NWA Today

Thanksgiving · winter break · spring break · checked October 9, 2026

School break camps in Northwest Arkansas, 2026–27

Drop-off day camps for the days school is out this year, with dates, hours and prices from each host's own page as of Oct 9, 2026. Six camps had posted 2026–27 dates: Thanksgiving week is set at the Amazeum and Bentonville Parks, and the Amazeum has spring break up. Winter break is mostly blank so far, so hosts that run break camps but haven't posted dates are listed at the bottom with a phone number. Nobody paid to be here.

Orange pins and badges are open this weekend, from each place's posted schedule.

The essentials

Registration timing (as of Oct 9)

Open now
Amazeum Thanksgiving mini camps (Nov 23 & 24) · Bentonville Parks' Thanksgiving esports and flag football camps (Nov 23–25) · Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness school's-out days (members register in Club Automation).
Not open yet
Amazeum spring break camps (Mar 22–26, 2027). Dates and prices are posted, but the circus camp says "check back for registration" and neither camp had a live sign-up link.
Not posted
Winter break at almost every host, and spring break 2027 at the Jones Center, Bentonville Parks, the Yvonne Richardson Community Center and Ozark Natural Science Center. Last year the Richardson Center's spring break interest list ran Jan 12–Feb 6, so watch for it after New Year's.
Refunds
Amazeum mini and spring break camps: full refund if you cancel at least two weeks ahead, and a refund if a mini camp lands on your school's snow make-up day. Whole Health: cancel one week ahead, in writing.

Source: amazeum.org

What to ask before you book

Lunch
Amazeum: pack a nut-free sack lunch, a drink and two snacks; no microwave or vending, but there's a fridge. Whole Health: two snacks provided, pack a lunch, nut-free. Bentonville Parks' break camps end at noon; bring water and a snack.
Extended care
The Amazeum offers extended care in summer only, not during the school year. The longest posted days are Whole Health (7:30 AM–5:30 PM) and the Amazeum mini camps (9 AM–4 PM).
Discounts & aid
Amazeum members pay less and get early registration. Bentonville Parks prices residents and Community Center members lower. Ozark Natural Science Center lists scholarships for its camps.
Which week
Whole Health says its dates follow the Bentonville Public Schools calendar. If your kids are in another district, check its calendar before you pay for a week.
Nothing posted yet
Crystal Bridges and the Momentary (summer camps only), TheatreSquared (summer camps; its spring break tie-in is the Amazeum circus camp), Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (summer camp returns in 2027), Rogers and Siloam Springs parks (summer camps only), the Boys & Girls Clubs in Fayetteville and Benton County (after-school programs, no break camps listed) and the AGFC Ozark Highlands Nature Center (no camps listed). Trike Theatre's parent, Ovations+, is closing; some programs moved to Thaden School, which lists summer camps only.

Source: amazeum.org

Thanksgiving week: Nov 23–25, 2026

Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness (members only, below) also runs camp all three days.

  • Opens Nov 23Family-friendly

    One-day STEAM camps

    Amazeum Mini Camps

    1009 Museum Way, Bentonville

    When:
    Mon Nov 23 (Circuit Lab) · Tue Nov 24 (WHOA Reactions), 2026
    Hours:
    9 AM–4 PM
    Admission:
    $75 a day for Amazeum members, $85 nonmembers. Pre-registration and payment required.
    What's there:
    Circuits on Monday, chemistry reactions on Tuesday ("messy fun ahead"). Curbside drop-off and pick-up with photo ID. Pack a lunch and two snacks. Registration is open.
    Ages:
    6–11

    Official site & tickets →DirectionsWhat's on here

  • Opens Nov 23Family-friendly

    City esports camp (mornings)

    Bentonville Parks Thanksgiving Break Camp: Esports

    Magnolia Room, Bentonville Community Center, 1101 SW Citizens Circle

    When:
    Mon–Wed, Nov 23–25, 2026
    Hours:
    9 AM–noon
    Admission:
    $105 Community Center members, $115 non-members for the three days
    What's there:
    Playing and learning games as a team. Bring a water bottle and a healthy snack. Register through the city's Play Bentonville (ActiveNet) site; spots were open Oct 9.
    Ages:
    6–14 as listed (the city's sign-up system takes ages 6–13)

    Official site & tickets →Directions

  • Opens Nov 23Family-friendly

    City sports camp (mornings)

    Bentonville Parks Thanksgiving Break Camp: Flag Football

    Old Tiger Track, Bentonville (as listed by the city)

    When:
    Mon–Wed, Nov 23–25, 2026
    Hours:
    9 AM–noon
    Admission:
    $105 Bentonville residents, $115 non-residents for the three days
    What's there:
    Passing, catching and running plays, no tackling. Bring a mouth guard, water bottle and healthy snack. Register through the city's Play Bentonville (ActiveNet) site; spots were open Oct 9.
    Ages:
    6–14

    Official site & tickets →Directions

Winter break, MLK Day & Presidents' Day

As of Oct 9, one program had posted these dates, and it's members only. The call-ahead list below has the hosts that run break camps but haven't posted winter dates.

  • Opens Oct 15Family-friendly

    School's-out day camp (members only)

    Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness Kids Camp

    1400 SE 5th St, Bentonville

    When:
    2026–27: Oct 15–16 · Nov 23–25 · Dec 21–23 & 28–30 · Jan 18 (MLK Day) · Feb 15 (Presidents' Day) · Mar 22–26 (spring break) · Apr 23
    Hours:
    7:30 AM–5:30 PM
    Admission:
    $45 a day per camper, due at enrollment. Members only; the club's memberships are for Walmart and Sam's Club associates and their households.
    What's there:
    Sports, games, arts and crafts and swim time; a state-licensed program. Two snacks provided, pack a nut-free lunch. Dates follow the Bentonville Public Schools calendar. Register under "Programs" in your Club Automation account.
    Ages:
    1st grade–age 12

    Official site & tickets →Directions

Spring break: Mar 22–26, 2027

Posted but not open for sign-up yet. Whole Health's members-only camp (above) runs the same week.

  • Opens Mar 22Family-friendly

    Week-long STEAM camp, with TheatreSquared

    Amazeum Spring Break Camp: Under the Big Top

    1009 Museum Way, Bentonville

    When:
    Mon–Fri, Mar 22–26, 2027
    Hours:
    9 AM–3 PM
    Admission:
    $335 Amazeum members, $375 nonmembers for the week
    What's there:
    Circus science, balancing acts, costume design and circus games, building to an end-of-week Amazeum Circus Extravaganza. Campers get free museum admission the week of camp. Registration wasn't open Oct 9.
    Ages:
    6–11

    Official site & tickets →DirectionsWhat's on here

  • Opens Mar 22Family-friendly

    Half-day maker camp for young kids

    Amazeum Spring Break Camp: Build, Make, Play!

    1009 Museum Way, Bentonville

    When:
    Mon–Fri, Mar 22–26, 2027
    Hours:
    Morning 8:30–11:30 AM or afternoon 2–5 PM
    Admission:
    $160 Amazeum members, $185 nonmembers for the week
    What's there:
    Process-based building and tinkering in the maker space, with no "right" way to make it. Pick one session. Registration wasn't open Oct 9.
    Ages:
    4–6

    Official site & tickets →DirectionsWhat's on here

On the calendar

Verified events for the season, updated every night.

Call ahead

These come up in older roundups, but nothing official confirms a 2026 season yet.

  • The Jones Center (Springdale). Runs School Break Day Camps for grades 1–6, 8 AM–5 PM, signed up by the day. Its page still shows a March 23–27 spring break camp, which matches the 2026 calendar, and no Thanksgiving, winter or 2027 dates. Call (479) 756-8090.
  • Bentonville Parks & Recreation. Thanksgiving camps are posted (above). No winter break camps are listed, and the spring break lineup on the Camp Bentonville page is March 2026's. Call the Community Center at 479-696-0200.
  • Yvonne Richardson Community Center (Fayetteville). Runs a low-cost Spring Break Camp for K–6th grade (ages 5–11), 9:30 AM–4:30 PM with lunch provided and limited space. The page still describes the March 2026 camp; 2027 dates and the interest-list window aren't posted. Call 479-444-3461.
  • Fayetteville Athletic Club. Runs Schools Out Camps for ages 5–12, 7:30 AM–6 PM, with swimming, sports and snacks. The only dates posted are Oct 9 & 12, 2026, and the price isn't on the page. Call 479-587-0500 ext. 7.
  • Ozark Natural Science Center. Spring break camps (day camp at Lake Fayetteville for ages 7–14, overnight at the main campus between Huntsville and Eureka Springs for ages 8–16) say "2027 Dates TBD," and its New Year's camps were cancelled for 2026. Scholarships available. Call 479-202-8340.
  • Nutty Scientists of Northwest Arkansas. Ran one-day School Holiday Camps in Rogers last school year (grades 1–5, 8 AM–3 PM). Nothing is posted for 2026–27. Call (479) 547-4181.

Quick answers

Are there Thanksgiving break camps in Northwest Arkansas?
Yes. The Amazeum runs one-day mini camps Nov 23 and 24 (ages 6–11, 9 AM–4 PM, $75 members or $85 nonmembers), and Bentonville Parks runs esports and flag football camps Nov 23–25 (ages 6–14, 9 AM–noon, $105–$115). Registration for all of them was open on Oct 9, 2026.
Are there spring break camps near me for 2027?
The Amazeum has posted two for Mar 22–26, 2027: Under the Big Top for ages 6–11 ($335 members, $375 nonmembers) and the half-day Build, Make, Play! for ages 4–6 ($160/$185). Registration wasn't open yet on Oct 9; other hosts haven't posted 2027 spring break dates.
Are there winter break camps in NWA?
As of Oct 9, 2026, only Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness had posted winter break dates (Dec 21–23 and 28–30, $45 a day), and it's for members. The Jones Center, Bentonville Parks and Ozark Natural Science Center hadn't posted winter camps; call before you plan around them.
Do I need to pack a lunch for camp?
Yes at the Amazeum and Whole Health: both ask for a nut-free packed lunch, and Whole Health provides two snacks. Bentonville Parks' Thanksgiving camps end at noon.
Is there a camp on MLK Day or Presidents' Day?
Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness runs camp Jan 18 and Feb 15, 2027 (7:30 AM–5:30 PM, $45, members only). No other host had posted those days on Oct 9.

Dates, hours and prices are as each business posted them on October 9, 2026, and they change. Spot something out of date, or run one we missed? Tell us.

Nobody paid to be on this list. Inclusion is editorial.

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