Winter break family fun is around the corner and with school out and kids at home, there’s plenty of time to explore a new activity, play games, try a new recipe, or just hang out. Take a look at our list of things to do.
Have fun and stay safe!
Winter break ideas: In the kitchen
If you haven’t yet tried our hot-cocoa bar idea (or even if you have!), this is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Also, have you baked cookies? Do you have room for more?
A few to try:
- Mexican Wedding Balls from the owner of Macrina Bakery.
- Oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies (always a classic!)
- Or you could go with jelly doughnuts, thanks to teen chef Sadie Suskind
I am still drooling at just the thought of Chef Jason Wilson’s Dungeness crab mac and cheese, but I am also pondering dusting off the fondue pot for a New Year’s Eve family feast. I have told the family that if they help clean the pot between courses, we could do a cheese course, entrée, and then chocolate, all with those irresistible color-coded long forks. (My Mom had matching sectioned plates, too, in the oh-so-trendy earth tones of the 1970s.)
Or, if you want a fun family cooking night, try out the oh-so-delicious and oh-so-easy dumplings (if you buy premade wrappers) with Jiaying Grygiel’s Dumplings recipe – or if you’d prefer not to cook but crave dumplings, Jiaying recommends where to get the best take-out dumplings and top family-friendly dumpling restaurants.
Winter break ideas: Around the house
Build stuff! Make stuff! If you have big kids and time to supervise, they might want to try out some tools to build the candle holders from the book “Girls Who Build.” (Those projects are excerpted here.)
Camping trip on location: Get a bare table and a blanket and make a tent for a little kid. Make sure they have a book, a flashlight, and a favorite stuffed animal too. Adults – maybe you’re ready to plan your spring and summer excursions. Take a look at these campsites and plan to book early for your favorite spot.
Celebrate the New Year at home: Want to have a chill and relaxing New Years Eve at home? let’s plan a fun family celebration that’s safe, cozy and still very festive. Here are 7 ideas for a fun New Year’s Eve at home to ring in 2025.
Floor skating: If you have hardwood floors and the kids have socks, you’re ready for this one. Put on some music and glide about like figure skaters.
Fun and games: Oh, we love games! Here are some of our best lists:
- Our favorite family board games
- 4 card games you can take anywhere
- 11 cool games to play with your kids
- 10 games to play with your family
Fun project for fidgety hands: Try making a plush lion pillow or a panda bath mitt from Sanae Ishida’s book “Animal Friends to Sew.”
Get out some flour, salt, and water. Shape it, then bake it! This works great for ornaments, or maybe even shape them into coasters, paperweights, or ladybugs that you can paint later. Instructions here.
Make forts: Pile up the couch cushions and every sofa pillow in the house –and have a blast right in your living room.
Make paper snowflakes: You can make beautiful snowflake designs with regular printer paper to get your creative flow going and incorporate a fun arts and crafts day at the house! Here is a video with easy steps to making the snowflakes from scratch.
Read books: Check here for titles that we have suggested or that others have recommended for us recently. Or explore what your local library can do for you. Many have Reading with Rover programs, story times, and arts and craft workshops for all ages. Also, check out our library and park outings round-up. Explore holiday traditions with these children’s books or delve into multicultural books that will open up a whole new world for your kiddos.
Watch a movie together: Winter break is an ideal time to relax together while watching a good movie. Here’s a list of recommended family movies from our movie reviewer.
Winter break ideas: Out and about
Animal farm visits: Visit Kelsey Creek Farm, just minutes from downtown Bellevue, for free admission. This quiet farm is the perfect oasis for families who love animals and the outdoors. It is open daily, and animal viewing is from 9 am to 3 pm. This is a fun way for the kids to learn about farm animals. You can also visit Farrel-Mcwhirter Park, which features a children’s animal farm, a horse arena, and beautiful nature trails. This park is free to the public.
Christmas ships and bonfires: Join Madison Park Christmas Ships and Santa Photos event, with a visit with Santa, hot chocolate, cookies, lots of caroling and a bonfire at the beach on Saturday, December 21. 8:35 p.m. – 8:55 p.m. Want to find other onshore community events and watch the Christmas Ships cruise by? See the full schedule here. The Finale Night Christmas Ship viewing and bonfire will be at Gasworks Park on December 23, 2024.
Go to Green Lake Park: Green Lake Park is one of Seattle’s best parks for free outdoor activities. They provide basketball courts, open fields for frisbee and soccer, and volleyball nets. This is a great place for families that like to do sporty activities. The park has a paved 3-mile loop where you can go biking and rollerblading with your kids and dogs. They offer a seasonal event on December 14, Green Lake Pathway of Lights, with glimmering Green Lake paths and docks lit with thousands of twinkling candles. Indulge in complimentary refreshments and enjoy live music performed by local schools and community groups.
Go on an art walk: The Bellevue Botanical Garden offers a nice walk and many sculptures to explore.
Holiday Fun Run: Holiday family fun runs can be a great way to get everybody outside and moving, especially when cold weather tends to keep us inside. Check out these fun holiday-themed fun runs and polar plunges.
Holiday scavenger hunt: There are a few fun holiday scavenger hunts happening in the Seattle area that you and your family can participate in including: Ornament Scavenger Hunt in Pioneer Square (December 1-22) and Yeti Scavenger Hunt in Kent (November 30-December 31).
Ice skating: Visit the Occidental Square Wintry Weekend, a free pop-up ice skating rink from Dec. 13–15, welcomes skaters of all ages and skill levels. The rink is open from noon–6 p.m. each day, with skates provided to those who need them. Want to skate indoors? here is our list of righteous ice skating rinks for the winter holiday season.
Light shows through the end of the year: Check out Wild Lanterns at the Woodland Park Zoo, Evergreen Lights in Bothell, Candy Cane Lane , and more. Make your holidays bright!
NW Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville celebrates Winter Wildland from Dec. 26, 2024 – Dec. 29 2024, with animals, decorations, keeper chats and “winter magic.”
Play at a playground: Even though it starts to get colder during winter break, that doesn’t need to stop your kids from getting outside and playing. There are great playgrounds in the Seattle area that your family can enjoy when bundled up in warm winter clothes. Here are 10 playgrounds around Seattle, which you can bring your kids during the daytime!
Polar plunge: Jump into the cold waters to start the New Year right. There will be many polar plunges happening in and around Seattle (some of them are free, and others cost). There will be a free plunge at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, and you can register here. See our full list of polar bear plunges happening in the Seattle area.
Rainier Ridge at Seattle Children’s Museum: Tucked away high on mountain slopes lays Rainier Ridge, a summit-side escape offering endless opportunities for winter play at the Seattle Children’s Museum. Immerse yourself in the magic where stories are told around the fire and enjoyed with s’mores, children leap and spin on the sock skating rink, and the market place bustles with life with craft and play food vendors. Included with admission.
Snowflake Lane Parade in Bellevue: Bring your family to Snowflake Lane in Bellevue to experience dazzling lights, falling snow, festive music, toy drummers, and dancers in the free nightly parade of holiday floats at 7 pm. The Bellevue Art Museum hosts its Holiday Arts Fair, which takes place during the festive Snowflake Lane parade and gives families and visitors a place to experience the power of art as well as shop for unique, creative gifts. There will be artist tables, kids’ activities, refreshments, and exhibits that celebrate the season.
Special exhibits and experiences in Seattle: Head to the Maritime Building (904 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, 98104) to visit the Titanic. The Exhibition, and see displays of original artifacts, touching stories of the ship’s passengers and crew and more. Buy tickets here. Head over to the Pacific Science Center and watch the Polar Express 3D at the IMAX of a story of a young boy embarking on a magical adventure to the North Pole (rated G) on December 21, 22, 23, 24 and 26.
State Park Free Day: New Year’s Day is one of the State Park Free Days, so you can spend it exploring any of the 144 Washington State Parks! Many of the State Parks will be offering free first-day hikes on January 1st, with easy difficulty-level hikes that you can join.
Stroll along Candy Cane Lane: Bring your kids for a fun night of looking at beautiful lights at Candy Cane Lane. The days and times are Sunday through Thursday from 4 pm to 9:30 pm and Friday and Saturday from 4 pm to 11 pm. There will be a special night where you can walk the street of decorated houses with the Eckstein Jazz Combo, Sing Sing Sing Barbershop Choir and Northwest Girlchoir & Roosevelt Caroling Club performing on December 15th. For their last pedestrian night on December 19, enjoy a performance by the Roosevelt Jazz Band playing their music on December 19th at 6 p.m.
Train rides and exhibits: Take a trip and ride the rails or see a train exhibit at the museum. The Winter Fest train and village display is free and located at the Amory Food and Event Hall at the Seattle Center, operating from November 29 to December 31, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. This is an annual tradition that has been going on for 40 years and is free for the public.
We are big fans of fresh air and exercise. Here are just a few of the ideas we have written about recently. Get out of the house and go have some fun!
- 11 Seattle-area state parks to visit in fall and winter
- Take a winter beach walk at Lincoln Park
- 3 magnificent fall hikes on the Eastside
- Olallie State Park: a hit with kids in any season
- 5 Seattle area family beach hikes
- Rainy day? Where to go on a rainy day outside
- 5 walks for families on wet winter days
- Read, then play! Local outings to complement 27 children’s books
- Gardens to explore with kids without the crowds
- 10 fun themed playgrounds in the Seattle area to explore
Visit the aquarium: The Marine Science and Technology Center has an aquarium that holds 3,000 gallons of seawater, with over 250 native Puget Sound species and two large touch tanks at Highline College. This aquarium is open and FREE to the public on Discovery Days every Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm. The Seattle Aquarium has opened their new Ocean Pavilion for families to explore a separate building dedicated entirely to the tropical reef ecosystems of the Coral Triangle.
Visit a museum: Take a trip down to Tukwila to soar through the largest independent non-profit air and space museum in the country, The Museum of Flight (free from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for all on Jan 2). Free First Thursday Museums on January 2, 2025, include: The Nordic Museum (open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.), Northwest African American Museum (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.), Seattle Art Museum (10 a.m. – 8 p.m. and is free every day for ages 14 and under), Seattle Asian Art Museum (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.). Imagine Children’s Museum will be having its FREE family fun community access night on December 20.
Watch a ‘Nutcracker’ performance: The holiday season is upon us and as the calendar fills up with shopping, baking and decorating. One occasion that has become an annual tradition for many families is going to see The Nutcracker. Here is our ultimate guide to Seattle area holiday ‘Nutcracker’ performances.
Winter picnic: Create a new outdoor tradition with your kids and have a winter picnic with a perfect spot at a local park; build a fire and cook something fresh and hot! Here is a guide to a successful winter picnic with your family.
Winter break ideas: In the mountains
Doesn’t a snow day sound like fun? Do your homework before heading out to a ski area (some require advance ticket purchase). Check road conditions, too! And read these tips for keeping your kdis safe and prepared for the snow and cold.
Let’s go sledding! Where to go from Seattle
Luging, sledding and tubing in Washington
Best ski areas you can drive to from Seattle
8 places Seattle families can go cross-country skiing
5 fun things to do in the snow with your kids
Take a trip to Suncadia WA: Head over the snowy mountains to Suncadia in Cle Elum for a winter adventure once it begins to snow. Dig out your snow clothes and get ready for a day of inner tubing, skiing, sleigh rides or ice skating. Here is our guide to a fun family trip to this snowy paradise.
Read more:
Free things to do with your kids for winter break
Where to go ice skating with kids around Seattle, Eastside, and Tacoma
