Be sure to check with the venue for its COVID guidelines and requirements before heading out to any event. Some facilities and events are getting canceled or postponed at the last minute due to the latest COVID surge. If you prefer not to head to public gatherings, we have a variety of online and virtual events on our site. 

Go tubing at Snow Island at Margaritaville. Photo courtesy of Margaritaville at Lanier Islands

25 Great Things to Do With Kids This Winter in Atlanta

1. Take your crew and grab a snow tube at Snow Island at Margaritaville, Lake Lanier. Aside from the tubing, there's ice skating, carnival rides, s'mores and hot chocolate, and plenty of wintertime fun.   

2. Prepare to be dazzled as you pack up the car and take the family on a magical drive-thru light show at Rockin' Christmas World of Illumination at Six Flags White Water in Marietta.

3. While we are on the subject of holidays, you won't want to miss the illuminations at Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The show runs through January 15.\

Lace up and hit the ice at Skate the Station. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Station

4. Lace up your skates and ice skate under the stars at Skate the Station at Atlantic Station. The pop-up rink is open until January 18. Don't live in Midtown? Here's a lot of great ice skating across the city. 

5. Bundle up and take a walk around Alpharetta's outdoor shopping and entertainment thoroughfare Avalon, where you can sip hot cocoa near one of its outdoor fireplaces or go ice skating with the kids.

Explore the Atlanta Beltline. Photo by Melanie Preis

6. Prepare for some epic people-watching as you stroll the Beltline with the kids, with a stop at Ponce City Market for a quick bite.

7. When its just too cold outside, take a day trip to Tellus Science Museum, where your kids can sign up for an astronomy workshop.

8. Check out the Chinese animal lantern festival, Illuminights, at Zoo Atlanta running until January 16.

9. Let the juggling commence at the annual Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival, where kids can watch games and competitions.

10. Take the kids to decompress and re-ignite their creative juices at Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta.

11. Enjoy a trip to Zoo Atlanta, and try one of the wild encounters with elephants, giant pandas, rhinos, and more.   

12. Grab a backpack filled with snacks and drinks and head to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park for a winter hike.

13. Let the magic of music inspire your children with Harry Potter and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The College Football Hall of Fame has everything avid football fans will love. Photo by Bill Leffler

14. Got a football fan in the house? Check out the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta, a 95,000-square-foot museum, complete with a 45-yard football field, and dozens of interactive exhibits.

RELATED: Best New Kid-Friendly Atlanta Destinations of 2021

Discover the world of gnomes and fairies at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Photo by Melanie Preis

15. Discover a miniature world of gnome and fairy houses at Chattahoochee Nature Center until February 28. 

16. Make a visit to the Fernbank Museum and join a Fernbank Forest Ranger in exploring the great outdoors.

17. Take a road trip to Chattahoochee Hills and explore the majestic grounds of Serenbe, the wellness-focused community south of Atlanta's airport.

18. Take a trip through beloved childhood stories at Children's Museum of Atlanta's new Storyland exhibit. 

19. Bring the kids for a short pony or horse ride at family-oriented Sunny Brook Farms in East Cobb. Lessons are available in a number of disciplines.

20. Dress the kids in their favorite pirate costume and prepare to walk the plank at Fernbank Museum's Pirate Day on January 22. Aargh!

21. Commemorate MLK Day on January 17 as the Atlanta History Center explores the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with special programming. Join in the spirit of civic responsibility and volunteerism the civil rights leader represented.  

22. Spend February break at the Atlanta Botanical Garden's wizard camp —make a concoction in potions class, construct a wand from plants, and much more! 

23. Prism: Winter Lights at Woodruff Park strikes wonder and amazement at the light-based art displays created by various artists.

Kids can explore the play area at Six Flags Over Georgia. Photo courtesy of Six Flags

24. Ride scary and not-so-scary attractions at Six Flags Over Georgia, and make sure to try out the new Riddler Mindbender ride.

25. Brush up on art and history by visiting the High Museum for The Obama Portraits Tour, making a special stop in Atlanta this winter. And check out the other great art in the warm, dry museum.