Winter Break Camp: Game On! (5th-8th)

MOSI is running a winter break camp for 5th through 8th graders from December 21 to 23, 2026, called Winter Break Camp: Game On!. It runs 9 AM to 4 PM each day, so it's a full three-day stretch over the holiday break. The whole thing is built around the science, technology and creativity that go into gaming, and the kids work through hands-on challenges and game-inspired activities rather than just sitting and listening.

Over those three days, they cover a few different areas: game design, strategy, coding, engineering and problem-solving. It's a good mix—some of it is about how a game is put together, some is about the logic and code that make it work, and some is about the actual engineering and strategy that goes into playing one. If your kid spends their free time gaming, this is a way to pull back the curtain on how those games are actually made.

It helps to know where this is happening. MOSI is a hands-on science center in Tampa, and it's built around interactive learning and playful exploration. It has permanent and rotating exhibits, and its Saunders Planetarium and Holloway Digital Dome Theatre—the latter is billed as the second-largest digital dome planetarium in America. They also do Laser Light Shows in the Holloway Digital Dome Theatre, which pair vivid laser visuals and dynamic music with a live star show guided by an astronomer. The camp fits right into that environment: it's about doing and building, not just watching.

Registration is $199, and MOSI members get it for $160. It runs December 21 through 23, 9 AM to 4 PM, for students in grades 5 to 8.