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Christmas Vacation in CT: 35 Staycation Ideas for Things To Do With Kids

Get out for some cool sights and fun things to do over Christmas break in CT! Winter Lantern Festival photo courtesy of Lyman's Orchard
Get out for some cool sights and fun things to do over Christmas break in CT! Winter Lantern Festival photo courtesy of Lyman's Orchard
12/13/24 - By Ally Noel

There's plenty of things to do for Connecticut families over Christmas vacation. If you're searching for ways to keep kids a little busier after the holidays, check out our list of 35 fun and enriching activities for a CT staycation. These holiday break activities offer something for everyone from a school vacation camp, to the Winter Lantern Festival, and even some reindeer goat snuggles. 

For even more ideas to keep the entire family entertained during school break, bookmark the Mommy Poppins events calendar and our Connecticut Holiday Fun Guide. Follow us on Instagram for our latest finds. 

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Connecticut Staycation Ideas for Things To Do With Kids First Night Hartford 
Head out for New Years fireworkd in Connecticut over the break. Photo courtesy of First Night Hartford

Christmas Vacation in CT: Things To Do near Hartford

1. Catch some basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters in Hartford.

2. Take the family to see the the 6pm fireworks show at First Night Hartford 2025.

3. Celebrate this season of lights at the Magic of Lights drive-thru light display in East Hartford or Fantasy of Lights in New Haven. 

4. Participate in the school vacation camp at the EB Nature Center.

5. Ride the trolley's at the Winterfest and Tunnel of Lights at the Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor.

6. Come see a live animal feeding demonstration at Northwest Park in Windsor.

7. Hebron Lights in Motion is back in Hebron and running until Dec. 31.

8. Spend some time ice skating at Winterfestt at Bushnell Park in Hartford.

9. Take a New Year's Day hike in Broad Brook with the American Heritage River Commission.

Christmas Vacation in CT: Things To Do in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties

10. Embrace the Holiday spirit and take in the Model Train Exhibit at Gallery 25 this year. 

11. Learn about all the global festive traditions at Let's Celebrate! Worldwide at Stepping Stones Museum.

12. Celebrate the New Year with some skiing at Ski Sundown.

13. Take in a Christmas play, The Santa Story 2 at the Cabaret Theater in Bridgeport.

14. Watch the classic "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" 4D at the Maritime Aquarium" in Norwalk.

15. Have the kids attend Winter Break "Camp" at My Gym in West Hartford. 

16.  Get some Reindeer goat snuggles at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield. 

17. Take in some fossils at the Dinosaur Discoveries at Stamford Nature Center. 

18. Catch one of the Holiday Movies at Stamford Town Center.

Connecticut Staycation Ideas for Things To Do With Kids 
There are so many hands-on activites for school break this Christmas in CT. Winter break craft fun photo courtesy of Canva

Christmas Vacation in Connecticut: Things To Do in Eastern CT

​18. Send the kids to a day of Stonington Vacation "Camp" at the Stonington Community Center.

19. Countdown to Noon with Niantic Children's Museum is at the East Lyme Community Center. 

20. Celebrate Kwanzaa at the Merry Days and Jolly Nights in New London monthly celebration.

21. Check out the largest display of holiday lights in all of New England at Holiday Lights Spectacular at Olde Mistick Village.

22. Put on your pajamas and come on down to the Pajama Jam at Niantic Children's Museum.

25. Head on down to Foxwoods for a stage show. Charlie Brown at Foxwoods will be in production this month!

Connecticut Staycation Ideas for Things To Do With Kids Mr Gilberts Classic Train Exhibit Eli Train Museum 
Connecticut's Christmas break brings Mr. Gilbert's Classic Train Exhibit. Photo courtesy of the Eli Whitney Train Museum.

Christmas Vacation in Connecticut: Things To Do near New Haven

26. See the lights at Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven until December 31.

27. Spot an eagle soaring out in the wild (don't forget your binoculars!) with Bald Eagle viewing at Shepaug Dam.

28. See beautiful, lit up sculptures. The Winter Lantern Festival at Lyman Orchards is going throughout Christmas break.

29. See Mr. Gilbert's Railroad, the classic train exhibit at the Eli Whitney Museum.

30. Go and see the recently refurbished Yale Peabody Museum - it's always free!

 
Get in some holiday lights while you still can this Christmas vacation. Photo courtesy of Hebron Lights in Motion

Christmas Vacation in CT: Things To Do Around Connecticut

31. Get out and see the amazing neighborhood Christmas light displays and holiday lights all over Connecticut before they go dark for the 2024 season.

32. Learn to skate at one of the best outdoor ice skating rinks in Connecticut.

33. Dress warmly and head out for the best snow tubing in Connecticut at one these fun places.

34. Explore one of the 20 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in Connecticut.

35. Check out Why Mystic, CT is the most magical Christmas towns in New England!

 

 

 

An earlier version of this post by Jacqueline Miller ran in 2019.

Updated December 2022, 2023, 2024