Kindergarten has interview days instead of classes on Aug. 24 to 26 and starts Thursday, Aug. 27, so kindergartners get three fewer school days than grades 1 to 12. No school for students on Sept. 18, Oct. 9, Nov. 25, Jan. 15, Feb. 12 and Mar. 29 (staff PD), and on Nov. 16, Jan. 29 and Apr. 16 (report card conferences). Schools are also closed for Yom Kippur (Sept. 21), Eid al-Fitr (Mar. 10), Eid al-Adha (May 17) and Election Day (Nov. 3, and May 18, which is tentative). PSSA testing runs Apr. 26 to May 7.

Thanksgiving in Philly is a little odd. Kids are in school Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23 and 24. Wednesday, Nov. 25 is a staff PD day, so no school, and the official recess is Thursday and Friday. Add the weekend and that's five days off, with everyone back Monday, Nov. 30. The Thanksgiving Day parade comes along the Parkway in the morning, so bundle up and get there early. Christmas Village by City Hall usually opens around then, and it's an easy Friday outing if you can handle the crowds. Heading out of town? Leave Tuesday night. Wednesday afternoon on the Schuylkill is rough.

Winter recess is Dec. 23 through Dec. 31, then New Year's Day on Friday, Jan. 1. Kids are in school Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 21 and 22, and back Monday, Jan. 4. Count the weekends and that's 12 days in a row. The Macy's light show with the Wanamaker Organ is a classic, and the ice rink at Dilworth Park is easy to pair with it. On Jan. 1 the Mummers Parade takes over Broad Street. It's loud and a bit ridiculous, and kids usually love it. Longwood Gardens does a big Christmas display about an hour west if you want out of the city. Leave a couple of lazy days open too.

Spring recess is Monday through Thursday, Mar. 22 to 25. Friday, Mar. 26 is Good Friday and Monday, Mar. 29 is a staff PD day, so kids are off from Mar. 20 to Mar. 29 and back Tuesday, Mar. 30. Easter is Sunday, Mar. 28. That's ten days in a row, which is longer than it looks on paper. Rita's usually gives out free water ice on the first day of spring, and that's Saturday, Mar. 20, so it's an easy way to kick things off. The Zoo, the Wissahickon and a walk by Boathouse Row are all good if it's sunny. March can still be cold, so pack layers. PSSA testing runs Apr. 26 to May 7, so keep those evenings quiet.

School's out for students on Wednesday, June 9, and staff finish on the 10th. Juneteenth is Friday, June 18, but that's after school ends, so it only means city offices are closed. Next year's first day isn't posted yet, so watch for it before you book anything for late August. Wawa Welcome America usually starts in mid to late June and runs up to the Fourth of July, with lots of free events. City pools and spray grounds open around then, and the Free Library has a summer reading program for kids. The Shore works as a day trip, about an hour and a half or two depending on the town.

School’s out Wednesday, June 9, and Juneteenth is Friday, June 18. Next year’s start date isn’t on this calendar, so I’d watch for it before you book anything in late August. Philly summers get hot and sticky, so plan around water. Splash pads, pools, and the Franklin Institute help a lot. The Jersey Shore, Wildwood and its boardwalk especially, is about an hour or so away, so it works for a day trip. Free library reading programs keep kids busy for little money. Early mornings are best for outdoor stuff. By noon everyone wants shade, and that’s fine.

Schools are closed Monday, Jan. 18, 2027 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Friday, Jan. 15 is a staff PD day, so kids get a four-day weekend. Philadelphia does one of the biggest MLK Day of Service events in the country, with plenty of projects families can do together. Sign up early, because the popular ones fill up. Report card conferences on Friday, Jan. 29 mean another day off before the month is over.