Winter Break is starting this week for all schools. And if you’re wondering what’s open or want some ideas for the days in between Christmas & New Year’s, check out the list below.
Book Tickets for a Holiday Lights Show
Many holiday light shows are operating through 1/2/2022. Plan a night over break to check out one of the following:
Lumagica – Harvest Moon Orchard South Salem, NY
Holiday Lights Spectacular – Hartford Healthcare Amp, Bridegport
Holiday Lights – Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT
Check Out a New Museum
Connecticut has a ton of museums for kids of all ages. Here’s a short list of a few to check out:
Danbury Railway Museum – Danbury
EverWonder – Newtown
Stepping Stones – Norwalk
Maritime Center – Norwalk
Pez Visitors Center – Orange
CT Science Center – Hartford
The Children’s Museum – West Hartford
Kids Play – Torrington
Imagine Nation – Bristol
Plan a Day Trip
Mystic is a fun day trip – not only do you get to see how beautiful the village of Mystic is decorated for the Holidays, you can also visit Mystic Aquarium or Mystic Seaport. Other easy day trips include Western MA for the Eric Carle Museum.
Spend Time at an Adventure Park
Get out all the energy at places like Jumpz (Danbury or Trumbull) or It Adventures Rope Course (New Haven).
Head to an Ice Rink
Check out an open skate time at one of these spots:
Indoor Rinks:
Danbury Ice Arena
Winter Garden Ice Arena
Sports Center of Connecticut
Outdoor Rinks:
Longshore Park Skating Rink
Mill River Park
Plan a Movie Night
A movie night, whether at home or the theater is a great winter break treat. Locally, Elf is playing at Edmond Town Hall on12/26, 12/27, & 12/28. Other local theaters include:
AMC Lowes, Danbury
Bank Street Theater, New Milford
Prospector Theater, Ridgefield
Take a Hike
View the list of local places to hike here.
Shop & Eat Local
A list of local restaurants is here. For shopping, check out our Holiday Guide and this post for some awesome options for post-Christmas shopping.
Visit a CT Brewery or Vineyard
We have a bunch of family-friendly breweries & vineyards within a short drive. Here are a few:
Reverie Brewing, Newtown
NewSylum Brewing, Newtown
Nod Hill Brewing, Ridgefield
Black Hog Brewing, Oxford
Housatonic River Brewing, New Milford
Aquila’s Nest, Newtown
Hopkins, New Preston
Springhill Vineyards, Washington Depot
Try a New Recipe as a Family!
Newtown Moms is full of recipe ideas – from super simple baking ideas to easy family dinner recipes. You can view the full collection here. Some of my favorites for the holidays:
Night Before Christmas Ice Cream Sandwiches
DIY Hot Cocoa Bombs
Gingerbread Man Cake
Have any other ideas? Please share them by emailing [email protected]