11 of the best Winter Camps for kids in the UAE

School’s about to take a little break for the winter holidays. And what better time is there for the kiddos to learn, play and gain some life skills outside of class? Here’s a look at some options the young ones will love when classes are out

Green Planet: The Winter Camp in the Rainforest kicks-off on December 12 and runs until December 29 and offers education-rich entertainment opportunities, where kids will learn about the animals, plants and ecosystems on the planet. There are animal encounters, bio-dome and sustainable explorations, nature-inspired arts and crafts, games as well as scavenger and treasure hunts on the cards. Kids can bring their own lunch or nosh on a meal from The Green Planet Café. DETAILS: The camp runs from Sunday to Wednesday, from 9am-2pm. Prices start at Dh250 per day or Dh750 for four days. Book before December 9 for an early bird offer that brings prices down to Dh600 for four days. Lunch is available for Dh35 per day or Dh150 for four days. Sibling discounts are available too.

Circuit X: Abu Dhabi’s adventure park will host its second edition of X Camp: Operation Green Earth. The camp, which runs from December 12 to 30, combines elements of science, geography, nature, character building, intertwined with climbing, ziplining, biking and skateboarding. Children will explore through games and activities the values of protecting animals, plants and wildlife, as well as sustainable practices and knowledge on renewable energy, preserving water, recycling, and planting. Timings: 8.30am-2pm (Sunday-Thursday). Best for kids aged 6 to 14.

Tashkeel’s Winter Camp: For those with a creative bunch, there’s so much to do at these workshops between December 12 and 16. There are sessions that teach art and others that explain design – these are all slotted for age appropriateness. There is, for example, The Magic of Pigments workshop for 8-to-11-year-olds, which teaches the history of pigment trade and chemical and physical processes that can turn pigments into paint. Then the kids get to try traditional tempera painting by mixing pigments and egg yolk. Other workshops include Puzzled Nature (8-to-11-year-olds), which will teach kids how to upcycle clothes by creating prints and designs on fabric; Precious Plastics (12-to-16-year-olds), which teaches kids about recycling plastics; Dyeing to Tell a Story (12-to-16-year-olds), which is all about the batik dyeing technique; and Cyanotypes (12-to-16-year-olds) which will showcase how to take a photo without a camera. Timings: 10am -1pm for 8-11 years; 2-5pm for 12- 16 years

Aventura Parks: Check out the Life Skills programme for kids the Middle East’s largest outdoor adventure park. This plan has five modules: Adventure, Nature Works, Team Building, Arts and Crafts, and Science Made Fun. Besides having a blast climbing and ziplining, they’ll also learn some survival skills such as how to use a compass, build a shelter and preserve water. DETAILS: Prices start at Dh240 for a day and Dh840 for a week, which includes two snacks, unlimited water and lunch. The camp is on from December 12 to 30 and accepts people aged 6 to 16.

Rolldxb: Skaters taking part in this Roller-Skating Academy’s winter camp can learn new skills and perfect them on the ramp. DETAILS: The camp, which runs from Sunday to Thursday between 10am and 1pm, is perfect for those aged 4 to 16 and costs Dh230 per child per day or Dh899 per child per week. There’s also the option of an extended day camping – which runs from Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 2pm – that costs Dh950 per child per week. For extended day campers, there are free additional sports, dancing and arts and crafts activities. Sibling and group discounts are available.

Bounce Winter Holiday Camp: Enroll your little one in the Ninja Squad at this freestyle academy and watch them move. They’ll love the games, parkour training and a host of on-site activities besides. DETAILS: The winter camp, on from Sunday to Thursday, runs from December 12 to December 30 and costs Dh190 daily and Dh750 weekly; Dh170 daily and Dh650 weekly for those who are already members of the academy. Sibling discounts are available.

STEM Winter Camp: This camp, hosted at Rove Hotel, Downtown Dubai and Studio One Hotel, Dubai Studio City from December 12 to 30, is all about teaching kids about science, math and technical prowess depending on their age and skill level. The Little Explorers section caters to four and five year olds and teaches them about tech using Lego. The Junior STEM Camp is great for six to nine year olds and hosts hands-on science, engineering and robotics activities. The Advanced STEM Camp is for 10 to 14 year olds and teaches science, engineering and robotics activities. For 10 t0 14 year olds there’s a business bootcamp, which is a weeklong entrepreneurship programme, which will teach everything from business ideation, budgeting, design, marketing to sales. Finally, Finance for Kids is perfect for kids ages 10 to 14, and teaches financial literacy. Here, kids learn the value of money, how to earn it, how to save, how to invest and the pitfalls to avoid. The sessions run from 9.30am-1.30pm from Sunday to Thursday and cost Dh225 per day per child. A sibling discount is available.

Zayed Sports City Kids Holiday Camp: This camp, which caters to kids aged 5 to 12, offers games like bowling and ice skating alongside arts and crafts, team-building challenges and more. DETAILS: Prices start at Dh1,050 per child; sibling discounts are available. Dates: December 19-23 and December 26-30.

OliOli: Dubai’s experimental museum is offering two programmes this festive season: InventShop morning camp and AdventureShop afternoon camp. These run weekly, from December 12 t0 23 – there’s new content each week and are great for kids between the ages of 4 and 10. The morning camp, which focuses on design, innovative thinking, problem solving, creativity and experimentation, costs Dh1,050 for a week. The afternoon workshops, which focus on collaboration, navigation, problem solving, imagination and creativity, are Dh790 per week. All day camp, which enlists a child for both segments, are Dh1,650 per week.

ThreadWerk: Kids and teens can learn how to design and how to sew at these winter workshops that run from December 12 to 15 and December 19 to 22. Kids will take home a self-made tote bag and apron at the end of this project. They will learn how to sew straight lines and the basics of hemming. DETAILS: Dh800 per child for four two-hour sessions.

Al Barari Dubai introduces the Winter Wonderland: Enjoy playing on an ice rink or carousel; check out the winter parade, gingerbread cookies decoration class, and arts and crafts workshops. Plus there’s the petting zoo, snow zone, live band, art classes, festive table decoration workshop, themed movie nights, seasonal market filled with one-of-a-kind finds and more. DETAILS: From December 10 to 25, the Wonderland will be open to visitors from 4pm to 9pm on weekdays and 10am to 9pm on weekends. Tickets cost Dh65.