Best winter break camps on the Upper East Side (2026)

Winter break on the Upper East Side is really two breaks. Public schools close from December 24 to January 1, but many of the neighborhood's independent schools let out around December 18 and don't come back until January 4. That means some families need camp for a few days and others need it for more than two weeks, and the camps have planned around both.

We're Sheridan Fencing Academy, and our Manhattan club has been at 1801 First Avenue since 2007. Below is our roundup of the best winter break camps on and around the Upper East Side for December 2026, with the dates each one actually runs, because Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are where most plans fall apart. No sponsorships—just the programs we'd point a friend toward.

Winter break camps at a glance

Camp	Ages	Winter dates	Cost
Asphalt Green Play Days	4 to 12	December 21 to 23 and 28 to 30	$190 a day
Fastbreak Sports	3 to 12	December 21 to 24 and 28 to 31	$175 a day
The Fashion Class	6 to 12	December 21 to 23 and 28 to 30	$175 a day
Chess NYC	4 and up (confirm)	December 28 to 30	$154 a day
NORY (Upper West Side)	3 to 12	December 21 to 24 and 28 to 31	$178 a day
Sheridan Fencing Academy	School-age kids and teens	Posted on our camps page	Listed on our camps page
Taste Buds Kitchen (Chelsea)	4 to 13	December 18, 21 to 23, and 28 to January 1	$115 a day
The Craft Studio	4 to 10	Call to confirm	$145 a day
The Art Farm	3 to 5	Not yet posted	$215 a day last season
Wollman Rink and the Davis Center	All ages	Open daily, including December 24 and 31	$5 to $12, plus skate rental

Highlighted rows run on December 24 or 31, the hardest days of the break to cover. Dates and prices were checked in September 2026.

10 best winter break camps on the Upper East Side

1. Asphalt Green Play Days

• Location: 555 East 90th Street, between York Avenue and the FDR. Q to 86th Street, then the M86 crosstown.

• Ages: 4 to 12

• Dates: December 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30. Not December 24 or 31.

• Hours: 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

• Cost: $190 a day

• Registration: Open now, booked day by day

• Website: asphaltgreen.org

Play Days turn a full city block into a winter camp. Kids rotate through swimming, martial arts, soccer, basketball, yoga, art, and music, so a day covers the pool and the gym without you having to book either one separately. Pack a swimsuit, a swim cap, and a nut-free lunch.

Because every day is booked on its own, it works just as well for a family that needs one day as for a family that needs all six.

Why we like it: It's the one that sends kids home tired. After a week of being cooped up for the holidays, a day that includes a real swim is worth a lot.

2. Fastbreak Sports Holiday Camp

• Location: Ages 6 to 12 at 1157 Lexington Avenue at 80th Street; ages 3 to 6 at 1629 First Avenue. The 6 train to 77th Street or the Q to 86th Street.

• Ages: 3 to 12, split by age group

• Dates: December 21 to 24 and December 28 to 31

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for ages 6 to 12

• Cost: $175 a day

• Registration: Open now, single days available

• Website: fastbreaksports.com

Fastbreak runs multi-sport days with a basketball lean, and its winter calendar is the most complete on the Upper East Side. The booking system lists sessions on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, which almost nobody else in the neighborhood offers. Call 212-724-3278 to confirm December 24 before you plan around it.

The younger group gets its own site on First Avenue, so a 4-year-old isn't sharing a gym with 11-year-olds.

Why we like it: Coverage. If both parents are working on December 24, this is one of the very few answers within walking distance.

3. The Fashion Class

• Location: 307 East 84th Street, between First and Second Avenues. Q to 86th Street.

• Ages: 6 to 12

• Dates: December 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30

• Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an extended day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Cost: $175 a day

• Registration: Each day books separately

• Website: thefashionclass.com

The Fashion Class runs sewing and design days in a studio capped at 12 kids, with one teacher for every six. Supplies are included, and kids bring their own lunch.

Each day needs four campers to run, so book early and confirm your date is going ahead.

Why we like it: It's the rare winter camp built for the kid who doesn't want to run around. A quiet, creative day is a good counterweight to a week of screens.

4. Chess NYC Camp Play N' Go

• Location: P.S. 183, 419 East 66th Street. Enter through the gym on East 67th Street. The 6 train to 68th Street.

• Ages: Confirm with Chess NYC. Past listings start at age 4.

• Dates: December 28, 29, and 30

• Hours: 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., or half days from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

• Cost: $154 a day, $690 a week, or $118 for a half day. Early drop-off or late pickup is $27 extra.

• Registration: Open now

• Website: chessnyc.com

A camp day includes about three hours of chess, plus a trip to the park to burn off energy between games. Optional pizza and ice cream add-ons make it feel more like a day out than a class.

It only runs the middle of the public-school break, so it pairs well with a longer camp for independent-school families.

Why we like it: Chess gives kids something to get better at over a break, and the park time keeps it from turning into eight hours in a chair.

5. NORY Holiday STEM Camps

• Location: Trevor Day School, 1 West 88th Street, on the Upper West Side. One M86 crosstown ride from the Upper East Side.

• Ages: 3 to 12, grouped as 3 to 4, 5 to 7, and 8 to 12

• Dates: December 21 to 24 and December 28 to 31

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a 9 a.m. to noon half day for 3- and 4-year-olds

• Cost: $178 a day, or $128 for a half day

• Registration: Open now, with single-day drop-ins

• Website: nory.co

NORY runs hands-on building, engineering, and coding camps, with the oldest group working on real coding projects. Its Upper East Side site on Park Avenue isn't running winter camp this year, so the December weeks move across the park.

It's worth the crosstown bus for one reason. NORY runs both December 24 and December 31.

Why we like it: It covers the two hardest days of the break and gives kids something to build rather than something to watch.

6. Sheridan Fencing Academy

• Location: 1801 First Avenue, New York, NY 10128. One block from the Q at 96th Street and the M96.

• Ages: School-age kids and teens. Age groups for this year's camp are listed on the camps page.

• Dates: Runs during winter break. Current dates are posted on our Manhattan camps page.

• Hours: Listed on the camps page

• Cost: Day and week rates are listed on the camps page

• Registration: Through the camps page

• Website: sheridanfencing.com/manhattan

This is us. Our philosophy is that good training is fun training, and a camp day is where that shows most. Kids spend the day on six full-length strips learning footwork and bladework, then put it to use in games and bouts with the other campers. All the equipment is here waiting, so there's nothing to buy and nothing to carry.

Nobody needs any experience to join. If your kid comes out of winter camp wanting more, our after-school classes run all year. You can book a free trial class or look at all our fencing programs and schedules.

Why we like it: Bias acknowledged. Every kid in the room at winter camp started from zero, because almost nobody grows up fencing. That makes it an unusually easy room to walk into for a week.

7. Taste Buds Kitchen

• Location: 109 West 27th Street, 10th floor, in Chelsea. The R or W to 28th Street, about 20 minutes from the Upper East Side.

• Ages: 4 to 8 in the morning, 9 to 13 in the afternoon

• Dates: Single themed days on December 18, 21, 22, and 23, and a five-day camp from December 28 to January 1

• Hours: 9 a.m. to noon for ages 4 to 8; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for ages 9 to 13

• Cost: $115 a day, or $575 for the five-day week

• Registration: Open now

• Website: tastebudskitchen.com

This is the one worth leaving the neighborhood for. Taste Buds runs themed cooking days, from pasta to cookies for Santa, and a chocolate-themed camp the week after Christmas.

That week runs through New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, which makes it the only program we found open on January 1.

Why we like it: It covers the days nobody else does, and kids come home having cooked something they're proud of.

8. The Craft Studio

• Location: 1657 Third Avenue at 93rd Street. Q to 96th Street.

• Ages: 4 to 10

• Dates: The drop-off camp runs weekdays through the school year. Call 212-831-6626 to confirm which December days are open.

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with an extended day available

• Cost: $145 a day, with a 15% sibling discount

• Registration: Drop-in, booked by the day

• Website: Book on Sawyer

The Craft Studio is a neighborhood arts and crafts studio with a drop-off mini camp for younger kids. The mess stays at the studio, which is half the appeal in December.

Last year's camp ran through January 2, so it's worth a call to see how much of the break it covers this time.

Why we like it: The half-day format suits a 5-year-old better than a full camp day, and it's a short walk for anyone in Carnegie Hill.

9. The Art Farm Holiday Camp

• Location: 431 East 91st Street. Q to 86th or 96th Street.

• Ages: 3 to 5

• Dates: Last year's camp ran December 22 to 23, December 29 to 31, and January 2. The 2026 dates aren't posted yet.

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an extended day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Cost: Last season's full day was $215. Confirm current rates.

• Registration: Individual days allowed. No refunds, and proof of a flu vaccine is required.

• Website: theartfarms.com

The Art Farm runs the only indoor petting zoo in New York City, and its holiday camp mixes animals, art, and play for preschoolers. It's built for the youngest kids on this list and doesn't try to serve older ones.

Last year it ran on New Year's Eve, which is rare for a preschool camp.

Why we like it: For a 3-year-old, a day with rabbits and paint beats any sports camp on this list.

10. Skating at Wollman Rink and the Davis Center

• Location: Wollman Rink in Central Park at 59th Street; the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, Central Park at 110th Street

• Ages: All ages

• Dates: Wollman is open daily from October 24 to March 16, including December 24 and 31. Confirm holiday hours before you go.

• Hours: Wollman is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Cost: Wollman is $12 for kids 4 to 12, plus $12 skate rental. The Davis Center is $5 for kids 4 to 16, plus $10 skate rental.

• Registration: Walk-up public skating, not a drop-off camp

• Website: wollmanrinknyc.com and daviscenter.centralparknyc.org

Not every day of break needs a camp. Both Central Park rinks run public skating through the holidays, and the Davis Center is the best deal in the park at $5 a kid.

Wollman's skating school closes from December 19 to January 1, so there are no lessons over the break. Go for the skating, not the instruction.

Why we like it: It's the cheapest good day on this list, and it's the most New York way to spend December 27.

Honorable mentions

A few more worth knowing about.

• Soccer Stars runs a December Holiday Break Camp for ages 3 to 10 at its 606 Columbus Avenue center on the Upper West Side, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dates weren't posted yet when we checked.

• NY Kids Club runs a two-week winter break camp for preschoolers at the end of December, with Upper East Side sites at 345 East 94th Street and 219 East 67th Street.

• NYC Elite Gymnastics at 421 East 91st Street runs a camp day on Monday, January 4, for independent-school families still on break.

How to choose the right Upper East Side winter break camp

A few honest things to think about before you book.

Work out which break you actually have. Public school families need December 24 and December 28 to 31. Many independent school families need December 21 to January 1 and sometimes January 4. Several camps on this list only run one of those weeks, so match the camp to your calendar before you match it to your kid.

December 24 and December 31 are the hard days. Asphalt Green, The Fashion Class, and Chess NYC all skip them. Fastbreak, NORY, and Taste Buds are the answers if you need either day covered.

Book by the day when you can. Nearly every camp here sells single days, which means you can build a break out of two or three programs instead of committing a week to one. That's often the better choice for a kid who gets bored of the same room by Wednesday.

Mind the drop-off math. Most camps run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which is a shorter day than work. Check for early drop-off and extended care when you book, because adding it later is harder once a camp fills.

Frequently asked questions

When is winter break for NYC public schools in 2026?

NYC public schools are closed from Thursday, December 24, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027. Classes resume Monday, January 4.

Do private school winter breaks match the public school calendar?

No. Many Upper East Side independent schools break around December 18 and return January 4, which is why several camps also run December 21 to 23.

Which Upper East Side camps run on Christmas Eve?

Fastbreak Sports and NORY both list December 24. Confirm with Fastbreak directly before you plan around it.

Is anything open on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day?

Yes. Fastbreak, NORY, and Taste Buds Kitchen all run December 31, and Taste Buds is the only program we found running January 1.

Can I book single days instead of a full week?

Yes. Asphalt Green, Fastbreak, The Fashion Class, Chess NYC, NORY, and Taste Buds all sell single days.

What's the cheapest way to fill a day of winter break?

Skating at the Davis Center costs $5 a kid plus a $10 skate rental. Among the drop-off camps, Chess NYC's $118 half day and Taste Buds' $115 session are the lowest-priced.

One final thought

Winter break rewards the families who plan it in October. The camps with the best coverage fill first, and December 24 and 31 go before anything else. Pick the days you need covered, book those first, and leave the rest of the break loose.

The right camp is the one your kid will be happy to go back to on the second day. That's usually about the room and the counselors, not the brochure.

If you want to see whether fencing is that room, we offer free trial classes for kids at our Upper East Side location year-round. No commitment, no sales pitch—just a class to find out if it clicks. For every other day off this school year, our guide to the 2026-27 NYC school calendar has the full list, and our roundup of the best after-school activities on the Upper East Side covers the rest of the week.