The transition into the new year often marks a busy season for educators on Outschool. Winter camps attract enrollments from families on school breaks or celebrating holidays in December, and January tends to bring renewed interest in all types of classes as learners dive back into their studies.

We always recommend updating your class listings for the upcoming season well ahead of time, and winter is no different. As a business owner, you want your offerings to be available as soon as a family thinks to look for them. Learners start signing up for December camps and January classes as early as October — so don’t wait to schedule new sections and make plans for the new year!

In addition to preparing for Outschool’s biggest month of the year, winter camps can be a great way to round out your year on Outschool and use holiday themes to bring in new learners.

How to list a successful winter camp

Camps are an excellent opportunity to meet different family needs during traditional school breaks in the Northern Hemisphere in November and December. Consider designing a few of these multi-day experiences to take advantage of increased demand for camp-style classes during this time of year.

That being said, learners will still be looking for the flexibility of 1-on-1, ongoing, and one-time classes during this season — so if you’re already filling sections of those class formats, keep it up!

For a class to be considered a “camp” by Outschool and show up on the winter camps search page, it must meet the following criteria:

1. The class has live meetings (Flex classes and Groups will not be considered camps)
2. Class sections start between November 15 and January 2
3. The class meets 2 or more times within one week. The total duration of a camp may be from 1-8 weeks, and ongoing classes may be considered camps if they meet more than once per week.

In addition to meeting the criteria above, consider the following when designing your camp listings:

• Use “camp,” “winter camp,” or “winter break camp” in the class title and sparingly in the course description to help your class show up in searches.
• Create sections from late November through early January, when many school breaks take place. Winter camp bookings have historically been highest between December 6 – December 30.
• Try offering camps that last 3-5 days. While you may create camps that last up to 8 weeks, families are often looking for shorter experiences to accommodate other activities on their schedule.
• Pick a theme, skill, or project for each camp. Use the insights below, as well as class topic requests and data on classes that need educators, to find themes for your camps that match learners’ interests.

Historic winter camp trends

Use these top subjects and topics from 2021 to start brainstorming your camps for this year! And keep your eyes on this page for more winter insights coming soon.

Top winter camp subjects in 2022

• Life Skills
• Arts
• Coding & Tech

Top winter camp class topics in 2022

Life Skills
D&D camps
Winter break trivia camps
Christmas winter camps (with themes like making treats, storytelling, and arts & crafts)

Arts
The Nutcracker Ballet dance camps
Art camps offering a variety of activities
Drawing or painting winter animals

Coding & Tech
Music-making camps with music software programs
Programming camps with a specific project goal
Gaming camps (Animal Crossing was popular in 2021)