The holidays are rapidly approaching, which means it’s almost time for the kids to take a break from school. Although winter break isn’t as long as summer break, you may find yourself struggling with ways to keep your kids busy as the holidays pass and boredom sets in. There’s lots of great things to do during this holiday season though, even if you don’t have an arm and a leg to spend on the field trips. These ten ideas should help you give meaning to winter vacation while showing the children that boredom doesn’t have to overtake their time away from school. You may even find a few new traditions to enjoy as the years pass, which are sure to help you prevent cabin fever.
1. Local Stores
With the holiday season here, many stores will be able to give you some entertainment without costing you a penny. A lot of stores love to host their own Santa Claus to draw in customers and keep children happy. They will even set up toy displays to help encourage customers to shop while their child meets with the big man from the North Pole. Seeing Santa Claus usually doesn’t cost a thing as long as you don’t purchase a picture. Apart from seeing jolly ole Saint Nick, many stores will even have activities to help kids feel the holiday spirit. Bass Pro, for instance, hosts a wide variety of crafts, activities and giveaways to keep customers coming in over the season. This is a great way to let your kids have some fun with other children, even if you don’t plan on shopping. So, try asking around your community to see which stores will be spreading holiday cheer when your child is out of school.
2. Cooking Class
Learning a new skill is a great way to put a winter vacation to good use. Luckily, during the winter there are lots of cooking courses available for kids, adults or the whole family. Many will even specialize in holiday dishes or desserts, which should come in handy when you need to whip up a feast for the whole family. Children will love taking courses designed to help them make cookies for Santa Claus. Usually, these children’s classes can be found at children’s programs, schools and other education centers. For adult friendly and family friendly courses, you might try your local college or restaurants. Many of these courses will be low cost, but if you want to save even more money then surf around on Groupon or other coupon sites to find just what you’re looking for.
3. Caroling
If your evenings seem to be filled with reruns on the TV and kids complaining about how bored they are, then it might be time to utilize a holiday tradition that many often overlook. That is, caroling. This activity is absolutely free of charge and can help your family and friends bond together while spreading a little holiday spirit. You never know, you may even pick up a few people willing to join in on the fun while you’re out. You may want to start this activity in your own community where you tend to know how people will respond. This will make caroling a little more comfortable for first-timers. As time passes, you may decide to branch out or simply go to a park to carol. If you’d like to cheer some people up, get in touch with a nursing home or hospital to see if you can carol there. You may also want to bring along hot chocolate and coffee to help keep everyone warm and happy as you go. If you aren’t sure about what to sing, there’s lots of great songs online you can print out for absolutely free.
4. Tree Farm
Picking out a Christmas tree can be one of the best elements of the holiday season. However, going to the store and looking through a pile of trees that are already practically dead can be a little frustrating. It takes away part of the magic of the holidays and can even be a waste of money if there isn’t a decent tree left. If you live near a tree farm, then you could be in for a real treat though. This will allow the whole family to pick out a tree that is still beautiful and that will last until the holiday season is over. Once you’ve found your perfect match then the family can work together to cut it down. This can be a lot of fun and will help with the bonding experience. Better yet, while you’re there, the kids can learn about what it takes to a grow a tree and you may even be able to volunteer to plant new trees when spring arrives.
5. Museum
A lot of museums know that children are bored during their vacations from school. That’s why many jump into gear to try to come up with ideas to draw children into their learning environment. Some, may host free days which will allow local families to check out the current exhibits for a day. Other museums will come up with their own holiday inspired exhibits to draw in a crowd. This can help children learn the meaning of the holidays while showing them the history as well. Some museums will even host craft lessons to help keep children’s minds working while they are away from school. You may find having a membership to your museum will ensure these activities are free of cost, but smaller museums may actually offer free classes if you ask. Some will even host a holiday breakfast, complete with Santa visit, so make sure you know what your local museums are up to before the fun gets all booked up.
6. Theater
Nothing brings the holidays to life quite like a ballet or play based around the beauty of the season. This can be a great cultural field trip for the whole family and will allow everyone to spend time learning and enjoying a great show. Usually, theaters that are local or in a school won’t charge an arm and a leg for their productions. If you volunteer to help out, then you may even be able to see the show with the whole family for free. This can help alleviate boredom as everyone works on sets, lighting or even ushering the event. Your family will be able to experience some classics that have been beloved for years too, which is sure to help make memories they will want to share with their own children one day. Of course, if your children are in a drama or ballet class then you should be able to experience the magic for free as well. This will also give your child a sense of purpose during the holiday season, since they won’t have homework to contend with.
7. Nursing Home/Veteran Center
During the holidays, many people get lonely especially if they are living in a home away from their loved ones. The elderly in nursing homes are often deeply affected by the holiday season, which is why it may be a great idea to get your kids out of the house, so they can spend time with those who don’t have family to spend time with. You will be amazed by the numerous stories your children will hear as they hang out with people who celebrated the holiday season decades ago. Sometimes, veterans also end up feeling alone during the season, especially if they have no family to get in touch with. Thus, caroling or hanging out at a veteran center can be a great way to show your children the meaning of the holiday spirit while allowing them to pay their respects to those that have served. You might even consider bringing some food, cards or small gifts to help cheer up soldiers who may have hit a rough patch as the world around them celebrates.
8. Hay Rides
The season may not be complete without a fun hay ride with the whole family. These rides can be pretty inexpensive if you look for a Groupon or know someone who has a trailer. Generally, the hay rides will take the family to check out holiday lights or on a caroling trip through the town, which can be a lot of fun for everyone. If you’re a part of a club or a church then you may even be able to snag a few spots on a hay ride without spending a penny. Either way, your family will stay entertained for the whole evening, which will help make the anticipation of the holiday a little easier to bear for children.
9. Library
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, the library is always a great place to take the whole family. This is especially true if you have kids that are out of school for a little while. A trip to the local library can help keep their minds active while encouraging them to learn without the school making them. During the holidays, there is often a wide variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy though. From story time with Santa to arts and crafts, the kids will feel like the library is the place to be whenever they don’t have to hit the books at school. Most libraries will also display holiday inspired books, so you can pick out all of the best bed time stories for the winter break. The best thing is, a trip to the library doesn’t cost a penny and you can spend all day there if you really want to.
10. Santa Village
Chances are, you probably have at least one Santa Village in your neck of the woods. May it be a small shop that only opens up around the holidays or a display in a shopping mall. Either way, this can be a great field trip for any child who wants to see Santa in person. Santa Villages usually have an area where kids can visit with Santa and do the official sitting on the lap experience. Many will have much more though. For instance, some will allow you to work on crafts, drink hot cocoa and simply hang out with St. Nick. This can be an enticing experience for children, especially if they’re at the right age. Other villages may even sell little trinkets that make cute gifts for friends and family. If you’re really looking to step up the trip then you may want to check out some of the more famous Santa Villages that may be closer to you than you realize.
Keeping the kids busy during winter break doesn’t have to leave you scrambling. These ten tips will allow you to keep the kids entertained without spending a small fortune on field trips. You may find it easier than ever to find new things for the whole family to enjoy after you plan out a few fun trips from this list. All in all, the beauty in the field trips will be keeping your family together and bonding during such a festive season.
