Winter Break

Winter break can be challenging with kids because outdoor time may not be as appealing however, the kids will absolutely have tons of energy to burn off.  Here are my kid’s favorite Winter activities in New England.

indoor activities:

Children’s and Science Museums

If you prefer to be inside during winter, we always enjoy the Children’s Museums.  We have visited the Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont Children’s Museums and they were all a hit with the family because there are so many different hands-on exhibits.  The Boston Museum of Science and Connecticut Science Center are both great locations with numerous floors of exhibits to touch and experience.  We enjoyed both locations and had to even return separate days to get through the full museum.

Garden Centers

We also love gardens and visit them throughout the year.  If you haven’t already learned this, garden centers are great places to take the kids all year long due to the ample space they provide for kids to run and play.  Many locations also provide warm indoor greenhouses allowing visitors to escape the cold and snow for a while.  My favorites include New England Botanic Gardens and  Roger Williams Botanic Garden.  These gardens have activities and events that change depending on the seasons so check ahead to see what is going on to see if you would be interested.  Our favorite activity is the fairy houses at Roger Williams Botanic Gardens.  Also at Tower Hill in the winter they offer a gorgeous display of Orchids.

Animal Lovers

If your kids love animals there are numerous options.  My kids and I enjoyed both butterfly farm locations we visited in Massachusetts.  The Butterfly Place and Magic Wings.  They offer educational experiences about butterflies, lizards and incests in a beautiful setting amongst tropical flowers in a wam enclosure too.  The New England Aquarium and Mystic Aquarium are larger aquariums both located in fun, happening locations-either in walking distance to Faneuil Hall in Boston or Mystic Village with shops and restaurants.  If you have younger children or ones that prefer smaller hands-on activities, Biomes in Rhode Island is a great small scale aquarium to visit.  We are huge reptile lovers and we therefore have searched for locations specifically to see snakes.  I know not everyone enjoys snakes but, they are fascinating creatures who help balance out the rodent population.  They deserve to be given the appreciation and respect for that task.  So if your crew loves reptiles, be sure to make a visit to Riverside Reptiles where you can see an array of diverse animals at this clean and progressive educational center.

Indoor play spaces, trampolines, arcades and more

Go Play is a beautiful indoor play gym in Rhode Island offering spaces for all age groups from walking years to 14 years of age.  It’s fairly new and offers an open-concept area with seating and comfy space to rest and read a great book after playing really hard.  Parents can be found working on their computers and enjoying a coffee while the kids play.

Sonny’s Place in Connecticut has it all!  They offer an arcade, carousel, laser tag area and more.  Supercharged Entertainment has an arcade, an indoor car track (for adults) and bumper cars, an extensive trampoline area and more.  For additional trampoline parks we love spending time at Launch and Altitude.  IT ropes courses in Massachusetts and Connecticut at Jordan’s furniture has indoor zip lines for the kids to enjoy amongst other activities.  For reality escaping entertainment, your kids will love Xperiment VR.  The whole family can play games with each other.   Rollerskating is a favorite past time for families and our go-to location is United Skates of America in Rhode Island.  There aren’t many skating rinks but this one offers laser tag, a rock climbing wall and a small array of arcade games too.

Waterparks and more:

For families that want waterpark and then some, check out Great Wolf Lodge and Jay Peak offering additional activities such as arcades, rope course, and more along with the waterpark.  For just a indoor waterpark, Waterpark of New England is a great location sure to please every age group.

Outdoor activities:

Ice Skating

Ice skating is always a family favorite outside.  Our favorite rinks include The Newport City Center in Rhode Island and Frog Pond in Massachusetts.  These are both located in the cities and nearby to playgrounds, restaurants and public transportation.

Tubing, skiing & snowboarding with the kids:

If you are looking to go tubing, skiing or snowboarding for a thrilling adrenaline rush, we recommend Yawgoo and Wachusetts.  Gunstock Mountain in New Hampshire is also fun we enjoyed tubing there with the kids and their grandparents.  We have not been to Blue Hills for skiing and snowboarding but they offer it as well as several other New England locations such as Loon, Nashoba Valley, Killington and Jay Peak.

If you prefer cross-country skiing, Weston Ski Track in Massachusetts and Trapp Family Lodge offer lessons and trails for those that want less of a rush while enjoying nature time in winter.

Hiking with kids:

For my family, it is very economical to go hiking as it is a FREE activity we can all participate in no matter our ages.  A couple of our favorite trails include Sachuest Point in Rhode Island for it’s coastal views and Massachusetts’s Blue Hills for their view of Boston’s skyline.  But we have numerous recommendations on places to hike since we enjoy it so much.

Be sure to check out nature centers such as the Audubon Society as they tend to offer outdoor programs over the school vacations.  We did a guided animal tracking class in winter at Caratunk which was informative and fun for the whole family.  Your local libraries are also a great place to explore for vacation weeks since they gear up for many kids with special activities and events so be sure to check that out too.

 

We hope you enjoy February vacation and make amazing memories with your loved ones.  Let us know if you have any other amazing locations we didn’t mention.