Spring Break 2019: Making it a staycation? Here's our activity guide to keep the kids busy

As Wake County public schools gear up for a long spring break, plenty of families are looking for activities to pass the time. If your family is among them, here's a list of 12 ways to spend your spring break in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

Posted 1:00 a.m. Apr 10, 2019 — Updated 1:00 a.m. Apr 10, 2019

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

Head to Marbles

The downtown Raleigh museum will host spring break activities throughout the museum from April 13 to April 22. It's also a great time to check out the new River Playway, which opened on the second floor, and catch the new IMAX doc Superpower Dogs 3D, which is a lot of fun for all ages. Admission is $7 per person to Marbles and extra for the movie.

Check out new exhibits at the Museum of Life and Science

With inside and outside exhibits, the Durham museum always has something to see, regardless of the weather. Check out the new Science on a Sphere exhibit, which is inside the main museum, and be sure to head inside the Butterfly House for more new exhibits (stay tuned for more information about those on Friday). Admission is $20 and $15 for kids ages 3 to 12.

If it's hot, be sure to check out the Into the Mist exhibit where everybody can cool down!

Enjoy a treat

What about an ice cream filled chimney cake at Andia's Ice Cream? Or how about some flower-shaped gelato at Amorino's, rolled ice cream at Morgan Street Food Hall, a glazed croissant at Burney's, or an ice cream pop from Escazu? Follow the links for details about every one of these!

Get immersed in the life of Audubon

The N.C. Museum of Art in west Raleigh has a new immersive video room featuring the work of Audubon. While you're there, check out the Threads of Experience gallery with more hands-on activities and then take a walk around the museum park (don't forget the pig slide). Admission is free to the museum.

Go on an adventure

Go Ape and TreeRunner ropes courses in Raleigh are open for the season. Three Bears Acres, the 50-acre outdoor play area, also is open for 2019. And Hill Ridge Farm, featuring a giant tube slide, jumping pillow, trains and more, opens April 13.

Hill Ridge Farm opens this weekend for season

Take advantage of our state's museums

Both the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, the most visited historic attraction in North Carolina for the fifth straight year, and the N.C. Museum of History, which sits directly across Bicentennial Plaza from the science museum in downtown Raleigh, offer up plenty of free activities to help you pass the days. If you go, be sure to check out the history museum's updated North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

Catch some sports

There are lots of opportunities to cheer on your favorite local team this spring break.

The Durham Bulls have home games April 11, which is opening night, to April 14 and April 19 to April 21. Fireworks are scheduled after the April 12 and April 19 game. Players and coaches will be signing autographs before the April 14 game.

The Carolina Mudcats in Zebulon have home games April 11 through April 17. Fireworks are scheduled April 12 and the Wednesday, April 17, game is slated for a kid-friendly 11 a.m. if you're out of school and work.

And the NC Courage women's professional soccer team has games April 13 and April 17 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.

Dive into local history

At the City of Raleigh Museum. you can draw on the walls (well, the part where you're invited to draw on the walls), share your dreams for Dix Park, get hands on with history and more. And the Museum of Durham History packs in a lot of information into a small space. It's also unveiling an updated play area for kids this week.

See all the vehicles

Do your kids love planes, trains and automobiles? We've got the details on how to see trains at Raleigh's new train station, planes at RDU's popular Observation Park and automobiles from a giant pedestrian walkway over I-40.

Take the Kids: 3 places to see planes, trains and automobiles up close

Take a hike

Umstead Park's Oak Rock Trail is the perfect hike for little walkers at just 0.6 miles. Our list of family-friendly hikes has details about more.