The end of the year…a time when kids are home from school, the days blend together, and limits on screen time and cookie eating go right out the window. Enjoy this list of 30 local activities to help keep your family entertained. Please note that advanced registration/ticket purchase is required for most of these attractions. Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy holiday break!

30 Family-Friendly Activities for Holiday Break 2021

1. Take a self-guided tour at Hammond Castle Museum. During their Deck the Halls Celebration enjoy the unique holiday room designs by local florists and interior designers along with learning about John and Irene Hammond and John’s life work as one of the nation’s most prolific inventors. Fri.-Sun. 10am-3pm. Buy tickets here.
2. Fill those Yeti mugs with hot chocolate and hit the road, driving around the North Shore to see holiday lights. Find the best light displays in this post.
3. Animal lovers will enjoy seeing the zoo animals along with the illuminated animal lanterns at ZooLights at Stone Zoo. Nightly through 1/9/22 (closed Christmas Day) from 4-9:30pm. Read about our visit to the zoo in this post.
4. When’s the last time you saw a movie in the theater? If you’re comfortable going, Sing 2 opens on 12/22 and Spider-Man: No Way Home is still playing at local theaters. Check out times at Cinema Salem, AMC Theater at the Liberty Tree Mall and Warwick Cinema.
5. Jump for joy at SkyZone inside the Liberty Tree Mall. There are attractions for all ages in this indoor trampoline park, open daily from 3-8pm. But kids 5 and under can enjoy special Little Leapers sessions on Wed. 12/22, Thurs. 12/23, Wed. 12/29, and Thurs. 12/30, from 10-11:30am.
6. Too cold for mini golf? Not at Aloha Mini Glow Golf. This course is located inside the Northshore Mall (lower level near Nordstrom) and open daily, M-Th. 11am-8pm, Fri. & Sat. 10am-9pm and Sun. 12-6pm.
7. Bounce on in to Cowabunga’s North Reading. This huge, indoor, inflatable playground encourages families to climb, jump, slide and play together. Enjoy a special Christmas Eve Day jumping event with the Elf! Get tickets here.
8. Kids love to sing and dance? Sign them up for a 3-Day Mamma Mia Workshop at A Broadway Kids Co. in Middleton. Workshop runs 12/28-12/30 from 9am-1pm and is best suited to kids ages 5-10 years old. Sign up here.
9. Paint your own pottery at Clay Dreaming in Beverly, daily from 10am-6pm during vacation week (12/26-12/31-but closing at 5pm on NYE).
10. Get competitive on the lanes at one of the many North Shore bowling alleys. Check our our full post on North Shore Bowing Alleys.
11. Ever wanted to know what a farmer’s life is like? Find out at one of Appleton Farms “Farmer for a Day” drop off programs! Open for kids 5-11 years old, Mon. 12/27 – Fri. 12/31, from 9am-12pm. Each day focuses on a different theme and kids should be prepared to spend most of the day outside. Register here.
12. Get the wiggles out in a fun, themed camp at The Little Gym Cherry Hill. Families will love this brand new location and themes like Holiday Goofy Games, Dinosaur Ice Age and The Little Gym Stars on Ice are guaranteed hits! Mon. 12/26 – Fri. 12/31 from 9:10am-3:10pm. Register here.
13. Winter is a great time to be outside exploring the natural world, so stretch your legs and join Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for one their winter vacation-week family programs. Tues. 12/28, Wed. 12/29 and Thurs. 12/30 from 1:30-3:30pm. Register here.
14. DIScover Olympics gives children a great opportunity to play a variety of sport specific, different variations of tag, dodge ball and board games based off of the theme of the day. Hosted at Danvers Indoor Sports, they will have a variety skills competitions like races, free throw competitions and more. Best suited for ages 5-12. Mon. 12/27-Thurs. 12/30, from 9am-12pm, with before and after-care available. Register here.
15. Head to Ace Gymnastics in Ipswich for half or full-day Winter Wonderland camps. Best suited for ages 5 and up. This is an all-inclusive camp that will be filled with arts & crafts and indoor games. Sign up here.
16. If the kids are bouncing off the walls it’s time to head to Drop-In Play at Room to Bloom in Beverly. Best suited for ages 0-6, this indoor playground offers daily drop-in play with a variety of rooms and activities to explore. Open daily at 9 am.
17. Another great, indoor play ground is the Children’s Piazza in Peabody. Drop-in play available daily, beginning at 8:30am (except Sundays). Details on their Noon-Years Eve Party and New Year’s Day Pajama Party still to come.
18. Take a visit to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Somerville. In addition to the Lego Racer station, indoor climbing playground, and 4D Cinema, this location is also hosting a limited-time Holiday Bricktacular display. Open daily from 10am-5pm. Get tickets here.
19. Create Ice Castle Art at Art’s Cool in Middleton. Tues. 12/28 from 10:30am-12:15pm. Best suited for ages 5.5 to 12 years old. Sign up here.
20. The Alchemy Laboratory is where Harry Potter meets real science! Kids 6 and up, will enjoy Ed the Wizard’s Alchemy Laboratory at the Wenham Museum on Tues. 12/28 from 2-3pm. Sign up here.
21. Turn gratitude into a fun activity with Thank You Card Making at the Hamilton-Wenham Library on Tues. 12/28 and Wed. 12/29 from 11am-12pm and 2-3pm. Register here.
22. Little ones (ages 3.5-5 years old) can join the Danvers Indoor Sports Mini Clinic from Tues. 12/28-Thurs. 12/30, 9am-12pm. Activities will include races, limbo, tag, sports and more! Details here.
23. Fairytale lovers may enjoy Sleeping Beauty: A Tanglewood Marionette online presentation, put on by the TOHP Burnham Library on Tues. 12/28 from 3-4pm. Register for the Zoom link here.
24. Create a Star Wars/Space themed art project at Art’s Cool in Middleton. Wed. 12/29 from 10:30am-12:15pm. Best suited for ages 5.5 to 12 years old. Sign up here.
25. Kids and adults will be amazed by World Yo-Yo Champion, John Higby’s show on Wed. 12/29 from 2-3pm at the Wenham Museum. The Yo-Yo Guy will perform a fun show for all ages with yo-yos, a unicycle and a giant yo-yo he can ride on. Sign up here.
26. Decorate cupcakes with Central Bakery Peabody and create a cute stand to show them off, all at  Create & Escape DIY in Peabody. Wed. 12/29, from 3-5pm. Register here.
27. This popular, family-friendly countdown to “midnight” is back again this year at the Wenham Museum. Fri. 12/31, from 10am-1pm. Sign up here.
28. If your kids can’t stay up until midnight, they’ll love the NOON Year’s Eve Dance Party at In the Game Peabody. Party will include music, games, glow sticks, arcade games and a balloon drop. Fri. 12/31, 12-2pm. Get tickets here.
29. Artistic kids will love the New Years party at Art’s Cool in Middleton. Hosted on Fri. 12/31 from 1-3pm. Best suited for ages 5.5 to 12 years old. Sign up here.
30. Join Beverly’s New Year 2022 fun and free virtual event on Fri. 12/31 from 3-4:30pm. Enjoy dance for all abilities, silly storytelling, and upbeat afro-latin drumming. Register for the Zoom link here.