Tampa Winter Break Camps 2026: Dates, Prices & Hours

Hillsborough County students finish the semester on Friday, December 18, 2026, then stay out of class until Tuesday, January 5, 2027. That leaves working families with two full weeks plus Monday, January 4 to cover.

This family guide compares Tampa winter break camps with 2026 dates and prices published by the organizer. Each listing includes ages or grades, daily hours, price, member rate, care options and a direct registration link. Details were checked on November 12, 2026. Space and schedules can change, so open the registration page before you promise a camp to your child.

Official winter break dates for Tampa Bay schools

Sources: Hillsborough County Public Schools calendar, Pinellas County Schools calendar and Pasco County Schools calendar. Checked November 12, 2026. Private schools and charter schools may follow different calendars.

2026 Tampa winter break camps at a glance

Science and museum camps

MOSI School Break Camps

MOSI divides each three-day camp by grade. Week one offers Superhero Science for kindergarten and first grade, Mission to Space for grades 2-4 and Game On! STEM and Gaming for grades 5-8. Week two offers Winter Wonderland Science, Inventors Workshop and Digital Creators Lab for the same grade bands.

• Ages: Grades K-8
• Dates: December 21-23 or December 28-30
• Camp hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Price: $199 per three-day camp; $160 for MOSI members
• Before and after care: 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Each care block is $20; $15 for members
• Food: Campers bring lunch and two snacks, or families can order a box lunch separately
• Registration: MOSI winter camp registration

MOSI covers a standard workday only if you add both extended-care blocks. The organizer's 2026 winter camp flyer confirms the camp and member prices. Checked November 12, 2026.

Glazer Children's Museum Winter Break Camp

Glazer's Imaginative Inventors camp mixes design challenges, robotics, coding and museum play. The daily price includes programming, supplies, morning and afternoon snacks and a camp shirt.

• Ages: 5-10
• Dates: December 21-23 and December 28-30; families can book individual days
• Hours: Drop-off 8:30-9 a.m.; pickup 4:30-5 p.m.
• Price: $80 per day; members save 10%, making the camp price $72 per day
• Before and after care: No separate care program is listed; use the published drop-off and pickup windows
• Food: Snacks included; optional lunch costs $13 per child per day
• Registration: Glazer winter camp

Glazer also accepts applications for a limited number of need-based camp scholarships. Checked November 12, 2026.

The Florida Aquarium School Year AquaCamps

The Florida Aquarium lets families book single-day marine science camps. December themes move through the aquarium's Wetlands, Shorelines, Lemur Lookout, MORPH'D, Tide Pool and reef galleries. January 4 has a general science theme.

• Ages: 5-11 and currently enrolled in grades K-5
• Dates: December 21-24, December 28-31 and January 4
• Camp hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Price: $80 per day; no member price published
• Before and after care: Complimentary care from 8-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m.
• Registration: Florida Aquarium AquaCamp registration

This is the only museum camp in this guide that publishes camp dates for December 24, December 31 and January 4. Checked November 12, 2026.

Recreation camps with long-day coverage

Tampa YMCA Kids' Day Out

The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA runs Kids' Day Out at participating branches in Hillsborough and East Pasco. Activities vary by theme and can include games, crafts and swimming.

• Ages: 5-12
• Dates: December 21-24, December 28-31 and a separate January 4 camp day
• Hours: The YMCA advertises an 11-hour day but does not publish one set of times for every branch; confirm times with your selected location
• Price: $60 per day; $42 for members
• Early booking: Register at least 30 days ahead for $52 per day; $35 for members
• December 31: Half-day at half price; the page does not publish the pickup time, so confirm it with the branch
• Before and after care: No separate care charge is listed because the standard published rate covers an 11-hour camp day
• Registration: Choose a YMCA location

Specialized morning programs have separate prices and depend on location. Gymnastics costs $46 for members and $57 for nonmembers. Horseback riding at Camp Cristina costs $50 for members and $63 for nonmembers. Use the branch registration page rather than assuming every YMCA offers the same activity. Checked November 12, 2026.

Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Camp Weeks

County recreation centers offer traditional and adaptive camp options, though each center may list different dates and availability.

• Ages: Grades K-8
• Dates: December 21-23 and December 28-31
• Hours: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Price: $40 per winter week for children outside the county After-School Program; $30 per week for enrolled after-school participants
• January 4: A separate camp day costs $10 for children who are not in the After-School Program; it is included for enrolled participants
• Before and after care: The full 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. window is included
• Registration: Hillsborough County camp days and weeks

This is the lowest published weekly price in this guide, but the county warns that not every recreation center offers every camp week. Checked November 12, 2026.

Performing arts and outdoor adventure

New Tampa Performing Arts Center Encore! Camp

Encore! Camp includes acting, dance, singing, stage makeup and backstage instruction at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center.

• Ages: 7-13
• Dates: December 28-30
• Hours: The organizer has not published daily hours
• Price: $72 per camper for the three-day session; no member rate published
• Before and after care: Not published
• Food: Campers bring lunch; food delivery services are not allowed
• Registration: New Tampa Encore! Camp

The Hillsborough County announcement confirms the dates, ages and price. Ask about hours before booking if you need full workday coverage. Checked November 12, 2026.

Empower Adventures Holiday Kids Camp

Empower Adventures in Oldsmar runs an outdoor day with zip lines, paddleboarding, ropes-course activities and team challenges. Families can book individual days.

• Ages: 7-13
• Dates: December 21-23 and December 28-30
• Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Price: $75 per day through December 1; $99 per day starting December 2; no member rate published
• Before and after care: Optional 8 a.m. drop-off and 5 p.m. pickup costs $8 per day
• Food: Lunch and two snacks included
• Registration: Empower Adventures Holiday Camp

This option gives families one of the clearest all-in daily prices because activities, lunch and snacks are included. Checked November 12, 2026.

Sports camp

Tampa Bay Lightning Holiday Ice Hockey Camp

The Lightning's three-day hockey camp at TGH Ice Plex separates players into ages 5-8 and 9-14, then groups them by skill level. Registration includes two on-ice sessions, one off-ice session, lunch, a holiday jersey and camp apparel.

• Ages: 5-14; skater and goalie registration available
• Dates: December 28-30
• Hours: The main listing says 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tentative schedules list 8U checkout at 1:30 p.m. and 14U checkout at 2:45 p.m., so confirm the final schedule
• Price: Skaters $375 plus transaction fee; goalies $325 plus transaction fee
• Late price: Starting December 1, skaters cost $425 and goalies cost $375
• Member price: None published
• Before and after care: None published
• Registration: Tampa Bay Lightning Holiday Camp

Full hockey equipment is required. Checked November 12, 2026.

Announced camp with price still missing

The City of Tampa Parks & Recreation lists winter camp for December 21-23 and December 28-31, with online registration opening November 23 at 6 p.m. Its page says children entering the 2026-27 after-school program must be at least 5 by September 1, but it does not publish winter camp's upper age, daily hours or price. Treat the 2026 details as incomplete until the registration listing opens. The city also lists January 4 as a separate no-school day. Checked November 12, 2026.

Popular Tampa attractions without published 2026 winter camp details

As of November 12, these organizers had not published a 2026 winter break day camp with dates and prices on their official sites:

• ZooTampa lists summer camp, not winter break camp.
• Tampa Museum of Art had no winter camp on its December calendar.
• Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center had no published winter break camp.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay lists summer and group education camps, not a 2026 holiday day camp.

This guide does not carry 2025 prices forward. If one of these organizers posts a winter camp later, use its current registration page rather than an old roundup.

Parent logistics: which camps cover the hardest workdays?

For working-parent coverage, Hillsborough County includes a 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. window in its base weekly price. YMCA offers an 11-hour day on standard dates, but times vary by branch and December 31 is a half-day. MOSI reaches 7 a.m.-6 p.m. when you purchase both extended-care blocks. The Florida Aquarium includes care from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Glazer covers 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. through its drop-off and pickup windows.

Price and registration notes

• Book individual days: Glazer, The Florida Aquarium, YMCA and Empower Adventures.
• Book a three-day session: MOSI, Encore! Camp and the Lightning hockey camp.
• Book by the week: Hillsborough County, even though holiday closures shorten each week.
• Member savings: MOSI, Glazer and YMCA publish member rates or discounts.
• Financial help: Glazer lists camp scholarships, YMCA lists Open Doors financial assistance and Hillsborough County publishes reduced pricing for current after-school participants.

Need plans for the days without camp? Use our Tampa Christmas events for kids guide for lights, skating and daytime outings. Our Tampa summer camps 2026 guide also lists the area's major camp organizers and program types.