21 Winter Camps for East Bay kids

Thank you to Trackers Bay for sponsoring our Guide to Winter Camps for East Bay kids' school breaks.

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 a la carte days for those in need of Berkeley & Oakland winter break camps.

Spend winter break with Trackers! Award-winning winter break camps get into the spirit of the holidays. Learn fun wilderness and folk crafts for the season. Take part in a role-playing story, developing new skills along the journey. Maybe even try blacksmithing or train archery. There's no limit to the adventures your kids can have! Grades 1 through 8th welcome.

Bay Area Children's Theatre Camp (Oakland)
Camp with character(s). Acting exercises, theater games, crafts, music, and lots of storytelling for grades K through 5th.
Dates: Dec. 19-22; Dec. 27-30; Jan. 3-6
Hours: 9 am to 3 pm
Price: $80 per day

Berkeley Playhouse Winter Camp (Berkeley)
Enables school-age kids to produce a show with an informal performance on the last day of camp. Harry Potter and Zootopia are on the schedule this year.
Dates: Session 1: Dec. 19-22; Session 2: Dec. 27-30
Hours: 9 am to 3 pm
Price: $350 per session (no a la carte days)

Bliss Belly Kitchen (Berkeley)
Utilizes healthy locally sourced organic ingredients to teach your children about the basic fundamentals of healthy cooking and eating for ages 6 to 13. Also, chocolate!
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Jan. 2
Hours: 9am – 3pm, extended care available until 6pm
Price: $425/session, $85/day

Brushstrokes Studio (Berkeley)
This paint-your-own-pottery studio where children will do arts and crafts during a half-day camp for ages 6 to 10.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 26-30; Jan. 2-6
Hours: 9 am – 3 pm, extended care until 5:30
Price: $80/day

Camp Bladium (Alameda)
Entertains kids with sports, LEGOs, Rock Climbing, and other fun all day long and provides snacks and lunch for them for ages 5 to 14.
Dates: Dec. 22-23; Dec. 26-30; Jan. 2-6
Hours: 9 am to 4 pm, every day of winter break except Dec 24/25 and Dec 31/Jan 1
Price: $69/day

Circo Day Camps (Oakland)
At the Kinetic Arts Center, children will engage in clowning, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, climbing and general circus happiness for 1st through 6th graders.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 27-30
Hours: 9am- 4pm
Price: $85/day in advance; discounts for purchasing multi-day packages

Cooking Round the World (Piedmont)
Offers hands-on culinary activities themed on a country with games of peace, cooking demos, and trivia games. Other locations in Alameda, Lafayette, and Albany.
Dates: Dec. 19-23
Hours: Full day 9-4; half-day 9-1
Price: $450/week, $250/half-day

Dancing Paintbrush (El Cerrito)
Drawing and painting with a holiday twist. Lovely art materials are provided to campers to create to their heart's desire for ages 7 to 13.
Dates: Dec. 19-23
Hours: 9am-3pm with after-care available until 5pm
Price: $395/week plus$15/hour for after-care

East Bay Dance Center (Oakland)
Offers kids jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop, tumbling and African dance with kids their own age and experience level for ages 5 to 16.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 27-30
Hours: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Price: $62/day or $250/week

Go Girls! (Oakland)
Every day is different as campers create, give back, celebrate and play. Don't miss the all day slumber party. For girls in grades K through 5th.
Dates: Dec. 19-23
Hours: 9am to 4pm with after-care available until 6pm
Price: $85/day (some discounts available)

Habitot (Berkeley)
Includes winter-themed activities in cooking, art, science, storytelling, movement and music for ages 3 to 5.
Dates: Dec. 26-30
Hours: 9am to 1pm
Price: $50/day, $225/5 days

JCC Camp Tzofim Winter Camp (Berkeley with transportation to/from Oakland)
Includes activities on site as well as field trips to destinations like museums, arcades, and parks. Special partnerships with other Bay Area favorites, too.
Dates: Dec. 19-30 M-F
Hours: 8 am to 6 pm
Price: $80 per day for K through 2nd grade; $90 per day for 3rd through 5th grade. Save $15 with promo code: 510

Kids N Dance (Oakland)
Dance adventure and youth theater offerings for all interests. Starting as young as 3 years old with activities through age 16.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 26-30
Hours and prices: vary by program

Lawrence Hall of Science Camp (Berkeley)
Engage with science, experiment with cool substances, interact with a live animal, and even make new friends for ages 5 to 11.
Dates: Dec. 19-22
Hours: 9am – 4pm
Price: $420/session (discount for members)

Monkey Business Camp (Berkeley)
Includes cooking, sewing, painting, and most importantly, playing together for ages 4.5 to 10.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 26-30
Hours: 8:30am – 3:30pm, extended care available from 8am until 6pm
Price: $95/day with discounts available

Oakland Zoo Winter Camp (Oakland)
Offers a combination of two-day workshops at the Zoo each day for grades K through 5th
Location: Oakland Zoo
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 27-30
Hours: 9 am – 4 pm with extended care available
Price: $80/day for non-members; $75/day for members

Sarah’s Science Winter Camp (Berkeley and Oakland)
Offers an inventors workshop during the most common, non-holiday vacation days for ages 5 to 11.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 27-30
Hours: 8am to 5:30 pm
Price: $115/day

Trackers Bay Winter Break Camps
Combines holiday themes with the great outdoors for many interesting days. Think waffling meets archery. For 1st through 8th grade.
Location: 3049 Adeline Street, Berkeley
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 27-30
Hours: 8am to 4pm with extended care available until 6pm
Price: $95/day

Triple Threat Basketball Camp (Oakland)
Kris Kringle offensive skills clinic teaches intermediate-level kids to score from triple threat position, off the dribble, off the pass for ages 7 to 14.
Hours: 9am to 3pm
Price: “less than $12/hour”

Honorable Mention: Animal Rescue Foundation (Walnut Creek)
Explores animal-themed activities, games, crafts and daily visits with ARF therapy animals. For ages 5 to 10.
Dates: Dec. 19-23; Dec. 27-30
Hours: 9am – 12pm
Price: $215/week 1, $175/week 2

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 Trackers Bay for sponsoring this guide to Winter Break Camps in the East Bay.

[Photo provided by Trackers Bay, all rights reserved]