School holidays in the US in 2025-26

School holidays are the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your children on fun days out or weeks away. Knowing when term dates are is vital for parents to plan effectively for activities or excursions. It’s also important in case you have to make childcare arrangements if you happen to be working.

Holiday planning also means financial preparation. Whether you’re looking at an overseas vacation, sorting childcare, or enrolling your kids in holiday camps, you’ll need to budget accordingly and make sure you have readily available funds.

For expat families who frequently travel internationally or maintain ties back home, Wise can help with low-cost international payments and multi-currency management.

An overview of school holidays in the US

School holidays in the US vary across the country. They are set by the 13,000+ school districts, although dates generally follow a similar pattern. The US school year typically includes two major breaks (Christmas/winter and summer), along with shorter breaks such as Thanksgiving (a few days) and spring break (usually about a week).

In addition, schools may have extra days off for federal public holidays, state holidays, or school-specific occasions. Some districts also include a mid-winter break around February.

To find exact holiday dates, check with your school district, state Department of Education, or individual school.

International schools in the US generally set their own academic calendar. This is often similar to the local school timetable, but may differ slightly – for example, longer breaks in some seasons to suit expat families. Be sure to check with your child’s school for full details.

When are the US school holidays in 2025-26?

Dates may vary from district to district – check with your school.

Holiday	Date(s)
First day of school	Varies across states – from late July (earliest) to early September (latest)
Fall break	Only taken in districts in certain states (mostly in south and midwest); a few days to a week in late September (earliest) to mid-October (latest)
Thanksgiving	From two days to a week between 24–28 November
Winter break	22 December 2025 – 5 January 2026 (most schools)
Spring break	Week-long break starting between 9 March (earliest) and 13 April (latest)
Summer break	Typically 8–11 weeks off starting around 23 May (earliest) to late June (latest)

You can search for likely dates by individual state on the School Holidays website.

When are the US school holidays in 2026-27?

Dates may vary from district to district – check with your school.

Holiday	Date(s)
First day of school	Varies across states – from late July (earliest) to early September (latest)
Fall break	Only taken in districts in certain states (mostly in south and midwest); a few days to a week in late September (earliest) to mid-October (latest)
Thanksgiving	From two days to a week between 23–27 November
Winter break	21 December 2026 – 4 January 2027 (most schools)
Spring break	Week-long break starting between 8 March (earliest) and 12 April (latest)
Summer break	Typically 8–11 weeks off starting around 23 May (earliest) to late June (latest)

You can search for likely dates by individual state on the School Holidays website.

When are the public holidays in the US?

The US has 11 federal holidays each year, and there are also additional holiday days at state and local level. Schools will often close on these days, for example Labor Day or Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Check with your school or district for full details of school closures on these days.

Tips for expat parents in the US

Financial planning for the school holidays

School holidays can be expensive for families, often involving fun activities, childcare, travel, and accommodation expenses. For expat parents embarking on international travel or paying for services in different currencies, good management of expenses can be very important.

If you are planning a vacation during a school break, here are some handy tips:

• Create a holiday budget that accounts for currency fluctuations
• Consider the most cost-effective way to spend money abroad
• Plan ahead for international payments you may have to make, for example activities or accommodation

Opening a Wise multi-currency account can help you manage your holiday finances. You can hold and convert money in 40+ currencies and spend abroad in 150+ countries with the Wise Multi-Currency card.

Childcare during the school holidays

If your child’s school breaks clash with your work schedule, there are a number of childcare options you could consider. Exact services will vary depending on where you live, but are likely to include:

• Child care centers
• Youth clubs and community centers
• School-based holiday programs
• Vacation camps
• Family childcare providers
• Au pairs/nannies
• Babysitters

Your school or district website should have information on what’s available. You can also search for facilities and activities on the ChildCare.gov website.

10 fun summer camps in the US

The US has many fun and educational summer camps where children can learn and play during the school holidays, including:

• Timber Lake Camp (New York)
• Camp Laurel (Maine)
• Camp Echo (Michigan)
• Amplify Sleep Away Camp (California)
• Big Lake Youth Camp (Oregon)
• Cheley Camps (Colorado)
• Camp Horseshoe (Wisconsin)
• Blue Star Camps (North Carolina)
• Camp Champions (Texas)
• Camp Tawanda (Pennsylvania)

You can search for summer camps across the US on websites such as the American Camp Association (ACA), American Summer Camps and World Camps.