[ditor’s Note: This article is part of Khaleej Times’ Schools and Parents, a dedicated section designed to support families in the UAE as they explore educational choices. The section offers explainers, guidance from education leaders, expert advice and insights from parents to help readers make informed decisions about schools, curricula and communities.]
With just over a month to go before the UAE’s winter school holidays, families are beginning to organise their December plans, balancing overseas travel, work commitments and activities to keep children occupied during the break.
This year’s winter vacation for schools following the Ministry of Education’s unified academic calendar will run from Monday, December 14, 2026, to Friday, January 1, 2027. The last school day will be Friday, December 11, with students returning to classrooms on Monday, January 4, 2027.
The three-week break is about a week shorter than last year’s winter vacation, which ran from December 8, 2025, to January 4, 2026. For working parents, the shorter holiday means making arrangements well in advance, particularly for childcare, holiday camps and family travel.
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The winter break also follows the UAE National Day holiday, which falls from Wednesday, December 2, to Friday, December 4, according to the ministry calendar.
For some families, the holiday will mean travelling abroad to experience a different winter climate, while others are splitting their time between overseas visits and extended family in their home countries. Parents who are staying in the UAE are also weighing up holiday camps and outdoor activities against the cost and practicalities of keeping children engaged.
Schools urge parents not to miss final days of term
While families may already be looking at flight tickets and holiday itineraries, school leaders are reminding parents that the final weeks of the academic term remain important for students.
Beyond examinations and classroom learning, the run-up to the holidays often includes sports events, performances, residential trips and other activities that children look forward to throughout the year.
Chandini Misra, Principal of Repton Al Barsha, said older students, particularly those preparing for external examinations, need to maintain their academic routines and revision schedules.
She advised parents to check school calendars before confirming travel plans, pointing out that an early departure could mean children miss more than just a few lessons.
“There is also important curriculum learning taking place right up until the end of term, and children can find it unsettling to return feeling that they have missed something everyone else understands. Nobody enjoys starting a new term feeling a step behind or scrambling to catch up.”
Misra said schools wanted students to enjoy their holidays while also ensuring they finished the term on a positive note and returned feeling confident and settled.
Reiterating similar thoughts, Seema Umar, Principal, Dewvale School, Dubai, said, “We encourage parents to plan ahead, keeping the school calendar and reopening dates in mind. Winter holidays offer a wonderful opportunity for families to reconnect, travel and create lasting memories. We also encourage parents to make space for reading, outdoor exploration and new experiences.”
She also stressed that, importantly, children need time to unwind, recharge and “simply enjoy being children.”
At Regent International School, the final weeks will also be an opportunity to recognise students’ progress through activities beyond the classroom.
David Williams, principal of Regent International School, part of Fortes Education, said the school had several events planned before the holidays, including sports days, end-of-term performances and residential trips.
“Teaching and learning remain our priority, but it is also an important opportunity to reflect on the progress students have made and celebrate their achievements.
“These experiences are an important part of school life, and we want students to make the most of every opportunity right through to the final day of term.”
Nishi Saran, Principal of Senior School and Nexus at Bloom World Academy, said the school was balancing academic priorities with opportunities for students to celebrate their achievements.
For older pupils, this includes revision and coursework deadlines, alongside regular lessons and extracurricular commitments. She encouraged parents to consult year-group notices before booking travel, particularly if their children were involved in performances, fixtures or other activities.
“If your child has been rehearsing for weeks or counting down to a fixture, that final week might be the one they’re most looking forward to.”
January return: Why students need time to reset
The return to school after the holidays also requires some planning, particularly for older students facing assessments soon after the break.
At Bloom World Academy, Grade 10 to 12 students will have mock examinations following their return in January. Saran said students should balance preparation with sufficient rest rather than spend the entire vacation studying.
“A few focused retrieval practice sessions can sit quite happily alongside slow mornings, possibly some winter travel and time with family.”
She also advised travelling families to leave some breathing room before the first day of the new term and check school communications for January deadlines, activity registrations and transport updates.
At home, parents can make the transition easier by gradually re-establishing regular sleeping and waking times a few days before classes resume.
Parents split time between overseas travel, childcare arrangements
For working parents, the three-week break can present a logistical challenge, particularly when annual leave does not stretch across the entire school holiday.
Nivedita Rao is planning a family trip to Kazakhstan to experience its winter landscape. However, with only a week off work, she has arranged for her 10-year-old son to spend the remainder of the vacation with his grandparents in India.
“We are planning a trip to Kazakhstan this year to experience a winter wonderland. However, since I can only take a week off work, my son will spend the remainder of the school holidays with his grandparents in India. My husband will take him to Delhi and Bangalore, where both sets of grandparents live.”
For Rao, keeping children occupied during the winter break can be just as challenging as coordinating travel arrangements.
“While the weather in Dubai is likely to be pleasant during the winter break, keeping children productively occupied can be challenging when parents are at work. They naturally tend to gravitate towards their iPads when they have nothing else to do.”
She said holiday camps could provide a more structured alternative, although their costs were a consideration for families.
“Camps offer a more structured environment, but I sometimes feel they can be unnecessarily expensive, without necessarily offering much in terms of meaningful learning.”
For other families, the holiday will involve a combination of overseas travel and activities closer to home.
Filipino expatriate Maria Reyes, who has two young boys, is planning a trip to the UK with her husband, who is British. However, she expects keeping the children engaged in the days leading up to their departure to be a challenge.
“I plan to enrol my older son in a football or multisport camp for a few days. With my younger one, I can organise activities at home, or take him biking or swimming during the day, weather permitting.”
As a stay-at-home mother, Reyes said she had greater flexibility to organise activities around the children’s interests and spend time with them during the break.
“Since I am a stay-at-home mum, I can be more flexible about planning activities and spending time with them.”
Source: Khaleej Times