SG School HolidaysYear-End School Holidays in Singapore: What to Do Over the Six-Week Break
The year-end break is the long one. Six weeks is enough for a big family trip and a couple of camps, with whole weeks of slow mornings still left over. Popular camps and festive tickets sell out earliest, and early bookers lock in lower non-peak prices before they go. Here is how to shape those six weeks.
The 2026 year-end break at a glance
For kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, the Ministry of Education sets the year-end holidays to run from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 31 December 2026, with the last day of the final school term on Friday 20 November. That is roughly six weeks off.
One quirk worth knowing: schools used as venues for the GCE O-Level written exams break earlier, with their final term ending on Friday 23 October 2026, per the same MOE calendar. If your child is at one of those schools, you effectively get an even longer year-end holiday.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Sat 21 Nov to Thu 31 Dec 2026 (check your child's level on the 2026 calendar) |
| Last day of term | Fri 20 Nov 2026 (Fri 23 Oct for O-Level exam-venue schools) |
| Length | About six weeks |
| Best for | The big family trip, festive events, holiday camps, slow days at home |
| Book early | Flights, camps, and festive-event tickets |
The new year starts staggered. According to the official 2027 MOE calendar, Primary 1 begins on Monday 4 January 2027 and Primary 2 to 6 begin on Tuesday 5 January 2027. Those are the published dates and worth a quick confirm closer to the time.
Decide the shape of the break first
Pick the shape before you book, because the local timing rewards it: December is the travel peak, and popular camps open bookings from around September.
- One big trip. The classic year-end move. Take it early in the break, before camps fill and airfares climb over the December peak.
- Camps. A few days a week buys you working days and gives the children something to look forward to.
- Home time. The cheapest and the most restful.
If you are working, line your annual leave up with the break and the public holidays around it. The free Leave Optimizer shows exactly which days to book to stretch your leave furthest.
If you are travelling
December is one of the busiest travel periods out of Singapore, and Changi's own passenger records back that up, so plan like it.
First, passports. Many destinations require at least six months' passport validity from your arrival date, so check each country's entry rules on MFA's travel page and renew early to beat the year-end rush.
Second, the airport. Changi Airport is at its most crowded over this break. December 2025 was its busiest month on record with about 6.3 million passenger movements, and the single busiest day was Saturday 20 December 2025 with more than 223,000 passengers. If you are flying out around then, arrive early and pre-book your transport to the airport.
Festive things to do without leaving Singapore
Even if you are staying put, December in Singapore has its own season.
- Christmas Wonderland. The marquee year-end event is Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay. The 2025 edition ran 29 November 2025 to 1 January 2026, 6.30pm to 11pm daily, with last entry at 10.15pm and advance tickets from about S$9 for adults and S$7 for children aged 3 to 12. A similar edition is expected for the 2026 break, but confirm the dates and prices on the official site, as they vary by peak and non-peak nights.
- Universal Studios Singapore. A reliable full-day outing on Sentosa. Universal Studios Singapore lists one-day admission from around S$83 per adult and from about S$62 for a child aged 4 to 12, with Illumination's Minion Land included in standard admission. Prices are dynamic and usually higher over the December peak, so check current pricing before you book.
- Snow City. For a rainy afternoon, Snow City in Jurong East, beside the Science Centre, does indoor snow play. Sessions run around S$24 for one hour and S$29 for two hours, admission includes a winter jacket and boots, and children aged 2 and under enter free. Reconfirm prices on the official site.
Holiday camps worth booking
Camps are the workhorse of a long break. The catch is timing: places at popular providers fill fast, and Little Steps Asia notes that festive December programmes are typically announced from around September, so book a few months ahead.
| Provider | Ages | Roughly what it costs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Asia | 3 to 16 | Check official schedule | Multi-activity and specialist camps at international-school campuses; optional door-to-door bus available. Confirm fees and bus pricing on the official site |
| Nullspace Robotics | 5 to 16 | About S$100 for a two-hour lesson up to around S$750 for a 15-hour programme | Robotics and coding; venues include Rochester Mall, Kallang Wave Mall and SAFRA Tampines |
| KidsSTOP at Science Centre | Younger children | Check official schedule | Holiday programmes and overnight camps; slots are limited, so register early |
| Proactivsports Prodigy Camps | 4 to 12 | Check official schedule | Sports-skills plus S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and crafts, math) |
All fees and dates above are the latest published figures. Exact 2026 dates and prices are released closer to the break, so treat these as a guide and confirm on each provider's own site before you pay.
A sample rhythm for a six-week break
Think in phases rather than days.
- Weeks 1 to 2: the big trip, or the first camp while everyone is fresh.
- Weeks 3 to 4: a mix of camp days and home days, plus one festive outing like Christmas Wonderland.
- Weeks 5 to 6: wind down, with slow mornings and the quiet admin of getting ready for the new school year.
Leave real gaps. Six weeks is long enough that a packed schedule burns everyone out by mid-December.
Ease into the staggered January restart
Leave the final few days for getting ready. With Primary 1 back on Monday 4 January and Primary 2 to 6 on Tuesday 5 January 2027, shifting to an earlier bedtime a few days ahead beats a scramble on the final Sunday night.
Frequently asked questions
When are the year-end school holidays in 2026? For most schools they run from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 31 December 2026, with the last day of term on Friday 20 November. Schools used as O-Level exam venues break earlier, from 23 October. Confirm your child's level on the 2026 MOE calendar.
When does school start again in January 2027? Primary 1 starts on Monday 4 January 2027 and Primary 2 to 6 on Tuesday 5 January 2027, per the 2027 MOE calendar. It is worth confirming closer to the date.
When should I book holiday camps? Book a few months ahead. Festive December programmes are often announced from around September and popular providers fill fast, so September to October is a sensible window.
We are travelling in December. What should I sort out first? Check each destination's passport-validity rule, since many require at least six months' validity from your arrival date, and renew early. Then, because Changi is at its busiest, plan to arrive early and pre-book your ride to the airport.
How do I line up my annual leave with the break? Block the travel week first, then use the Leave Optimizer to match the rest of your leave to the public holidays around the break.
Before you book anything, check the exact 2026 dates for your child's level on the MOE calendar, and if you want the whole year in your phone, you can download the school holidays and public holidays as a calendar file.