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
Groupon has a ton of other options to choose from as well! Get started here!
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 43% Off)
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.
Roller skating is another great option!
You’ll find lots of area discounts on local roller skaing rinks here!
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:
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.
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 all you can play pass for $15.95! Great deal!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
