Child-Sized Fun During the Holiday School Break

Are you looking for engaging ways to keep your children entertained during the school holiday break in the Rochester area? Our comprehensive guide offers various activities to suit all interests and weather conditions.

Indoor experiences provide a welcome escape from the winter cold. Revel in balmy conditions at Lamberton Conservatory, nurture your creativity with workshops at Studio 34 Creative Arts Learning Center, Arc+Flame, or the Corning Museum of Glass, and paint pottery at Splatters or Color Me Mine. Explore engaging exhibits at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, featuring highlights such as the Electricity Theater’s singing Tesla Coils. Alternatively, delve into playtime fun at The Strong National Museum of Play, which houses the National Toy Hall of Fame and a child-sized Wegmans grocery store. Families can also enjoy pinball and arcade games at The Strong, Rochester Pinball Collective, or The Playhouse // Swillburger, or unwind at local eateries, cafes, and breweries that serve delicious meals in a friendly atmosphere.

For outdoor enthusiasts, embrace the season with snow sports such as sledding, ice skating, or skiing at local parks. Visit the Seneca Park Zoo to observe animals in their winter habitats. Take a woodland walk along a scenic trail or visit a nature center that offers educational programs and exhibits. Don’t miss the stunning icy formations at local waterfalls, which provide perfect photo opportunities.

Whether you prefer the warmth of indoor activities or the crisp air of outdoor adventure, this guide has everything you need to make the holiday school break enjoyable and memorable for the whole family.

Enjoy Staying Warm Indoors

Lamberton Conservatory

Take a break and unwind in the Lord and Burnham glass greenhouse filled with exotic, desert, and economy plants, including banana trees. Enjoy the warm, tropical temperatures and the soothing sounds of running water. Find turtles lounging by koi ponds and small quail and tortoises wandering around.

The Lamberton Conservatory Holiday Show runs from the first full weekend in December (starting Friday) through early to January. To appreciate the holiday lights after dark, enjoy evening hours on Friday and Sunday nights until 9 p.m. Saturday nights are reserved for weddings and wedding photos.

Hands-On Activities

• Work with glass or metal at Studio 34 Creative Arts Learning Center, Arc+Flame, or Corning Museum of Glass.
• Glaze your own pottery at Splatters or Color Me Mine.
• Spend an afternoon on holiday break playing pinball and arcade games at The Strong National Museum of Play, Rochester Pinball Collective, and The Playhouse // Swillburger.

Rochester Museum & Science Center

The RMSC city campus, featuring the three-story Science Museum and the Strasenburgh Planetarium, is the perfect place to spend a day during the holiday school break.

In the Science Museum, you’ll interact with immersive installations like At The Western Door, Rochester’s Underground Railroad, Science on a Sphere, Expedition Earth, Adventure Zone, and new and innovative exhibits that make every visit unique. Don’t miss the two singing Tesla Coils in the Electricity Theater, where audience members can volunteer to stand inside a Faraday Cage while the coils sing a duet with lightning.

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 in the planetarium are not fixed to the floor, making the space accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

The planetarium also features multiple showtimes for the Holiday Laser show during the holiday school break week. Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time for this popular annual event. 

The Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of play-related historical materials. In addition to its fascinating interactive exhibits, the museum also has a kid-sized Wegmans grocery store, historic pinball and arcade games, and a ropes course above the Skyline Diner.

The museum also houses the National Toy Hall of Fame, World Video Game Hall of Fame, and various collections from Margaret Woodbury Strong, ensuring that there is plenty to see and do for an entire day.

The Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden offers a beautiful rainforest environment for those looking to escape the cold weather. It is the only year-round indoor butterfly garden in upstate New York.

Edgerton Model Railroad Room

If you’re a fan of transportation heritage and Rochester history, you’ll love visiting the detailed model railroad room. Each of the four season-themed layouts showcases a different story from the 1950s, featuring operating model trains touring throughout the scene.

You can explore the intricate details of each display during open house layout tours held on the last Saturday of each month and during special hours during the week.

ARTISANworks

ARTISANworks is a unique, immersive experience that challenges the senses and defies conventional boundaries. From the moment you enter, you will be transported into a world of vibrant color and intricate design. From the original works of Picasso and Warhol to the artist studios that showcase the creative process in action, this is a space where art lives.

Explore the 360-degree canvas and discover hidden gems that will surprise, inspire, and sometimes shock you. Whether you are a seasoned art aficionado or simply looking for something new and exciting, ARTISANworks promises to be a truly unforgettable experience during the holiday school break.

Take a Short Road Trip During the Holiday School Break

There are excellent children’s museums in nearby cities that 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

Family-Friendly Restaurants, Cafes, and Breweries

I asked the Day Trips Around Rochester, NY community this question, presented to me by a new Rochesterian: “Do you know of any Rochester-area restaurants that are great for date night and kid-friendly but not kid-centric? A place that has a nice atmosphere, diverse menu, and maybe offers a play space or something interesting or entertaining for the kids?”

I also received a question about where to take kids starting from a young age to experience varied cuisines.

Take a look at what the community suggested!

Monroe County Libraries

Visit a couple of the thirty-one Monroe County Library System libraries during the holiday school break. Each one offers unique amenities and is in a different neighborhood, providing plenty of opportunities for exploration. Did you know that some of our libraries have reading rooms with fireplaces?

Enjoy the Holiday Break Outdoors

Snow Sports

Snow sports and other outdoor activities are a great way to shake the winter doldrums by exposing you to fresh air, exercise, and sunshine. Try Mendon Ponds Park, Black Creek Park, Ellison Park, or Cobb’s Hill Park for some great sledding hills.

Seneca Park Zoo

The Seneca Park Zoo is open all year. And while many animals prefer to stay comfy-cozy inside or in a den, some species, such as polar bears and Amur tigers, enjoy the long, cold Rochester winters.

Feed the Birds

The most popular walk among bird lovers and families in Mendon Ponds Park is the Birdsong Fairy Trail, near the nature center. With a broad dirt pathway and slight elevation change, this trail provides an easy way to explore a forest full of woodland creatures, ideal for a multi-generational nature walk.

Wandering counterclockwise along the path, search for over forty colorful fairy homes and play spaces.

When food is scarce in winter and early spring, head clockwise on the trail with a handful of black oil sunflower seeds in your hand so that chickadees, nuthatches, and tufted titmice can eat them directly from your hand.

Walk in a Winter Wonderland

These winter walks in Monroe County will inspire you to spend more time outside, breathing in cold, fresh air and soaking up a little sun.

Nature Centers

Visitors can enjoy an interpretive center that is easily accessible and offers interactive educational opportunities about the environment. They can either explore independently or participate in guided walks and other events. Our various nature centers, wildlife preserves, and management areas in New York State all work to protect and maintain natural spaces for the benefit of all.

Roadside Waterfalls

Impressive waterfalls are not all buried in dark ravines reached only by challenging trails. These waterfalls can be viewed from the road, parking area, or a short walk on a pathway. And they take on new personalities in winter.

What are your favorite holiday school break activities?

Your insights and experiences are valuable. Please share them in the comments.