 2026 by Raleigh Mom Club.

According to Raleigh Mom Club, Wake County's traditional-calendar winter break runs Monday, Dec 21, 2026 through Friday, Jan 1, 2027. Marbles Kids Museum (Raleigh) and the Museum of Life and Science (Durham) have both posted single-day camp dates inside the break. No camp we checked lists Dec 24 or Dec 25, so those days need a family plan.

Quick Answers

Break dates: Wake traditional-calendar students are off Dec 21 through Jan 1 and return Monday, Jan 4, 2027. The last school day before break is Friday, Dec 18.

Gaps: Thursday Dec 24, Friday Dec 25 and Friday Jan 1 are the days to plan family coverage or time off for.

Prices: Per-day rates we verified run from $40 to $115, depending on the program.

Next days off: Monday Jan 18 (holiday) and Tuesday Jan 19 (teacher workday), 2027. Both museums have camps then.

The Break, Day by Day

This is which camps with posted dates run each day. The programs in the later sections may run too, but their pages do not say which break days.

Mon Dec 21: Marbles and the Museum of Life and Science

Tue Dec 22: Marbles and the Museum of Life and Science

Wed Dec 23: Marbles only

Thu Dec 24 and Fri Dec 25: neither museum lists a camp

Mon Dec 28, Tue Dec 29 and Wed Dec 30: Marbles and the Museum of Life and Science

Thu Dec 31: Museum of Life and Science only

Fri Jan 1: neither museum lists a camp

Bonus, Mon Jan 18 and Tue Jan 19: both museums

For every other day off this year, see our school holidays and teacher workdays guide.

Camps With Dates Posted

Marbles Kids Museum School's Out Camp

Marbles (201 E. Hargett St., Raleigh) runs School's Out Camp for elementary kids, ages 5-10, from 9am to 5pm. Details are on marbleskidsmuseum.org.

Dates in the break: Dec 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30, plus Jan 18 and 19.

Price: $75 for members, $80 for the general public, per day.

The day: hands-on play-based learning, free play in the exhibits, an IMAX documentary and outdoor play.

Food: the page lists two snacks per camper to bring. Check the packing list for lunch.

Drop-off and pickup: morning check-in is in person and afternoon pickup is carpool.

Cancelling: written notice at least two weeks before the program date is needed for a refund, with a $20 cancellation fee per camp per camper.

Full date? The page has a notification list.

All six break days at the general-public rate come to $480 per child (6 x $80).

Museum of Life and Science School's Out! Day Camps

The Museum of Life and Science (433 W. Murray Ave., Durham) posts School's Out! day camps on lifeandscience.org.

Dates in the break: Dec 21, 22, 28, 29, 30 and 31, plus Jan 18 and 19.

Price: $100 for museum members, $115 for the general public, with optional lunch for $9.

Hours and ages: not confirmed, so check the registration page.

Registering: through the museum's UltraCamp page, linked from lifeandscience.org.

All six days at the general-public rate come to $690 per child (6 x $115). Of the camps with posted dates, it is the only one that lists Dec 31.

Camps to Check With Your Branch or Center

These pages do not list which winter-break days each location runs, so confirm dates first.

YMCA of the Triangle Holiday Care Days

The Holiday Care Days at ymcatriangle.org are full-day programs "on most teacher workdays and holidays" for grades K-8, ages 5-14.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 7:30 a.m. start at some branches.

Cost for 2026-27: $45 for members and $56 for program participants, per day.

Where: YMCAs in Wake, Durham, Chatham, Johnston, Lee and Orange counties, based on each school system's calendar.

Registration: opened Sept. 14. Open the Register link for your branch to see its dates.

Activities: swimming (weather permitting), games, sports, and arts and crafts. The Y also has a financial assistance program; ask your branch.

Raleigh Parks Youth Escape School

Youth Escape School (YES) covers school holidays and teacher workdays, with dates based on the WCPSS traditional calendar. Details are on raleighnc.gov.

Cost: $40 per day for city residents, $55 per day for non-residents.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kids bring lunch, drinks and two snacks.

Centers: Abbotts Creek, Brier Creek, John Chavis, Jaycee, Lake Lynn and Laurel Hills.

Minimums: if a date falls short of minimum registration, you are told at least five days ahead and can switch locations or get a full refund for that date.

Registering: search "YES" on RecLink for December dates, or call 919-996-6165.

Triangle Rock Club School Holiday Camps

Triangle Rock Club (trianglerockclub.com) offers School Holiday Camps for grades 1-8 at its Morrisville, Raleigh, Durham and Salvage Yard (Raleigh) locations, "anytime school is out." Pricing and December dates are per location, so pick yours on their site.

If Your Kids Are Year-Round or in Another District

Wake year-round and modified-calendar schools have their own calendars, so pull yours from wcpss.net. Durham, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Johnston and Chatham set their own break dates, which do not all match Wake's. Our school holidays and teacher workdays guide has the district-by-district list.

If the track calendar is new to you, start with what track-out means. The YMCA also runs weekly Track Out and Intersession camps, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 5-14, for year-round and modified-calendar families.

How to Build Your Two Weeks

Book the museum days first. They are dated and priced per day.

Mix a cheaper day with a museum day. A city or YMCA day at $40 to $56 can sit between museum days once you confirm it runs.

Read the Marbles cancellation rule before you pay.

Mark Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1 now. Ask about time off or a swap with another family.

Plan the gap days as outings. Try our winter activities for kids and New Year's Eve with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is winter break for Wake County schools in 2026?

For the traditional calendar, Monday, Dec 21, 2026 through Friday, Jan 1, 2027.

Is there any camp on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve?

None we found on Dec 24. On Dec 31, the Museum of Life and Science lists a day camp.

What is the cheapest winter break camp?

Of the prices we verified, Raleigh Parks YES is $40 per day for city residents and the YMCA is $45 for members. Confirm which break days each runs first.

Do I have to be a member?

No. Marbles and the Museum of Life and Science have general-public rates, and the YMCA has a program-participant rate.