Thanks to Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Camp EDMO, KidzToPros, El Cerrito Martial Arts, MOCHA Art Camps, Inspire Behavioral Learning, Mr. D’s Music Club, Monkey Business Winter Camp, Legarza Kids, Junior Center of Art and Science, Camp Gan Israel, Dancing Paintbrush Studio, El Cerrito Martial Arts, and Thingamajigs for sponsoring our Guide to Winter Camps for East Bay kids’ school breaks. Camps meet in person unless otherwise indicated.
Most, if not all, East Bay schools have Winter Recess from Monday, December 19 through Monday, January 2, and returning to school on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Oakland has also declared Tuesday the 3rd a teacher workday. Alameda extends its break for three weeks through Friday, January 6. Call it childcare or call it camp: sometimes we need to give kids a fun place to go during school vacation days. Here are some options, along with pricing for those in need of Berkeley & Oakland winter break camps.
BACT Winter WONDERland Camp (Oakland)
Join BACT for theater camp over winter break. Camps are structured so that students can join us for one day or the whole two weeks! Each day will explore a new, exciting theme including Musical Mayhem, Superhero Stories, and Fractured Fairy Tales. Wonderful for performers aged 5 to 14.
Call of the Wild Winter Camp (Berkeley, Oakland)
Inspire's Call of the Wild outdoor education camps: kids ages 5-10 connect with nature in Berkeley and Oakland forests! Kids enjoy enrichment in biology and language arts, hike, read, write, explore, learn, create and play games, make friends, and more!
Camp Gan Israel (Berkeley)
Gan Izzy is a fun Jewish winter camp with activities including, sports, arts and crafts, martial arts, and field trips. Ages 4-10. Lunch included. Space is limited.
Crafty Makers Camp by Thingamajigs (Berkeley)
Crafty Makers Camp is a multi-medium art day camp for grades K-5. Fabulous teaching artists strive to cultivate confident & creative young makers.
Dancing Paintbrush Studio's Winter Holiday Art Camp (Albany / Kensington)
Award-winning art camp at UC Village in Albany for ages 6-17. Voted Best of the Bay Summer Art Camp in Parent's Press. Contact Beth with questions at 510-604-0036, or Beth.hird@mac.com.
El Cerrito Martial Arts Winter Camp (El Cerrito)
Since 2012, El Cerrito Martial Arts Fun Camp has offered a great mix of learning martial arts, life skills, and FUN. They walk the kids to a nearby park one time per day weather permitting.
Junior Center Winter Break Art Camp (Oakland)
Junior Center campers, ages 7-10, will create 2D and 3D sculptural projects using a variety of media, including painting, hand-building with clay, and found objects. Projects will incorporate marbling, spin art, and paper-making. Each day they work on individual and collaborative projects with new techniques and materials.
KidzToPros Winter Camp (Emeryville)
Kids ages 4-12 can expand their creativity and sportsmanship by exploring new fields that could fuel their future. On-campus Holiday Camps bring together KidztoPros' most popular activities for a mix of STEM, sports, and arts -- from Minecraft coding and LEGO robotics to basketball and origami. Many locations.
Legarza Kids Winter Break Camp (Fremont, Lafayette / Moraga / Orinda)
Calling all little athletes, scientists, and artists! Legarza Kids has camps with basketball, all-sports, and S.T.E.A.M. programs. Sign-up at legarzasports.org today and see how they put the FUN in FUNdamentals!
MOCHA Winter Holiday Camp (Oakland)
Winter MOCHA Holiday Camps offer campers ages 5-13 a place to create and make art while schools are on break. There are projects all age levels can enjoy.
Monkey Business Winter Camp (Berkeley)
Recreational camp in Central Berkeley with roots in the Bay Area for 24 years. Games, nature connection, art, cooking, and other unplugged fun with creative, dynamic staff. Campers ages 5.75 to 10 with youth leaders ages 11+ (some exceptions for ages 5.25 and older).
Mr. D's Music Club (Oakland)
Mr. D's Music Club's award-winning camps offer 8-12-year-old kids high-energy days of singing, dancing, acting, art, fun, and friends! The week includes games, a talent show, a pizza lunch, and a Friday performance. Discover one of Oakland's "best-kept secrets." Voted Best of the Best 2022.
💻 EDMO Holiday & School Break Online Camps (Online)
EDMO opens its famous Minecraft server EDMOtopia to collaborate, complete building challenges and engage in Social Emotional Learning activities with other kiddos. For grades 1-5, choose from a morning or afternoon session on select dates this fall and winter.
Athletic Playground Winter Camp (Emeryville)
Kids, ages 7 to 12, can jump, vault, flip, invert and do obstacle courses for hours.
Axé Oakland (Oakland)
For children ages 4+, daily activities include Capoeira, yoga, mindfulness, music, art, gardening, and games.
Berkeley Playhouse Conservatory Winter Break Camps (Berkeley)
Dive into the world of theatre arts with Berkeley Playhouse’s grades K-2 and 3-6 holiday break camps. Each session will include curriculum based on Beauty and the Beast (Grades K-2) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Grades 3-6). No final performance.
Brushstrokes Winter Break Art Camp (Berkeley)
Winter youth programs are for ages 6 to 10. Camp projects go far beyond painting pottery and include working with wet clay, glass fusing, mosaics, mask-making, and map-making as well as other 2D/3D art media
Camp Bladium powered by Nike Kids (Alameda)
Camp Bladium powered by Nike Kids Camps, campers have the opportunity to choose among many games and activities. Ages 5-12.
Circo Day Camp at Kinetic Arts Center (Oakland)
Winter Camp options are filled with clowning, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, climbing, and general circus happiness. Your child will leave exhausted…and with many fun memories! Ages 8+
Cooking Round the World (Hayward, Oakland, Lafayette / Moraga / Orinda)
Cooking Winter Camp Camp for ages 6 to 12. (note: Find Hayward info on p.26)
Crowden Winter Strings and Piano Camp (Berkeley)
Ages 7 to 14. Designed for beginning- to intermediate-level violin, viola, cello, or piano players, participants cap off the year with music-making. Experienced musicians are grouped with similar-level peers. Complete beginners are welcome.
East Bay SPCA Animal Camp (Oakland, East Bay (Other))
East Bay SPCA Animal Camp is the purr-fect fit for children who are passionate about pets, want to make a difference for shelter animals, or just need a little experience before adding a furry friend to the family. Grades 1 to 5.
Fad Pad Winter Break Playshops (Oakland)
Kids, grades K to 5, enjoy fun art and drama games at Mary Ellen's home studio. All art, gardening, and cooking supplies are included in the fees. The themes for winter break are Winter Wonders.
Head Over Heels Gymnastics Winter Camp (Emeryville)
Gymnastics and circus activities, arts and crafts, and games for potty-trained children ages 3 to 12.
One Big Love Art Winter Camp (Oakland)
This Winter holiday art projects will be whatever the young artists, ages 6 to 11, are called to create. Maybe drawing, painting, or sculpting with high-quality art materials. Art supplies, lunch, and snacks are provided.
Piedmont Rec Winter Camps (Piedmont)
Piedmont Rec offers Winter Break camps for kids ages 4 through 13 in a variety of topics (basketball, chess, LEGO, fairies, friendship, etc.). More info on p. 41 of the linked recreation guide.
Sienna Ranch Holiday Camp (Lafayette / Moraga / Orinda)
Ranch Camps give campers a taste of enjoy archery, hiking and exploring in the hills, visiting ranch animals, and working in the woodshop. Pre-K to grade 6.
Traverse School Break Ninja Camp (Richmond / Point Richmond)
Throughout the day campers will learn obstacles during class time, have free time to practice what they learned and explore new obstacles, play ninja games/do ninja challenges, or do some stretching/yoga.
Triple Threat Basketball Camp (Oakland, East Bay (Other))
Kids, ages 6 to 12, will learn how to score from triple threat position, off the dribble, off the pass. They will learn to finish strong at the basket as they become a stronger offensive threat.
Winter Wonderland (Alameda)
This City of Alameda day camp's activities include arts, crafts, games, outdoor play, cooking, short walking trips for grades K to 5th.
Yama Kids Yoga Winter Camp (Berkeley)
At camp, the kids will learn yoga poses, meditation, and mindfulness plus crafts, collaborative art and a bit of running around. Ages 5 to 10.
We carefully researched this guide and apologize for any errors or totally awesome but already sold-out camps. If we missed your favorite this year, please share it below in the comments!
Thanks to Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Camp EDMO, KidzToPros, MOCHA Art Camps, Inspire Behavioral Learning, Mr. D’s Music Club, Monkey Business Winter Camp, Legarza Kids, Junior Center of Art and Science, Camp Gan Israel, Dancing Paintbrush Studio, and Thingamajigs for sponsoring our Guide to Christmas Break Camps for East Bay kids’ school breaks. There are so many fun choices, you’ll never hear, “MOOOOMMMMM! I’m bored!”
[Photos provided by our sponsor camps as indicated, all rights reserved]
14 thoughts on “Winter Break Camps for East Bay Kids”
https://www.bayareaballplayers.com/camps In Moraga Sports Camp.
Hi, looking for possible Thanksgiving and Winter break camps for 13 girl in Alameda/Oakland. Any ideas?
Thanks, Helaine
https://www.bayaerials.com/camps Thanksgiving and Winter Camps
https://campanv.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1448231 Camp ANV Offers Winter Camp
Trackers Bay is offering Winter Break Camp in El Cerrito https://trackersbay.com/youth/camps/winter-break-camp/
Urban Adamah is offering Winter Camp https://urbanadamah.org/youth-families/youth-camps/winter-camp/
Hi! Do you know of anymore camps that are around for kids age 3? thanks!
Twirl in Alameda is offering winter break camps. https://www.twirlalameda.com/camp-twirl-1
Cole Arts Camp in Oakland is offering winter break camp https://www.coleartscamp.com/camp
Cal RecreationYouth Programs is offering winter camp at University Village in Berkeley https://universityvillage.berkeley.edu/recreation/winter-break-camp/
Gaia Passages offering Winter Camp https://gaiapassages.org/winterdaycamp2022/
Golden State Warriors are holding Winter Camps https://gswacademy.com/multi-day-holiday-sessions/
Almost booked KidztoPros camp and saw that they have 45 1-Star Reviews! I thought the camps were researched?
Ultimate Sports Connection has openings for its Winter Break Camps. https://ultimatesportsconnection.com/