One great idea is to have fun in the kitchen. This could be cooking or science-related. Even the youngest children can help make muffins, cookies, or pizza, and older children will enjoy the challenge of putting together an entire meal. There are also tons of kitchen experiments you can do with common household items that will entertain your kids, even if just for an hour or so.

Scavenger hunts are another way to keep your kids busy during winter break. It takes some work on your part to create the clues, but it’s a great family experience. If you don’t have time to make up clues, then there are several inexpensive games that you can purchase like Found It! and Find and Seek. You can play these inside the house on a cold, dreary day or go outside on a day with more sunshine.

Other family activities you can do together are playing board games, doing crafts, and hosting a karaoke night. You can create an indoor obstacle course if space allows or invite your kids to complete a project. If they like skateboarding, ask them to design a skateboard. If they like video games, ask them to design a unique plot twist for their favorite game.

If you’re looking for places to go, there are lots of local venues that will entertain your kids for hours. Spend a day at the Montshire Museum of Science or the Vermont Toy Museum. Catch a new release at Nugget Theaters or watch the film Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective, hosted by Sustainable Woodstock and Pentangle Arts, at home one evening

Take the kids to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science for a raptor feeding one afternoon, or head up to Sugarbush Farm for a tour of where maple syrup is made. Check out the local libraries for story time, crafts, and Dungeons & Dragons. Your creative ones will love a trip to Michaels or JOANN Fabric and Crafts to pick up supplies. Load up the cart with wood craft sticks, pipe cleaners, constructions paper, and googly eyes, and they’ll have fun for hours!

And even though you want to keep your kids off their screens and out of their beds during winter break, you might have another motive for doing some fun activities together. After enjoying the outings and entertainment, they’ll perhaps be more inclined to clean their rooms when you ask, too! Have fun this winter break and don’t dread the boredom!