March School Holidays 2026: The One-Week Term 1 Break
The first school break of the year: one week between Term 1 and Term 2, shared by MOE Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. The exact 2026 and 2027 dates, and how to use a short break well without turning it into a second school term.
Last reviewed against official sources: 19 July 2026
Part of our School Terms & Holidays guide.
What the March break is
The March school holidays are the one-week breather between Term 1 and Term 2. Term 1 closes on the Friday, the break runs Saturday to Sunday, and Term 2 starts the Monday after. By this point a Primary 1 child has done their first full term of big school, and the tiredness parents see in week nine or ten is real. This week is the built-in answer to it.
2026 · one week
Sat 14 Mar 2026
to Sun 22 Mar 2026
Term 2 starts Mon 23 Mar 2026
2027 · one week
Sat 13 Mar 2027
to Sun 21 Mar 2027
Term 2 starts Mon 22 Mar 2027
In 2026, Hari Raya Puasa (Sat 21 Mar) falls inside the break. Dates verified against MOE's calendar; the full year, including the June, September and year-end breaks, is on the school holidays hub.
Making the most of a short week
A week goes quickly, and the temptation is to schedule it like an itinerary. Resist most of that. For a lower-primary child the order that works is: rest first, then two or three light things across the whole week, not two or three things a day.
Give the first couple of days over to slow mornings and unstructured play. Then pick from three broad kinds of outing, one of each at most:
One active stint
A sports camp or swim intensive
A short holiday programme gives the week one anchor without filling it. Sport Singapore's ActiveSG runs school-holiday sport programmes across the island, and a week is a natural length for a beginner swim intensive. One is enough for a one-week break.
One quiet outing
An NLB library visit
The National Library Board runs school-holiday programmes at the public libraries, and a slow morning browsing and borrowing costs nothing. For a P1 child, letting them pick their own stack of books is the whole point.
One fresh-air day
A museum or a nature walk
A museum is an easy half-day when the weather turns, and the park connectors, reservoirs and beaches cost nothing. Pick one, not both for every day of the week.
If your child starts P1 in 2027
For the P1-2027 cohort, still in kindergarten during these breaks, the March week asks nothing of you. There is no academic preparation that needs to happen here, no skill that has to be drilled before Term 2. A calm week with ordinary family time is the right goal, and the readiness work that does matter sits much later in the year. When you get to it, the school readiness guide covers what is actually worth practising before day one.
Planning further ahead? The June school holidays are the four-week mid-year break, and the school holidays hub has every term date and public holiday for 2025, 2026 and 2027.
Common questions
Do schools give holiday homework in Primary 1? +
There is no MOE-wide rule on holiday homework, so it is set school by school, and in practice most P1 classes get little or none over the one-week breaks. If your child's teacher sends anything home, it is usually light: reading, or finishing a piece of classwork. Check the last note from the teacher before the break rather than assuming either way.
Is student care open during the March break? +
School-based student care centres generally operate through the school holidays on full-day hours, since they exist to support working parents year-round. The exact arrangement varies by centre, so confirm the break schedule with yours. Our student care guide covers how the centres work and what they cost.
Does the school bus run during the break? +
No. School bus services follow the school term, so they stop once Term 1 ends and restart on the first day of Term 2. If your child attends student care over the break, arrange the transport with the centre or the bus operator directly rather than assuming the usual pick-up runs.
Is it fine to travel during the March break? +
Yes. The break sits entirely between terms, so a trip within it costs no school days. The only thing to watch is the calendar itself: the break runs Saturday to Sunday, and Term 2 starts the Monday right after, so a late Sunday return can make the first morning back harder than it needs to be.
Find your child's group
Every cohort has its own WhatsApp group of parents going through the exact same year, real-time registration updates, school reviews, balloting news and answers from people one step ahead of you. Pick the year your child starts Primary 1.
The 2026 registration exercise runs from 30 June to 30 October 2026, with the citizen and PR phases finishing in late August. This is the live cohort, phase dates, balloting and school choice are happening right now.
Registration in mid-2027. Get the lay of the land early, school shortlists, the 30-month address rule, and what to prepare.
Plenty of runway. Useful if you're weighing a home move for distance priority or choosing a kindergarten with an eye on P1.
Free to join. A friendly, parent-run space, no spam, no selling.