• ACTIVITIES
    • Calendar Today's Activities Activity Guides
  • Camps
  • Education
  • After-School
  • Special Needs
  • Services
  • Health
  • Advertise

    • Get Tons of Family Activities Sent to You Weekly!

    Home Family Activities Articles
    10 Fun Winter Break Activities for Kids in Rockland County

    10 Fun Winter Break Activities for Kids in Rockland County

    Wondering what to do on winter break with your kids in Rockland County? Check out these winter break activities for families!

    By Katelin Walling

    We love all things holiday season, but when it comes to finding things to do during winter break in Rockland County, we can get a little holiday-ed out! And who can blame you? After all, Christmas decorations hit the stores before the kids were done trick-or-treating! To balance everything out, here’s our top list of family activities to keep your kids—and you!—having fun while school is closed for winter break (that’s Dec. 24-31 for most schools in our area this year). None of these winter break activities are holiday-related, but if you’re looking for holiday fun, we’ve got you covered with holiday lights in our area, Christmas events in the area, holiday train rides, and more.

    10 Things to Do for Winter Break in Rockland County

    1. Go skating at an ice-skating rink in Rockland County.

    Nothing says winter fun like gliding freely on the ice! Excuse us while we live out our Winter Olympic dreams (in our heads, at least…). Plan to spend a day at the scenic Bear Mountain Ice Rink in Bear Mountain State Park or head over to Yonkers and take a spin on the Cross County Center pop-up rink (it’s perfect for beginners!). Or head to another ice-skating rink near Rockland County, like one of NYC’s iconic rinks.

    2. Plan a day trip into NYC.

    We live near what is arguably the greatest city in the world, and NYC’s observation decks will remind you of that wonder when you feast your eyes on some amazing views. Then take a spin on one of NYC’s iconic ice-skating rinks, visit the Bryant Park Winter Village, get lost in the American Museum of Natural History, or experience the city’s newest attraction that has you soaring above NYC.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Bryant Park (@bryantparknyc)

    3. Putt your way to a hole-in-one at an indoor mini golf course.

    Sure, we typically think of summer and outdoor fun when we think of mini golf, but did you know there are a few indoor mini-golf courses in Rockland County and nearby? Head to the Palisades Center to putt your way through a glow-in-the-dark space-themed course, or make your way through a glowing, monster-themed course in Paramus, NJ.

    4. Get lost in a museum.

    Our area has such an abundance of museums that you’re 100-percent guaranteed to find a museum that your family loves. Whether it’s the Westchester Children’s Museum, Liberty Science Center, or one of the city’s famous institutions, time spent at a museum is not wasted. 

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Liberty Science Center (@libertysciencecenter)



    5. Spend an afternoon sledding.

    If there’s enough snow on the ground, of course! Bundle up, grab your sled, and head over to Veterans Memorial Park or Bear Mountain State Park for an afternoon of downhill fun! Want a little more thrill? Head to a nearby snow tubing park, like Mount Peter in Warwick or Campgaw Mountain in Mahwah, NJ.

    6. Bowl a strike!

    Or spare, or just try to knock some pins down…whatever your score ends up being, your family is sure to have a blast! New City Bowl & Batting Cages, located in New City, and Break Point Bowl & Entertainment, located in West Haverstraw, both offer family bowling times.

    7. Have a movie marathon.

    Sometimes you just want to stay in your pajamas and lounge on the couch all day, especially when it’s freezing outside. And there’s nothing wrong with that! After all, Winter Break is the perfect time to slow down, spend uninterrupted time with your kids, and just relax. Let each member of the family pick out a movie or decide on a theme. The options are endless!

    Need some ideas? Check out these roundups:

    8. Explore sea life at a nearby aquarium.

    Sure, it’s winter. But that doesn’t mean you can’t explore sea life (you’ll just have to do it at a nearby aquarium instead of the beach). Plan a day trip to visit American Dream in New Jersey. There you can visit New Jersey SEA LIFE Aquarium, an NYC-themed experience. Or head out to Norwalk, CT to visit the Maritime Aquarium and see the special exhibits on sharks and goldfish.

    9. Help your kids flex their DIY skills.

    Whether you pick up a craft kit at the store or find a cute and easy DIY on Pinterest, spending some time crafting is a joy! Bonus: Your kids will be so proud of what they made from scratch; it’ll make your heart smile. Need some ideas? Check out these easy kid-friendly DIYs:

    10. Check out our online calendar for family activities in Rockland County.

    Seriously. We strive to have the most robust of things happening in the area that are great for kids and the whole family. Whether you’re looking for a fun event at a library, a show, or something going on at one of our borough’s museums, you’ll find it in our calendar. Below, you’ll find a selection of what’s going on in Rockland County during winter break:

    PAW Patrol: Adventure Play
    WHEN:     Through May 1, 2022: Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm
    WHERE: Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City, NJ
    AGE: All
    WHAT: In the PAW Patrol: Adventure Play exhibition, you'll join the pups of PAW Patrol to answer every yelp for help! Enter the Lookout Tower where the pups live, guide the Sea Patroller through Adventure Bay and Beach, climb Jake’s Mountain, and drive the PAW Patroller. Along the way, you can help make daring rescues. There are puzzles and challenges for everyone. Work together, and you can do it all!
    WANT TO GO? At the door: $29.99; $24.99 children ages 2-12. In advance: $27.99; $22.99 children ages 2-12

    FREE Family Movie: The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
    WHEN:     Monday, Dec. 20, 5:30-7:30pm
    WHERE: Haverstraw King's Daughters Public Library, Main Library, 10 W. Ramapo Road, Garnerville
    AGE: All
    WHAT: Make it a movie night with the library.
    WANT TO GO? Registration begins two weeks before the program for HKDPL district residents and one week before for everyone else.

    Jurassic Quest
    WHEN:     Dec. 29-Jan. 2, 2022, Wednesday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday, 9am-6pm; Saturday, 9am-8pm; Sunday, 9am-6pm
    WHERE: New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison, NJ
    AGE: All
    WHAT: Jurassic Quest features the biggest Dinosaur Exhibit, which includes more than 100 dinosaurs that are true-to-detail (and size!) including an incredible 50-foot-long megalodon, 60-foot-long, sky-scraping spinosaurus, the 80-foot-long apatosaurus, and a gigantic, lifesize T. rex. Walking Dinosaur Rides & Stationery Dinosaur Rides, which include some of the largest rideable dinosaurs in North America! See an incredibly realistic and interactive Baby Dinosaur & Raptor Training Experience. Plus, a giant fossil dig, an animal art tattoo station, inflatables, crafts, games, and more!
    WANT TO GO? $36 kids unlimited rides; $22 kids standard and adults; $19 seniors.

    Guided Nature Walk
    WHEN:     Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, 1-2pm
    WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ
    AGE: All
    WHAT: Enjoy the season with a guided walk along one of Tenafly Nature Center's trails with an Environmental Educator. Whether a first time visitor or a regular on the trails, participants will enjoy different sensory experiences in the forest.
    WANT TO GO? Program will be held entirely outdoors. Space is limited and pre-registration is recommended.

    Main image by FamVeld/shutterstock.com

    Want more content like this?

    More Family Activities Articles:

    Fall Adventures at Fort Ticonderoga

    Offering 2,000 Acres of Breathtaking Landscape, Fort Ticonderoga is the Perfect Fall Destination!


    Latest News:

    Things to Do with Kids in NYC this Weekend

    Enjoy these fun things to do with your kids in New York City this weekend. Start planning your weekend now with our editorially curated list of happen...


    Family Activities:



    Have a Laugh:

    Best Memes of the Week for Parents

    Here are the funniest parenting memes from Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit this week.
    Katelin Walling

    Author: Katelin Walling is the former editorial director for NYMetroParents. She has been writing about parenting, health, finance, education, fun things to do in NYC and the surrounding area, and more for nearly 10 years. She also has 20+ years of child care experience and was a babysitter in NYC for 8 years. Katelin graduated from the University of Maine in 2011 and attended the NYU Summer Publishing Institute during the summer of 2011. To unplug in her free time, she can often be found reading, knitting (or general crafting), or whipping up a vegan treat—all with a cup of coffee nearby. See More

    Featured Listings:

    Inflatable Party Adventures

    Inflatable Party Adventures

    Here at IPA, we specialize in delivering the type of fun GUARANTEED to make your next event one to be remembered and talked about for years to come! W...

    Twisted Creations Bubbles & Balloons

    Twisted Creations Bubbles & Balloons

    Bubbles big enough to be inside! Balloons sculptures that light up! No matter the event, guests of all ages will be amazed and entertained by our uniq...

    Jill's Ceramics

    Jill's Ceramics

    West Nyack, NY Want a unique, inexpensive, one-of-a-kind birthday party?

    Code Ninjas, New Jersey

    Code Ninjas, New Jersey

    At Code Ninjas locations in Ramsey, Midland Park, Norwood, and Saddle Brook, kids have a blast learning to code by building their very own video games...

    About Us

    Rockland Parent is proud to be a division of New York Family and part of Schneps Media. Rockland Parent is the go-to resource for local parents. As part of New York's leading media group for local lifestyle and family content, we connect parents with everything they need-things to do, local events, parenting resources, and trusted businesses in the Rockland County community. Backed by the trusted voice of New York Family and Schnep's Media's extensive local network, we are your one-stop destination for raising kids in the Lower Hudson Valley.

    Join Us



    Connect with Rockland Parent

    Advertise

    This Month's Issue


    More Resources

    Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved Davler Media Privacy Policy SE Link