Free fun things to do with your kids for winter break! This is the time of year to find affordable indoor and outdoor activities to do with your family.
Free indoor activities
Fun and games:
Winter break is a perfect time to spend quality time with your family, enjoy hot cocoa, and play games together when the weather is too cold and rainy. Here are some of our favorite family games and our best unique games you can play anywhere.
Make a fort:
Pile up the couch cushions and all your sofa pillows in the house, and build a fort in the living room. This will be a blast and a fun way to spend getting cozy before bed!
Plan a movie night:
Winter break is an excellent time to relax together while watching a good movie. Here is a list of our family-friendly movie recommendations!
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.
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.
Visit a museum:
There are several museums in the Seattle area that are free for kids and parents. The Frye Art Museum is free every day for everyone. Most museums offer Free First Thursday of the month, during select hours. 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). Free First Thursday Museums on Thursday, 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 their FREE family fun community access night on December 20.
Train and village Display:
The Winter Fest train and village display will be installed inside the Amory Food and Event Hall at the Seattle Center. This is an annual tradition that has been going on for 40 years and is free for the public. The train operates from November 29th to December 31st from 10 am to 6 pm. This is the perfect indoor activity for some family fun. Here are more holiday train outings that your family can visit.
Free outdoor activities
Animal farm visit:
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.
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.
Christmas Ships & 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, 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.
Ice skating at Occidental Square:
Join the Occidental Square Wintry Weekend, a free ice skating rink at Occidental Square. The pop-up rink is back Dec. 13–15 for a third year, and skaters of all ages and skill levels are invited. The festivities on Sunday will include a special surprise for Seattle Kraken fans. The rink is open from noon–6 p.m. each day, with skates provided to those who need them.
Holiday light shows:
Bring your kids to see a beautiful holiday light show, Renton Clam Lights at Gene Coulon Park in Renton. This fun light show is from 5 pm to 9 pm daily through January 5, 2025. Want to see other cool and unique light shows? Here are our spectacular light shows in and around Seattle.
Olympic Sculpture Garden:
The Olympic Sculpture Park is covered in monumental artworks and sculptures on Seattle’s waterfront and is the largest green space downtown. This free and fun activity during the winter break is open daily!
Play at the 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.
Sledding:
This is the time of the year to get creative and make your DIY sled with your kids for some fun in the snow. You can use a few DIY sled options, including trash can lids, laundry baskets, boogie boards, and even your summer floaties. Here are lowland sledding spots in and around Seattle for winter break.
Snowflake Lane:
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. Join the sidewalks between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square for a night filled with winter break fun. 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.
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.
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.
Read more:
Free First-Day Hikes on New Year’s Day in the State Parks
Best family calendar of events in the Greater Puget Sound area
