Child-Sized Fun: 10 Ideas for Enjoying the Holiday Break in Rochester

Holiday Break, or December Break, including the weekends, runs from December 19, 2025, to January 4, 2026.

Looking for ways to keep kids entertained during the holiday school break? This guide covers the best indoor and outdoor adventures around Rochester. No matter the weather, you’ll find plenty of ways to make the holiday break memorable.

1. Events During the Holiday Break Week

Explore the Kids Out and About Rochester’s calendar for more of this year’s events. Here are a few highlights, with more to come as they are announced.

• Astronaut- Where Science Meets Space, RMSC
• Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, OFC Creations
• A Joyful Christmas, Hochstein School
• Rumors, Blackfriars Theatre
• A Christmas Carol, Geva
• Gala Holiday Pops, RPO
• Christmas at RCCM 2025
• Amerks 7:05 pm Home Game
• Yuletide in the Country Tours and Dinners, GCVM
• The Outsiders, OFC Creations
• Willy Wonka- Kids Production, OFC Creations
• Freaky Friday: The Musical- Kids Production, OFC Creations
• Holiday Open House and Breakfast with St. Nick, GCVM

2. Visit the Lamberton Conservatory Holiday Show

The Lamberton Conservatory Holiday Show runs from Friday, December 5, 2025, through Sunday, January 11, 2026. During the Holiday Show, the conservatory glows with festive lights, with evening hours on Friday and Sunday nights (not Saturday nights!) for an extra-magical visit.

3. Roc Holiday Village

The 16-day Roc Holiday Village presented by ESL runs December 5–28, 2025, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. In the heart of downtown, the charming holiday village offers a range of free holiday-themed activities and community events, including free ice skating with rentals sponsored by Wegmans, a holiday shopping village, cozy igloos, live music, free crafts for kids, Santa visits, fire pits, and food and drinks from indoor and outdoor bars.

4. Drive Around to See The Best Holiday Christmas Lights

Following our list of favorites, you’ll find more festively decorated homes, homes synced to music, drive-through Christmas light displays, and other holiday activities that bring us comfort and joy. May your nights be merry and bright!

5. Play Indoors at an Arcade, Bowling Alley, or Game Space

Try Radio Social, Clubhouse Fun Center, Central Rock Gym, or your favorite neighborhood arcade for an easy, high-energy day that burns off some mid-week wiggles.

Star with these:

• Rochester Pinball Collective 
• Eric’s Retro Arcade
• Arcade 80’s
• Strong National Museum of Play
• Clubhouse Fun Center
• Bowlero Rochester
• Radio Social
• The Playhouse // Swillburger
• Ontario Play & Café
• Millennium Games
• Central Rock Gym

6. Rochester Museum & Science Center

The RMSC city campus—home to the three-story Science Museum and the Strasenburgh Planetarium—is an easy place to spend an entire day. During the school break week, look for multiple showtimes of the Holiday Laser show and grab tickets in advance for this popular annual tradition.

In the Science Museum, don’t miss the two singing Tesla coils in Electricity Theater, where volunteers can stand inside a Faraday cage while lightning “performs.”

The Strasenburgh Planetarium offers a state-of-the-art view of our solar system and the visible universe using near-real-time data. The lounge chairs aren’t fixed to the floor, making the space accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

7. Edgerton Model Railroad Room

Fans of transportation history and Rochester stories will love this detailed model railroad room. Four season-themed layouts depict 1950s scenes, with model trains operating through each landscape. Explore the details of each display during the open house layout tours, which are held on the last Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as on additional holiday-season dates: December 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2025.

8. ARTISANworks

ARTISANworks is an immersive, anything-goes art experience. Step into a maze of vibrant color, original works by artists like Picasso and Warhol, and studio spaces where you can see the creative process in action. Wander the 360-degree canvas to discover hidden rooms, quirky installations, and pieces that surprise, delight, and sometimes shock—an unforgettable stop during the holiday school break.

9. Do a Book Crawl

Turn “grab some new books” into an outing. Visit an independent bookstore, plus a few Monroe County Library branches with great children’s areas. Let kids pick a holiday-break read, a graphic novel, and a “just for fun” book, then head home to build a reading fort. And while you’re out, look for Little Free Libraries to donate books that no longer serve you.

10. Take a short Holiday School Break Road Trip

Several excellent children’s museums in nearby cities are worth the drive to explore.

• Corning Museum of Glass in Corning
• Museum of the Earth in Ithaca
• Sciencenter in Ithaca
• Explore & More Children’s Museum in Buffalo
• Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse
• Buffalo Museum of Science in Buffalo
• Medina Railroad Museum in Medina
• Niagara Power Vista in Lewiston

What are your favorite holiday school break activities?

I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.