Dubai School-Holiday Camps: Six Winter Programs for Different Ages and Days

Start with the hours you need and your child’s age. Taka Taka offers three pickup times, Star Sport runs morning sessions, and SCAFA and Courtyard Playhouse run specialist afternoons. Curtin and Middlesex offer campus programmes for school students.

For the 2026–27 academic calendar, the UAE Ministry of Education lists the winter break as 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with schools resuming on 4 January. Individual schools and curricula can publish their own approved calendars, so check your child’s dates before paying for a session. All six programmes have December dates. Confirm each date you need, especially 25 December and 1 January. A multiweek listing does not establish that the provider runs on every weekday.

At a glance: what each camp actually provides

Times, prices and dates were checked against the operators’ current pages on 13 November 2026. “Entire camp” and bundle prices are the operators’ labels; check the booking screen for the exact dates and attendance pattern covered before paying.

1. TAKA•TAKA: a creative day that can end at lunchtime, after lunch or at six

TAKA•TAKA’s Palm Jumeirah camp is the clearest fit here for families who need a younger-child programme with flexible pickup. It accepts children aged 3–12 and runs from 14–30 December 2026. Parents can book by the day or by the week through TAKA•TAKA’s current camp page, then choose how long their child stays: half day from 9am to 1pm, extended day until 3pm, or full day until 6pm.

The rate ladder is specific and worth comparing on the family’s real schedule:

• Half day: AED230 per day or AED1,100 per week, 9am–1pm; a snack is included.
• Extended day: AED300 per day or AED1,450 per week, 9am–3pm; snack and hot lunch are included.
• Full day: AED360 per day or AED1,750 per week, 9am–6pm; two snacks and lunch are included.

The day plan helps explain what the extra hours buy. After drop-off and free play, the published outline places an art or clay workshop at 9:30, snack at 10:45, movement games, gymnastics or dance at 11, and a science or theatre block at noon. Half-day pickup is at 1pm. The later group has quiet time, reading or board games, followed by music and crafts; the full-day schedule includes another snack and free play before 6pm pickup. This is a mix of making, movement and downtime rather than a single specialist class repeated all day.

Age grouping is unusually clear on the camp page: 3–5, 6–8 and 9–12, with a teacher for each group. The operator describes the groups as small and says all materials are provided. Children should bring comfortable clothes that can get messy, a water bottle and, for the youngest, a change of clothes. Parents are asked to share allergy information. Weekly sibling enrolment receives a 5% discount.

The practical choice is whether the later pickup solves a real care problem. Moving from half day to extended day adds AED70 for one day, or AED350 for the week; full day adds another AED60/day or AED300/week over extended day. Those longer plans also change the meal provision. Ask whether the camp can accommodate your child’s specific food allergy and what happens on any date your family cannot attend. The page offers daily booking, but does not state a make-up or refund policy.

Best fit: a family looking for a younger-child camp with defined age groups, creative variety and a clear choice of pickup time. It is the most detailed meal-and-day-length offer in this group.

2. Star Sport Camps: a four-hour multi-sport morning at a school near you

Star Sport’s current winter-camp listings run from 14 to 31 December, Monday to Friday, 9am–1pm, at three listed school venues: Dubai British School Mira, South View School in Remraam and Ash Mount School in Mudon. The current page describes the programme as multi-sports and gives a broad eligible range of 4–18 years.

Each venue listing shows AED200 per day or AED2,250 for the “entire camp.” Because the page dates the programme across three weeks, the full-camp label should be confirmed at registration: ask which exact dates that amount covers, whether the listed AED850 weekly rate applies at your chosen venue and whether missed days are credited. At AED200 per day, five separate days would total AED1,000, so the multi-week price makes sense only for families who want the longer block and have confirmed the dates covered.

The location list is a real advantage in a city where the school run can decide whether a camp is workable. The listed venues have the same published 9am–1pm hours and day rate. The page’s opening copy also says transport is available generally, but the winter camp listings do not show a route, fee, pickup point or whether transport is included in the quoted price. Treat it as an enquiry, not a promised part of the winter booking.

There is also a large age spread between the youngest and oldest eligible participants. The live winter listings do not explain the age bands, coach-to-child ratios, which sports run at each venue, whether the daily activity mix changes by age, or what children should bring. Those answers matter more than the generic “multi-sports” label when choosing for a four-year-old versus a teenager. Before registering, ask for the exact sports timetable at your preferred school, how the group is split, what supervision is provided, and whether children need any experience or equipment. Meals are not listed; with a 1pm finish, ask whether a snack or water is provided and plan lunch afterwards unless the operator confirms otherwise.

Best fit: a child who wants a sports-led morning and a parent whose preferred school location is among the three. It is not a full working-day solution: the published session ends at 1pm.

3. SCAFA: a three-hour kitchen session with a menu to take home

SCAFA’s Winter Camp page lists ages 7–14 and weekday classes from 14 to 24 December, 2:30–5:30pm. The school’s page lists nine classes across two weeks, with one class at AED290, a five-class bundle at AED1,380 and all nine at AED2,350; VAT is included.

This is a cooking course, not a camp in the all-day-care sense. Its advantage is that the offer is unusually tangible: children work through cooking, baking, pastry and world cuisines, while the school says it covers knife skills, kitchen safety and basic cleaning. The published menu gives parents a useful picture of the work. The first week moves from gingerbread cookies, marshmallow hot chocolate and mini shepherd’s pie to German crumb cupcakes and spätzle; s’more brownies and topped mac and cheese; Pakistani gajar ka halwa, spiced chai and chicken samosas; then Mexican fajitas and buñuelos. The second week includes Chinese chicken salad and egg rolls, Italian panna cotta and French mushroom-cheese parcels, cookie decorating, then a Christmas Eve menu of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and yule log cake.

A single class costs AED290. The five-class bundle works out to AED276 per class, and the nine-class pass to about AED261 per class, based on the listed bundle prices. Those are arithmetic comparisons, not separate rates advertised by SCAFA. If your child can attend only certain days, compare the bundle’s covered dates in checkout before buying; the operator lists classes on 14–18 and 21–24 December, and a five-class bundle may not match a family’s exact week. The published page does not say whether children eat the dishes they make, whether ingredients are suitable for a specific allergy, or whether parents can book a partial day. Ask before booking if those details affect your child.

Because the session starts at 2:30pm, it can fit a school-break afternoon or pair with a morning activity, but it will not replace daytime supervision. Confirm the kitchen’s drop-off and collection procedure, and whether the child should arrive already fed. The session length is three hours; there is no published transport or meal package in the camp offer.

Best fit: a child who is excited by cooking and can focus through an afternoon class. The rotating menu gives this programme a stronger “I made that” payoff than a general activity timetable.

4. Courtyard Playhouse: a teen theatre week that ends with a showcase

For ages 12–14, Courtyard Playhouse’s Young Performers camp runs from 14 to 18 December, 1–4pm. It is five three-hour classes, with a showcase for friends and family on day five. The first week’s theme is School of Rock. The operator says the programme welcomes all experience levels and works on storytelling, stage presence, characterisation and teamwork; this is a structured creative week rather than a production audition.

The listing’s price needs a quick check before purchase. The event details show AED1,315, while the ticket selector shows AED1,183.50 including VAT for the same five-class week. These figures do not match. Use the ticket selector as a price indication and confirm the amount in the live cart or with the venue before paying. The page also offers an all-three-weeks pass at AED3,550.50 including VAT; only compare that if the family wants all the listed weeks and has checked the separate themes and dates.

The afternoon timing may suit a teen who wants a concentrated creative project and a family that can handle drop-off at 1pm and collection at 4pm. It will not cover the morning. The venue is in the Courtyard Building, Al Quoz 1, and says it is a KHDA-licensed Performing Arts Training Centre. The booking page asks families with a group of six or more to contact the venue directly. It does not list meals or transport for this camp. Ask what to wear, whether participants need to bring anything and how the day-five showcase is arranged for guests.

Best fit: a young teen who likes stories, character work or performing—or would enjoy trying theatre in a supportive group—with a family able to manage the midday schedule.

5. Curtin University Dubai: a free place, but only after selection

Curtin University Dubai’s Winter Camp is a very different proposition: it is complimentary, runs 14–19 December at the university’s Dubai International Academic City campus, and is intended for high-school students in Grade 9 and above. The university says the concepts are too advanced for younger grades.

“Free” does not mean drop-in. Registration is open, places are limited, and applications are shortlisted. The form asks for passport and Emirates ID copies and a parent or legal guardian’s no-objection certificate. A shortlisted student must attend the full programme; attendance is tracked, a certificate is issued only after full attendance, and anyone who misses day one cannot join later in the week. Students must bring their own laptop for practical sessions. The published timetable starts at 9am on Monday and 10am on the remaining days. Friday ends at noon, while Saturday runs from 10am to 2pm.

The university describes a hands-on week with workshops and exposure to areas including engineering, media, psychology, culinary arts, sustainability and sports, as well as industry-linked experiences. The university publishes a day-by-day 2026 schedule. Check it for the workshops planned for each day. Lunch, transport and any late pickup are not listed on the camp page; check them directly rather than assuming the complimentary fee covers them.

This is the strongest cost option for a suitable older student, but it is also the least flexible: application, shortlisting, full-week attendance and a laptop are part of the deal. It suits a teen genuinely curious about a campus-style learning week, not a family looking for general holiday childcare.

Best fit: a Grade 9+ student who can attend the complete week and wants to explore university subjects without a camp fee, subject to being shortlisted.

6. MDX Winter Camp: the longest published day and a university-subject sampler

Middlesex University Dubai’s camp page lists the programme for 14–18 December, 9am–6pm, at its Dubai Knowledge Park campus. The published UAE-resident price is AED1,700 for the week. The package lists lunch, specialist workshops and seminars, and on-campus extracurricular activities; optional excursions cost extra. For an international visitor package, MDX asks families to contact the team for details.

The daily outline is particularly useful for parents comparing care hours: arrival is 9:30–10am, specialist academic sessions run 10am–1pm, lunch is 1–2pm, games are 2–3pm and activities continue from 3–6pm. The subject areas named include business, computer engineering, fashion, media and law, with sessions led by university lecturers. This is therefore a longer campus day with an academic taster at its centre, followed by social activities—not a sports camp or a specialist class in one subject.

The page describes attendees as “school students” but does not publish an age minimum, maximum or school-grade range. That is a material gap: the same phrase could cover a broad set of ages, while the programme’s campus subjects may suit some teens better than younger children. Ask MDX to confirm your child’s exact age/grade eligibility, supervision and collection arrangements before paying. The headline hours start at 9am, while the sample timetable gives a 9:30–10am arrival window; confirm the actual earliest drop-off. The public page lists lunch for UAE residents, but does not state a menu, allergy process or transport inclusion. Excursions are optional and extra, so ask whether AED1,700 is the complete campus-week fee if your child skips them.

At AED1,700 for five days, the listed price is AED340 per day, with lunch included for UAE residents. That rate buys a much longer day than the three-hour specialist programmes above; it is not directly comparable with their per-class pricing. The question is whether your family needs the hours and your child wants the campus-subject mix.

Best fit: a school student for whom the exact age eligibility is confirmed, who wants to sample university subjects and needs a longer daytime schedule with lunch.

Which one should you shortlist?

Start with your child’s age and the hours you actually need, then compare the activity. These six programs answer different family problems:

• For a younger child and a longer day: TAKA•TAKA publishes the most useful age grouping, pickup choices and meal details.
• For a morning sports routine: Star Sport lists three school locations and four-hour multi-sport mornings, but ask about grouping, equipment and transport.
• For a practical skill: SCAFA’s afternoon cooking sessions have detailed menus and clear bundle prices; arrange the rest of the day separately.
• For a creative teen: Courtyard Playhouse builds toward a family showcase, but verify its inconsistent price display.
• For a Grade 9+ student exploring university: Curtin is complimentary but requires shortlisting, a laptop and attendance all week.
• For a long day with lunch and academic variety: MDX is the broadest schedule, with age eligibility and excursion costs to confirm.

Before paying, match the camp dates against your own school calendar and work week. Ask how attendance is recorded, who may collect the child, what food is supplied, whether allergies can be handled, and whether transport or late collection is available at an extra cost. Those details are not consistently published across the offers, so the advertised rate alone will not tell you the final family cost.

Publication note

This is a winter 2026/27 snapshot checked on 13 November 2026. Dates, prices, places, schedules and programme details can change. Confirm the exact booking terms with the operator before paying.