Molly’s Favorite Winter Break Camps

Dear Trackers Families,

The first fall rain just rolled in, and I’ll admit it: I’m already dreaming about winter break. Some of my favorite Trackers days happen in December, when kids come in from the cold with pink cheeks, smoky jackets and a story they can’t wait to tell you. Winter break registration is open, so here are the camps I’d pick for my own kids, with links for Portland, the Bay Area and Kirkland.

Here We Go A Waffling

This one has been my favorite since the very beginning. The day is part kitchen and part concert. Kids mix batter, learn a handful of carols and head out on Joy Missions to sing for the neighbors. Then everyone comes back for a waffle feast. It only runs one day, so mark your calendar.

Cocoa Commandos

Secret agents, hot cocoa and a mission that has to be solved before the marshmallows melt. Kids crack codes, build gadgets and sneak through the woods on spy missions. Our littlest Bay Area spies get their own Jr Spy Cocoa Command day.

Snowshoe adventures, for teens in Portland

For my older kids, nothing beats the mountain. We head up to the snow, strap on snowshoes and learn to travel, stay warm and read tracks in a winter forest. Choose a three-day Mountain Adventure, or go all in with our three-day Snowshoe Overnight.

Rangers Craft: Fires, Forts & Shelters

Winter is the best time to learn fire. When everything is damp, kids find out what really burns, how to split kindling and how to keep a flame going in the rain. Then they build a shelter and test it. Few things make a kid prouder than a fire they built themselves on a wet December day.

Rangers Recon: Forts, Archery & Capture the Flag

For kids with holiday energy to burn, this is the one. They practice archery, build forts with their team and finish the day with a big game of capture the flag in the woods.

Realms of the North

Vikings and the long northern night. Our role-players spend the day inside a winter saga, full of quests and adventure. In Portland, brave adventurers can also join Troll Hunters on December 28–30.

Portland holiday favorites

A few of our holiday traditions only happen in Portland, and each one is a little bit of magic. The ninjas race to rescue Christmas, the Wilders gather around a bonfire on the farm, and the Woodworking Elves make handmade gifts to bring home.

Rovers Survival, for our youngest Trackers

Our littlest campers get their own day of archery, fort building and capture the flag, paced just right for small legs and big imaginations.

Something new this winter: Memkin

This winter we’re launching Memkin, our nature monster card game. Kids track real animals, train their Trackers Skills and battle with their decks, and every camper takes home a free starter deck. The art is by our own Yuki Saeki, and the babies are impossibly cute.

Most of our winter camps are single days, so you can pick the days that work for your family. If you need more time in the day, many sites also offer Pre-Camp and After-Camp.

Questions? Write to us anytime at hello@trackersearth.com.