Billings Farm. Visit the animals, take a sleigh ride, take a tour of the mansion. We love it here.
Explore VINS. They’re open in the winter too. You can also use their trails during the winter as well. I bed the canopy walk would be beautiful this year. See more here.
Laugh and Splash at the Aquatic Center. This is an awesome place to take kids in the winter (well all year really). My boys loved it. Family changing room, warm water, mini waterfalls, and a play structure, wins all around.
Norwich Gingerbread Festival. Every year Norwich puts on a gingerbread festival. People make simple or elaborate gingerbread houses to sell. This year the gingerbread houses will be displayed at local businesses instead of at the local hall. There will be free activity bags for children with goodies, crafts, and a map to see the gingerbread houses. We’re going to make our own this year.
Make your own cardboard sled. You can get tips here. Then sled down one of the local hills (I’ll be making a post soon).
LaSalette Lights. Grab your kiddos and take them to see the amazing Christmas light display at LaSalette. Make it a day trip: In the afterrnoon sled down the infamous big hill across from the Enfield Shaker Museum and then go see the lights. Grab some hot cocoa at the the cafeteria.
Holiday lights Drive. Take a drive and see some holiday light displays.
Caroling. Enjoy caroling or a concert by Upper Valley Music. This year it’ll be virtual.
Enjoy a holiday festival. There are plenty of holiday festivals with family fun and good food. Later in the winter, try a winter festival. I’ll have to find out if any of these are running this winter 2020. It’s possible since they’re mostly outdoors.
Ice skating and hot chocolate. Take the kiddos for public skating and grab some hot chocolate. See our day trip here.
Try a New Hobby: Skiing. Take in the peaceful scenery while exercising with your family. Cross country skiing is a great family activity. I have fond memories of skiing along the golf course in Newport with my parents. I wish we had gone more. Here are some full service spots to rent and ski and easy trails to get started. We have great places to downhill ski for families too. Here’s your ski local list.
Go Tubing. Slide and zoom down Arrowhead. A budget friendly activity for sure.
Visit a Maple Sugaring House in March. Learn and have a sample. I’m not sure what it’ll look like this year, but certainly fun to do. Learn more here.
Take a cooking class. I’ve loved all the local cooking classes I’ve done and I think you could do them with older kids. The co-op is still doing them while King Arthur and Blake Hill you’ll probably have to wait until after covid. To see other places to do cooking classes, here’s my list.
Tents and Smores. Grab some local library books, local chocolate, Christmas lights, and other goodies and make an indoor fort. Have a smores picnic inside and read stories. I’ll probably have the smores in the kitchen and then do Christmas lights fort story time. You could even have an indoor snowball fight with marshmallows after if you’re brave.
Decorate cookies. Buy some King Arthur mixes either by visiting if you live in VT or ordering if you live in NH and decorate some Christmas cookies.
Do good deeds with the Kindness Elves. This has been on my list of things to do with the kids for a few years now. I’m so excited it’s in the mail. I’m not a big elf on the shelf kind of person. The kindness elves do nice things for people. So think of it as a fun way of introducing random acts of kindness to your kids and building memories together. You can buy the cute handmade dolls, the story book, or a bundle of all of them. There’s also accessories you can buy. Learn more here. Ideas for kindness activities. Kindness books (I love Strictly No Elephants)
Indoor Winter Olympics. This looks like a lot of fun. I gotta try this! I have two rambunctious boys. Winter activities and Winter Olympics.
Do a Christmas Craft. Homemade wrapping paper, paper plate crafts, homemade cards for kids, handprint Christmas cards reindeer, handprint elf card, homemade kids ornaments, cardboard ornaments, reindeer cardboard ornament, popsicle stick reindeer, homemade gifts, salt dough ornaments (lots of ideas here).
Take a class. Artistree is doing in person and virtual classes. Try painting pottery at Tip Top. You see what a sip and paint is like with my first hand account here. AVA is doing classes too. Claremont Maker Space is doing some cool classes too; you don’t have to be a member.
Enjoy a Winter Hike. Make it a scavenger hunt. This is a great one, bring a few fun things outside with you for this one. I love the senses on this one. For winter hikes I’d try Alana Cole because it’s short and flat. The rail trail is great too.
Try the Fat Bike Tire Experience. Ride the trails at Great River Outfitters or the Woodstock Inn. I loved it (though I wish I had padded shorts…) I rented a bike from Omer and Bob’s but for a family you may need to go elsewhere. You can read about it here.
Try rock climbing. The River Valley Club has open climb hours with a belayer. No experience necessary. You can boulder (rock climb without a harness) to a certain height at The Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center in Quechee. There’s definitely spots little kids would love and older kids. I know I had a blast at both! Learn more about them here.
Take a day trip. Try Smuggler’s Notch Fun Zone. Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury. SEE Center in Manchester, NH. Burlington: Echo Leahy Center, Get Air Trampoline Park (with foam pit and kiddie area), Monkey Do Playground,
Winter 2021
Storytime. Enjoy story time hosted by the Dartmouth Outing Club. Make it a Day Trip: Sled down the hill at the golf course before or after. If it’s late enough in the winter, you can skate on Occom Pond.
Dartmouth Hockey. Check out a Dartmouth ice hockey game. Great budget friendly fun for the whole family.
Enjoy the Polar Express in WRJ. Hot chocolate, elves, stories and more. Tickets sell out around Thanksgiving each year. Polar Express.
Try an arts and crafts class. We have a thriving art community that loves to enrich the lives of children. Take an art class. Learn fiber art. Do a sip and paint or paint pottery. Do sculpting on family day at Artistree (this is their summer activities. AVA always has awesome activities like the CAOS toddler art program my boys love.
See a Show. Enjoy a show at the HOP or a local theatre: Lebanon, Pentangle Arts, Northern Stage. I loved Dartmouth Idol in the winter.
Take a Day Trip. Shelburne has lots of fun. Try the Teddy bear Museum.
For more fun see our full Winter Page.
