Summer break lasts three months. Parental leave covers two weeks. For working parents in Bucharest, the summer kindergarten program remains one of the few genuinely accessible solutions.

Summer is coming — and with it, the question thousands of Bucharest parents ask every year: what do we do with the kids in July and August? Grandparents aren't always an option, summer camps are expensive, and babysitters don't fit every family's budget. The good news is that in summer 2026, all six districts of Bucharest are running summer programs in state kindergartens — free of charge or at minimal cost.

Here's what we know, district by district, based on official information available as of mid-June 2026.

How the program works

The summer kindergarten is not a new initiative — district administrations have been running these programs for years, rotating between school units so that some remain open through July and August.

The program runs Monday through Friday, covering most parents' working hours. Activities are adapted to the summer season — play, creative workshops, outdoor movement — and do not follow the regular school curriculum. The vast majority of spots are free or require only a small contribution toward meals.

District by District — What We Know for Summer 2026

District 1 — "Grădinița de Vacanță" and "Școala de Vară"

District 1 is offering 3,165 spots for the period July 1 – August 31, 2026, with hours running from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Funding — covering both meals and staff — comes entirely from the local budget, which has been raised to 13.73 million lei (approximately €2.6 million) following a recent top-up of 4.73 million lei.

Eligible children include those whose parents are residents of District 1, those already enrolled in a state school in the district, and children from non-participating units, subject to availability. Parents must provide proof of employment and demonstrate that they need childcare during the summer period.

District 2 — "Grădinița din Vacanța Mare"

District 2 offers one of the largest programs in Bucharest in 2026: over 11,000 combined spots across kindergarten and school summer programs. The program runs across 16 kindergartens, with hours from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

For preschool-aged children specifically, there are an estimated 2,971 spots across 20 school units. Parents contribute approximately 30 lei per day per child for meals. Children with special educational needs or from low-income families are exempt from the meal contribution.

Important note: enrollment windows in District 2 are very short — just two days. Keep a close eye on the District 2 Department for School Administration website for exact dates.

District 3 — the largest offer by numbers

District 3 is providing approximately 9,300 spots across the "Grădinița de Vară" and "Școala de Vară" programs — around 4,100 for preschoolers, with the rest dedicated to primary and middle school pupils.

Enrollment opened on May 25, 2026, exclusively online via the primarie3.ro platform. Each applicant receives an email update on their application status — accepted, waitlisted, or rejected. Spots fill up on a first-come, first-served basis, and once a unit reaches capacity, enrollment for that location closes automatically.

Required documents include: employer certificates for both parents (or the single parent in sole-custody situations), a certificate from the child's current school, and, where relevant, medical documentation regarding allergies or dietary requirements.

District 4 — "Vara în Grădinițe 2026"

District 4 is participating with three early childhood education units, offering approximately 1,000 spots in total. The program runs in July and August, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Enrollment was handled directly at the participating kindergartens.

The offer is more limited than in other districts. Parents who did not secure a spot are encouraged to contact kindergarten offices directly — places freed up through cancellations can be reallocated.

District 5 — "Grădinița de Vară"

District 5 is running its "Grădinița de Vară" program for children enrolled in state preschool units across the district, throughout July and August 2026. Full details on the number of available spots and participating units are published on the District 5 City Hall website.

District 6 — the largest budget allocated

District 6 has allocated over 7.4 million lei to its "Grădinița de Vară" program in 2026 — an increase from previous years, driven by a 50% expansion in the number of participating units compared to July 2025. There are 2,300 spots available in July and 1,500 in August, spread across 13 kindergartens. Online enrollment opened on the District 6 City Hall platform from May 1, 2026.

District 6 also runs a separate "Școala de Vară" program for school-age children, with activities from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM across five schools. Unlike the kindergarten program, this one requires a monthly parental contribution: 300 lei for one child, or 450 lei for families with two or more children enrolled. Children receiving a social scholarship are exempt.

Who gets priority

Rules vary slightly by district, but priority is generally given to:

• children already enrolled in the respective unit during the 2025–2026 school year
• children from families where both parents are employed and have no leave during the requested period
• children from single-parent households
• children receiving a social scholarship
• children with special educational needs, in units equipped for integration

Documents typically required

The list varies by district, but commonly requested documents include:

• enrollment application (online or in person, depending on the district)
• employer certificate for one or both parents
• certificate from the child's school for the 2025–2026 academic year
• copy of the child's birth certificate
• relevant medical documentation (allergies, chronic conditions)
• court order, in cases where custody has been legally established

If you didn't get a spot

Spots fill quickly, especially in high-demand districts. A few things worth trying if your application was rejected or the program is full:

• Check whether spots are available at other kindergartens in your district — several districts allow enrollment at any participating unit, not just the child's usual one.
• Monitor district city hall websites for updates — spots freed up through cancellations are often redistributed.
• Contact the kindergarten's administrative office directly — availability is not always reflected in real time on online platforms.

One important note

Summer kindergarten programs are funded from local budgets and conditions can change year to year. The information in this article reflects what was publicly confirmed as of mid-June 2026, but the most reliable source remains your district's official city hall website and the administrative offices of individual kindergartens.

Verified sources: Buletin de București, HotNews, Digi24, Observator News, csid.ro, official website of the District 2 Department for School Administration — data from May–June 2026.