Winter Break Guide: 16 ways for families to stay busy

If you're looking for ways to entertain the kids - out-of-town guests - here are 16 ideas to keep everybody busy.

Posted 1:59 a.m. Dec 21, 2016 — Updated 7:04 p.m. Jul 13, 2018

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Winter break has started for some kids. It's about to start for many more.

And, let's face it, once those Hatchimals are hatched, the cookies are eaten and the four walls of your house start getting very small, there will be a point when it's time to get out of the house.

If you're looking for ways to entertain the kids - out-of-town guests - here are 16 ideas to keep everybody busy.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts in Raleigh through Saturday, Dec. 24. Tickets start at $20. This show is incredibly faithful to the TV classic and is perfect for young children - grade schoolers and under.

Carolina Ballet's Nutcracker also runs through Saturday, Dec. 24, at the Duke Energy Center. This is a beautiful production that includes illusions designed by a world renowned magician in the first act. Mesmerizing. Tickets start around $20. And we have a ticket deal for select performances!

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is at the Durham Performing Arts Center from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1. Tickets start at $35. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love, according to the show's description. (Shhh ... my kids will be getting tickets to this for Christmas courtesy of their grandpa! Can't wait!).

Back by popular demand, RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA, the 2013 Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators of South Pacific and The Sound of Music, will return to DPAC for a limited engagement from December 30 through January 1. Courtesy: DPAC

Rolling Sculpture, an exhibit of Art Deco cars at the N.C. Museum of Art, makes for a perfect outing for a car enthusiast of any age in your family. It runs through Jan. 15. Tickets are $19 for adults; $16 for seniors, military and college students with current ID; and $13 for kids ages 7 to 18. Kids 6 and under are free.

The vehicle is on display at the N.C. Museum of Art's Rolling Sculpture exhibit.
Courtesy: N.C. Museum of Art

Secret World Inside You is the special exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. The exhibit tells the story of microbes - from the battles they wage in our bodies to the new research that's helping us understand how critical they are to our lives. There are lots of interactives here, but I would recommend it for grade schoolers and up. Tickets are $10 and $7 for kids ages 3 to 12.

Interactive table – The Secret World Inside You features a 14-foot projection of a woman’s body as part of an interactive table that highlights ways that microbes impact human health. Visitors can zoom in on 17 animated microbial scenes, from the Streptococcus bacteria that cause plaque on teeth, to the bacteria that break down the crystals that cause kidney stones, to the first big dose of bacteria babies get when they exit through the birth canal.
© AMNH/D. Finnin

Discover Your Governors is a quick and free exhibit in the lobby of the N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. Designed for kids, it explores the history of our state's governors.

For his 1961 Inaugural Ball, Gov. Terry Sanford wore this tuxedo and his wife, Margaret Sanford, selected this pink dress. The tuxedo, a recent donation to the N.C. Museum of History, is now reunited with the gown, which has been in the museum collection since Mrs. Sanford donated it in 1973.

Ice skate on downtown Raleigh's outdoor rink, which is in City Plaza along Fayetteville Street. It's open throughout winter break, including Christmas day. Admission, including skate rental, is $10 per person. For kids ages four and under, it's $5.

2014 First Night Raleigh, time for some ice skating just before midnight. (Chris Baird / WRAL Contributor)

SnickerDoodles, the new space that offers free play for little ones in north Raleigh, has been hopping with all kinds of activities since it opened this fall. This spot is fantastic for preschoolers and under. Play is free, but there also are snacks, art projects and books for purchase.

The indoor Raleigh play place features free play, along with coffee, gently used books, crafts, parties and more for purchase.

When those four walls of your house are getting a little small, the best way to expend all of that energy is to get the kids outside and run. Take the time off, weather permitting, to explore some new playgrounds in the area including Raleigh's massive Sassafras All Children's Playground or other great ones that are worth a drive.

Hundreds came out for the opening of Sassafras All Children's Playground, Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh.

The Chinese Lantern Festival at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary is open through Jan. 15 and is a beautiful and unique holiday activity. Tickets are $10 for kids ages 3 to 17; $15 for ages 18 and up; and free for kids 2 and under. Parking is free.

The event, featuring nearly two dozen displays, is at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary runs through Jan. 15.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill has its extended winter hours throughout winter break with weekday shows and more. They include the popular Magic Tree House Space Mission and Carolina Skies, along with the seasonally appropriate, The Longest Night: A Winter's Tale. Morehead also is planning its Night Lights: A Family New Year's Eve event on Dec. 31.

Courtesy: Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, the Museum of Life and Science in Durham and Kidzu Children's Museum all are fun to explore and worth a drive if you haven't visited any of these before. Remember, admission to Marbles is just $2 on Thursdays after 3 p.m. It stays open until 7 p.m. Marbles and Kidzu both are closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. The Museum of Life and Science is closed starting at 3 p.m., Dec. 24, and all day, Dec. 25.

Christmas lights are sparkling across the region. Some major displays remain open through New Year's Eve. And, it's always fun to drive around neighborhoods looking for great light displays.

The Youngsville farms' annual Christmas celebration runs nightly through Dec. 31.

First Day hikes at parks across the state offer a chance to start 2017 in a more healthful way then perhaps we ended 2016.

Lake James State Park in Nebo, N.C.
Credit: N.C. State Parks

First Night Raleigh takes over downtown Raleigh on Dec. 31 with activities, starting with a DIY Festival at 2 p.m. and wrapping up with fireworks at midnight (and 7 p.m. for us early birds). There are lots of activities for kids, including a Ferris wheel. Tickets purchased in advance are $10.

The acorn drops and fireworks light the sky to ring in 2016. Thousands descend on downtown Raleigh to celebrate First Night Raleigh on December 31, 2015. (Chris Baird / WRAL Contributor).

And, if you've filled your house with Christmas presents and goodies, maybe it's time to clean things out to donate to those who need the things you're not using anymore. We list five places for families to give back now and into 2017.

Have a wonderful winter break!

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