Winter break brings celebrations, decorations, and lots of food and fun. But what do you do once the gifts are open and there are still days left before the break’s over? With nothing but time, cabin fever can set in REAL quick.
Winter Break Activities ~ Fun Ways to Keep Kids Busy
Here is a list of awesome, family-oriented activities to keep the kids busy. Many of these are free or at least I’ve provided a discount for you.
FREE EVENTS
Library or Park:
Just because the kids are away from school doesn’t mean you the can unplug the brain. Many area libraries are holding activities through the break. For example, the Carrollton Public Libraries’ “Twelve Days of Winter Break” includes many activities for kids, highlighting winter holidays.
Better yet, get out of your local “hood” and show the kids the Dallas Public Library!
If you’re a suburbanite, get the kids downtown and check out Klyde Warren Park or take them to another one out of your area so they can see new things. KLYDE WARREN PARK is the Dallas version of Central Park, built atop a busy downtown freeway. The $110 million park offers games (pingpong tables and equipment on-site, for instance), a reading area with magazines and books, a dog park, a special kids’ area and oodles of activities and performances by local musical, theater and dance troupes. 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway (between Pearl and St. Paul streets on the northern edge of downtown), Dallas.
Visit Local Retail Shops for Free Events
Every Friday, we do a list of Fun & Free Weekend Events in our “Around Town” section. Included in this are retailers that offer free events for the kids. Bass Pro, Lowes, Home Depot, Michaels, Lakeshore Learning, American Girl, Barnes & Noble & more have weekend events regularly. Check your favorite retailers websites for more information.
Here are some examples:
*American Girl
Throughout the month of December at various locations, girls ages 8 and up can participate in various events. Head over here to see the full list of dates and participating locations as well as a phone number to make reservations. Keep in mind that ticket prices will vary by event.
*Bass Pro
Join them every week for a different craft through December 24th. Plus, get a FREE 4×6 studio-quality photo in store, enter giveaways, make crafts, and more. Go here for more details.
Burn Some Calories
Christmas cookies, holiday dinners, more cookies, well do I need to say more. Get ACTIVE and burn off those calories. Your kids will thank you too for getting them off the couch. Trampoline parks, paintball, rock climbing… you name it our area has it. Here are some great deals going on right now too!
Two Hours of Jumping for One, Two, or Four at Urban Air Trampoline Park only $15
$12 for Two 60-Minute Jump Passes at Cosmic Jump- Lewisville ($24 value)
Indoor Climate controlled Paintball Outing with Equipment for One, Two, Four, or Six at Gatsplat (Up to 59% Off) – $25
Jump Zone ~ 2 for 1 Open Play Admission!
Day of Rock Climbing for Two or Four with Gear at Dyno-Rock Indoor Climbing Center (Up to 50% Off) – $20
All-Day Paintball Pass: Experience the Fast-Action Fun– Waxahachie- $3
$12 for Two 60-Minute Jump Passes at Cosmic Jump (Up to $24 Value)
Admission to Adventure Sundays for Two, Four, or Six at Group Dynamix (Up to 57% Off)- $24
$23 for 60-Minutes of Combat Laser Tag for Two People at Battlefield Frontlines ($46 Value) ~ $23
Do Something New & Unique
Dallas is known for bring hip, new and fun events to the area. Make a point to check it out. At least you can say… “I tried it!”
Here is one example.
Escape Room for Two or Four, or a Private Escape Room for Two–Six at Escaping the Square (Up to 51% Off)- $39
Ice Skating/Roller Skating
Lace up the skates and get some activity going. Dallas has some great ice skating venues.
Panther Island Ice at Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth’s only outdoor ice rink and it is the perfect place to have some family fun over the holidays. You can also get free admission at Ice at The Parks with this coupon!
If outdoor isn’t your style just check out your local roller skating rink. It’s fun for ALL ages!
Here are some other options with deals:
Roller Skating Package for Two or Four at Interskate Roller Rink (Up to 62% Off)
Winter Wonderland Ice Skating for Two or Four at NYTEX Sports Centre (50% Off) – $1
Roller-Skating Outing Including Skate Rental for Two, Four, or Eight at Arlington Skatium (Up to 53% Off)- $8
Admission with Skates for Two or Four with Optional Soda at Thunderbird Roller Rink (Up to 50% Off) ~ $8
Check out the Lights
If you’re looking for something free and fun and think your family can handle a little time all squished in the same car, take a spin to see some of the wonderful Christmas displays still lighting up the night.
A must see is the Zephries home in Deerfield if Plano isn’t too far for you!
Go here for a list of additional places to see great holiday lights!
Another must see: (Enter our 10 Family 4 pack giveaway here!)
The Trains at NorthPark: includes trains rolling across 1,600 feet of track on a journey across America.
Where: NorthPark Center North Central Expressway at Northwest Highway Dallas, TX 75225
Cost: Tickets to the exhibit are $7 for Adults and $3 for Children and Seniors.
Bowling
One family activity that’s great not only during the break but year-round is bowling. It’s inexpensive, and there are great family bargains if you look for them.
Groupon and Living Social are great ways to find good deals for bowling. For example, right now you can get up to 51% off at Cowtown Bowling or Strikz $15.95 per person NEW All-Access Pass.
Tip: Sign up for your local centers email list. For example, the AMF insiders club as I get sent coupons all the time to help me save!
Family Fun Center or Amusement
Another way to have a blast indoors as a family is checking out a Family Fun Center. We have lots to choose from. Here are some deals at some of my favorites!
Oh and take advantage of gift card deals too like this one:
Main Event Entertainment is offering everyone who buys $25 in gift cards through Dec. 31 a free $10 bonus FUNcard. Gift cards can be purchased at any of Main Event’s 22 locations or online at mainevent.com/FUNcards. Offer available in all Main Event markets.
Mountasia – Free Unlimited Rides Pass
Mini Golf for Two or Four at Lunar Mini Golf (Up to 50% Off)- $12
Mini Golf, Go-Karting, and Arcade Tokens for Two, Four, or Six at Mountasia Family Fun Park (51% Off) – $17
Arcade Games for One, Two, or Four, or $20 Game Card at Zone Action Park (Up to 40% Off)- $12
Go-Karting and Mini Golf for 2, 4, or 6 or Birthday Bash for Up to 12 at Zone Action Park (Up to 51% Off)- $25
Two or Four Three-Attraction Family-Fun-Park Passes and Sodas at Adventure Landing (57% Off)- $17
Two Thrill Rides for One or Two at Zero Gravity Thrill Amusement Park (Up to 43% Off)
Be a local tourist
Tackle the local tourist attractions. Sure you know they’re there, but, often times, things are just simply too busy for you to go and check them out. Some key fun attractions in the area include:
Geo-Deck at Reunion Tower– Atop that big ball at the west end of downtown, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view, 470 feet above the ground, of downtown and farther afield. It’s one of the best places to see the layout of Dealey Plaza, and you’ll also get a great view of the Trinity River.
Check out the Dallas Arboretum’s Holiday at the Arboretum, featuring the return of the magnificent 12 Days of Christmas outdoor exhibit and the Artistry of the Nativity, from November 8th –January 3rd. Plus we are giving away 4 family 4 packs! Go 
here to enter!
George W. Bush Presidential Center– A look at the eight years when the 43rd president was in office, including an especially poignant section on 9/11. 2943 SMU Blvd. (near the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway), University Park. Plus, go here for a Fall Admission Discount to George W. Bush Library and The Sixth Floor Museum.
AT&T Stadium– 3 million square feet! You might be surprised by the beauty of the place and by the collection of world-class art inside. Take a tour to see the field, the Cowboys’ and Cowboys Cheerleaders’ locker rooms, postgame interview room and more.
Other ideas:
Buy One, Get One Free Admission to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dallas/ Fort Worth! Just go here and fill in your information to get your coupon!
Show for Four or Six at The Planetarium at UT Arlington (50% Off)- $12
Dallas Holocaust Museum Visit for Two, Four, or Six (Up to 63% Off) – $6
$8 for Two Tickets to Texas Discovery Gardens (Up to $16 Value)
Horse-Drawn Christmas Lights Carriage Ride for Up to 6, 12, or 20 from Pleasures Past
See a Show or a Sporting Event
Need I say more… let “them” entertain you! Dallas has lots of events to choose from. Here are the latest with deals attached to them:
Great for the soccer lover! Then check out the Dallas Sidekicks, professional indoor soccer team out of Allen. Get 4 Endzone seats for $40! Use promo code PACK! Dates for this deal include: Dec 19th, Dec 29th and Jan 2nd!
“Peter Pan 360”: Immersive High-Flying Hit Only $39
Lone Star Brahmas Hockey Games Through April 9 ~ $4
Harlem Globetrotters Game Plus Magic Pass Option on January 30 or 31, 2016 ~ 40% Off
Medieval Times — Knight Tournament and Feast with Optional VIP Package Through January 31 only $40
Upcoming Shows
“Cirque du Soleil” Gift Card: Pick Any Show, Any Date– starting at $45
Musical Fun in Sesame Street Live “Make a New Friend”– $14
“Rent”: Modern Rock Musical Sensation– $20
“The Walking Dead” Fan Convention: Walker Stalker Con Dallas– Free to $20
Gain some culture
We have a wide variety of museums, many of which include free admission and some beautiful holiday exhibits perfect for keeping the spirit of the season alive in your family.
Free Admission Museums: The Dallas Museum of Art is completely free and features more than 22,000 works of art spanning all mediums and time-periods, from ancient civilization to modern art. Other must-see museums include The Samurai Collection at The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Crow Collection of Asian Art, African American Museum and the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art. The Meadows Museum of Art, with one of the largest Spanish art collections outside of Spain, at Southern Methodist University is free on Thursdays after 5 p.m.
Other options include checkout out a puppet show. Get them introduced to the arts!
Geppetto’s Theater Le Theatre de Marionette Presents ‘Winter Wonderland’ (November 21–January 3)- $11 or More Than 60 Marionettes Make for Holiday Magic in “Winter Wonderland” at $8
“NorthPole Texas”: A Christmas Musical With Marionettes
Check out the movies
Whether it’s cuddling up with some popcorn for a good movie at home or capitalizing on inexpensive matinee pricing at the theater, this season is perfect for spending time as a family while catching a good flick.
Before you do, make sure and check out our Ways to Save at the Movies section so you aren’t spending a bundle!
Or take advantage of gift card deals like this one:
Regal Movies:
Through December 31st, buy $50 in gift cards, receive a $10 Promotional e-Gift Card (Promotional e-Gift card valid 1/1/16-2/29/16). Go here for more details.
Tackle Things at home
Did you spend too much money on Christmas? Now is a great time to get a head start on spring cleaning by setting up some family toy and clothing purges.
With all the new items the holidays bring into your home, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and overloaded. Try choosing as a family old things to get rid of as the new ones come in.
