If you have grade-school-age children, chances are you’re somewhat conflicted about the encroaching holiday season. It’s great to spend time with the family, but how in the world will the kids occupy themselves for two straight weeks? This year, if you’d like to avoid being called every hour at work with queries like “Whatca doin?”, or if you’d prefer to circumvent the pouty declaration of “I’m bored,” then here are a few adventures to consider.

Railroad Excursions

Railroad trips can be as simple as Dad and the kids giving Mom quiet time by hopping the local Amtrak to where there are more things to do.  Unless you live in a place like New York or Chicago where trains are a go-to form of mass transit, kids find the railroad a remarkable treat. If you want to take it a step further, there are usually railroad tours of your state’s rural areas. In the South, there is the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad’s Polar Express tour. Crossing magnificent trestles and taking in the grandeur of the mountains is something that will hold your attention as much as it does your children’s. The Polar Express tour is set to the music of the film and takes you to the “North Pole” where Santa boards the train and gives out gifts.

Zip Lines

Even if your kids are at least 10-years-old and are above the required 70 pounds, this idea might give you pause. If your family is driving you nuts already, then perhaps you can’t wait to send the kids hurtling through the air.

In North Carolina there are at least 18 zip line facilities, and they are open all year. Some places, like Kersey Valley Zip Line in High Point, have occasionally decorated the foliage below with Christmas lights. Some of these programs are extended tours of wooded areas done in stages—you cross one stretch and then transfer to another line to sail over the next stage. Many of these facilities also have rock climbing edifices and rope swings.

Rescue Zoos

These sanctuaries are unique in especially two ways: their eclectic collection of species, and the stories of how those species came to reside there. Rescue Zoos take in exotic animals that have been injured, mistreated, or that simply had nowhere else to go. Although you might see the occasional three-legged antelope, most of these animals are perfectly normal and were taken in because their owners could no longer care for them.

These zoos are usually open year-round and are inexpensive to visit. The experience is more personable than what you would get at a state zoo as there are tours where guides explain just exactly how an African Watusi came to reside on a tiny stateside farm, like Aloha Safari Zoo in Cameron, N.C. They have a Zorse – apparently a zebra was crossbred with a horse. It pretty much looks like a small horse until you notice the subtle emergence of stripes around the hindquarters.

Minor League/College Games

So, you can’t afford NHL tickets, and you don’t have a professional football team anywhere in your area? Try finding a minor league team. In North Carolina, there is the Fayetteville FireAntz. These players are paid professionals vying for a spot on a big league roster, and minor league organizations need your attendance dollars a lot more so than the teams in the national spotlight.

Just because college classes cease for almost a month does not mean their sports team schedules pause for the holidays. Be it basketball, hockey, swimming, or indoor track, your area college teams are always fun to watch regardless if they are designated Division I, II or III.

Police and the Fire Department Tours

Police and fire departments are an adventurous entertainment for you kids. Sliding down the fire pole, trying on the gear, getting finger printed, checking out the on-board laptop in the police cruiser, asking about the guns – it never gets old.

Kid’s Day

Granted, strict parameters need to be put in place, but did you ever consider having your kids research and plan the day’s itinerary? With a little guidance, it can be an experience neither you nor them will forget. You might end up having chocolate cake for breakfast and then find yourself in Chuck E Cheese for dinner, but who cares? It’s just one day. And nothing’s funnier than seeing the little girl or boy whom you usually can’t get out of bed for school suddenly emerge bright and early with a clipboard demanding everyone stay on schedule.

Community Theater

Community shows are easy on your wallet, and the theater companies very much need your support to stay afloat. This time of year you can usually find them doing productions like A Christmas Carol, The Grinch, and even The Nutcracker. Everyone in the show is donating their time and resources, and so all the money goes to the costumes, the sets and the promotional literature. The best thing about community productions is that you’ll recognize folks in the show – your neighbors and local drama students. And if your little one wants to meet the Grinch after the show, a community cast will most certainly make that happen.

How are you keeping your kids entertained this winter break?

More on Kids Activities from HalogenTV.com:

1. DIY Kids Activities for the Winter Break